Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for A Twinkle of Trouble (A Fairy Garden Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
A Twinkle of Trouble (A Fairy Garden Mystery)
by Daryl Wood Gerber
A Twinkle of Trouble (A Fairy Garden Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – California
Publisher : Kensington Cozies (April 23, 2024)
Paperback : 304 pages
Carmel-by-the-Sea garden shop owner Courtney Kelly sees things others can’t—like fairies, and hidden motives for murder . . .
Courtney is delighted when her tiny friend Fiona returns from the fairy realm, appearing at the base of a Cypress tree. When her Ragdoll cat, Pixie, emerges from her own portal—aka the cat door—the three set off for a busy day. Busier than usual, since Courtney has rented a small plot of land at the Flower Farm, where she hopes to grow her own supplies for her fairy-garden business. Plus, the annual Summer Blooms Festival is coming up, and Courtney has booked a booth . . .
But the murder of Courtney’s friend, Genevieve, casts a pall over the festival. Ever since Genevieve sold her floral business, she’d been building a career as an influencer. She was perennially opinionated—but in her new role she’d become surprisingly vicious, dissing local entrepreneurs with nasty posts and unwarranted bad reviews. That’s landed a couple of Courtney’s other friends on the suspect list—including Flower Farm owner Daphne Flores. And when a second victim is discovered, seeds of doubt about Daphne’s innocence sprout in Courtney’s mind. With only a germ of a clue, Courtney will have to overturn every rock to get the dirt on the real killer . . .
Character Guest Post
Hi, everyone, I’m Fiona, a righteous fairy. I live with Courtney Kelly, who owns Open Your Imagination, a fairy garden shop in Carmel-by-the-Sea. When I first appeared to Courtney, it sort of freaked her out. She’d seen fairies before, but that was way long ago, when she was a girl. Children are much less resistant to magic. A short while ago, when Courtney was daring to dream and opening her new shop . . . voilá . . . she could see me.
The reason I came to the human world is because the queen fairy kicked me out of the fairy realm. You see, I was being an imp. I wasn’t malicious or anything. I’m never that. But I was doing pranks on other fairies. I needed to wise up because there is a future ahead of me where I will need to be wise and reliable.
When I came to the human world, I began to study with my mentor, who happens to be my aunt. Her name is Merryweather Rose of Song. She’s a lovely fairy, but she scares me a little bit. She can be quite stern. Most of her time she helps humans at the public library. She’s a guardian fairy and likes to encourage people to read because it nourishes their brains. But when she teaches me, we work one on one. She’s been teaching me about potions and photokinesis . . . and, yes, obedience. I’m getting much better at toeing the line.
I read a lot. Do you? The woman who helps Courtney at her shop, Joss Timberlake—she’s so sweet; you’d love her!—got me into reading everything. Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie. We spent a whole month reading Shakespeare, including his sonnets. I love stories and poetry. Now even Courtney is reading more. She really likes mysteries. Good thing she does because she often finds herself embroiled in murder. She doesn’t search out crime, but a couple of times her friends or family have been suspects. She was even a suspect once.
I helped her solve that murder because, as a righteous fairy, I’m supposed to help humans solve problems. I’m a one-person fairy now. I live with Courtney and she guides me and I guide her. We’re a real team. I don’t know what I’ll do when I have to go back to the fairy realm for good. I like the human world, but at some time in the future, I will have to return.
Until then, I’ll continue to be the best friend I can be to Courtney.
My Review of A Twinkle of Trouble
A Twinkle of Trouble by Daryl Wood Gerber is the fifth book in the charming Fairy Garden Mystery series. I was immensely entertained by this book! I’ve read all of the books in the series, but this can easily be read as a standalone.
If you like your cozy mysteries to have a little bit of whimsy and magic, you’ll love A Twinkle of Trouble. Though very few people can see fairies, Courtney Kelly is one of those that can! She’s the owner and proprietor of Open Your Imagination in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA. If you’ve read any of my other reviews of this series, you know how much I love the setting. If you’ve never seen photos of Carmel-by-the-Sea, you need to Google some. It’s just like a storybook, and I hope to see it in person someday.
Wouldn’t you love to see a fairy? As long as they’re the small, sweet fairies, I’m in. Big scary fairies…keep away! Courtney has a fairy who has been with her for a while. She doesn’t “own” her. Fiona, the fairy, is with Courtney because Courtney needs her, she needs Courtney, and Courtney believes in fairies. Only those who truly believe can see fairies. Fiona helps Courtney with her cases…in a way. But she is helpful! You’ll be introduced to the other fairies who populate the town too!
The shops in Courtney’s world are wonderful, and I can imagine them in the photos I’ve seen. They’re artsy and whimsical, and some make delicious food and treats. The author really knows how to make you feel like you’re strolling the streets of Carmel-by-the-Sea with her descriptive language.
Once again, Courtney, like all good cozy mystery heroines, has become immersed in another murder case. Though she didn’t find the body, she was one of the first on the scene when a woman screamed. Then someone else is murdered. Are there two killers, or is there just one? I had a hard time determining whodunit! There are several suspects who wanted at least one of the victims dead, and a handful who wanted both dead. I finally figured it out near the end, but it was really really near the end! The author knows how to stump us even when she’s given us all of the clues! Those are the best kind of cozies! I like to be kept guessing.
I love everything about A Twinkle of Trouble, and I highly recommend this charming cozy mystery! The characters are well-written, the setting is delightful, and the murders are well-plotted. The whimsical fairies are the icing on the cake! They make an already captivating cozy mystery even better!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
About Daryl Wood Gerber
Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber is best known for her nationally bestselling mysteries, including the Fairy Garden Mysteries and Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense including the well received The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams series. Recently Daryl, who loves a challenge, published a Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. Also she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. You can learn more on her website: https://darylwoodgerber.com
Author Links
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Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop
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A Twinkle of Trouble TOUR PARTICIPANTS
April 15 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
April 15 – Teatime and Books – SPOTLIGHT
April 16 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
April 16 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 16 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
April 17 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
April 17 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
April 18 – Celticlady’s Reviews – RECIPE
April 18 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
April 18 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT
April 19 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
April 19 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
April 20 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW
April 20 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
April 20 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 21 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 21 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
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Christy, I love how much you enjoy these stories and how you “get” the fairy angle plus the beauty of Carmel. Yay. Thanks for the lovely review. Fiona was more than thrilled to share a bit about herself, too. ~ Daryl Wood Gerber
Thank you to Fiona for telling us about herself, and thank you for stopping today!
This looks good. Thanks for hosting.
Good luck on your new release.
I love the way Daryl Wood Gerber writes. I feel like I am right there with the characters.