Book 11, 2023

[chez_jae]

Arsenic in the Azaleas by Dale Mayer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I finished reading Arsenic in the Azaleas by Dale Meyer last night. It's the first book in the "Lovely Lethal Gardens" cozy mystery series, told in first-person pov by the main character Doreen Montgomery.

When her soon-to-be-ex-husband leaves wealthy socialite Doreen penniless, she has the good fortune to move into her grandmother's old home in Kelowna. Nan plans to deed the house to Doreen, and in return Doreen will care for Nan's pets--a parrot and a cat. Her own dog, Mugs, seems pleased with the new arrangement. Before Doreen can get settled, the dog and cat unearth a human finger in the garden. After she summons the police, the rest of the body is found, and now Doreen and Nan are both suspects in the man's murder. Determined to clear their names, and curious to boot, Doreen begins snooping around, doing some research, and questioning her neighbors. Her amateur sleuthing irritates Corporal Mack Moreau, but Doreen won't stop until the mystery is solved.

I liked Doreen's can-do attitude, and the pets were a fun touch. She may have gotten on Mack's nerves, but he was getting on mine with how high-handed he was acting toward Doreen. Most irritating of all is when Doreen was hauling boxes out of the attic to go through and Mack came to the door, then got all pissy that it took her several minutes to answer. He then had the nerve to barge in and demand what she was up to, accusing her of snooping. Excuse me?! Since when does the woman not have the right to go through items in the house that will soon be hers? Mack even physically moved Doreen out of the way so he could thunder up the steps to see what she'd discovered. Girl, you just got out of one relationship where a man treated you with utter disrespect; don't allow the next jackass to come along and do the same.

Favorite line: "I'm not at all surprised an insurance salesman was murdered."

This one is getting an average score, and I think that's being generous.


1. Does the mc work at/as one of the following: baker/bakery/sweet shop/tea shop/coffee shop, library/librarian, antique/vintage shop, book store, fashion/boutique, bed & breakfast? No, she's unemployed
2. Does the mc live at her (or his) place of occupation? NA
3. Is the love interest involved in law enforcement? (Police officer, sheriff, detective, PI, FBI) Yes
4. Does the mc have a dog/cat as a pet? She has both
5. Is the mc's BFF either a gay guy or a ditzy/zany woman? Poor Doreen seems to have no friends
6. Did the mc find the body? Yes
7. Did the mc wind up in mortal danger at the end of the book? Yes
8. Is the mc's mother either: dead, absent, far removed, ditzy and dithering, or overbearing/disapproving/meddling? She's absent AND disapproving
9. If mother is dead/absent, does the mc have another mother-figure (grandmother, aunt, mom's friend, or an older friend)? Yes, Doreen has Nan
10. Is the mc child-free? (Either no children or else grown children--i.e. no small children to look after) Yes, she's child-free