August-September 2007 selection

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Product Description

There's a serpent loose in Nina's garden ...

Nina Colette Ceceri Quinn's business, Taken by Surprise -- a landscaping firm specializing in surprise garden makeovers -- is the only thing in her life that seems to be thriving. Her marriage to adulterous police detective Kevin Quinn has wilted. Her antisocial stepson Riley is spreading trouble around like pungent manure. Even her gardening tools are disappearing, including a rather valuable set of hoes.

Worst of all, the delightful old man who first introduced her to the joys of horticulture is dead -- and not by natural causes. Something evil has taken root in Nina's Ohio small town, and the local police -- including dearly unbeloved Kev -- are baffled. But it's amazing what a resourceful gardener can dig up when she puts her mind to it -- though, by sticking her hands too deeply into this fetid, fertile soil, Nina might well end up planted beneath her own petunias.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #802988 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-01
• Released on: 2004-06-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
"Nina is a fresh welcome addition to the genre." -- Romantic Times

Review
"Nina is a fresh welcome addition to the genre." (Romantic Times BOOKclub )

"Webber weaves a wondrous latticework of plotting and characters in her debut mystery." (Mary Daheim )

About the Author
Heather Webber writes mysteries in between running her three children to and from various sporting and school events, actively avoiding housework, and wishing someone would give her backyard a Taken by Surprise makeover. This native of Massachusetts was uprooted and transplanted to a little cranny of southwest Ohio shortly after marrying her high school sweetheart. She loves her small town and can usually be found somewhere in the midst of a soccer field or hard at work on her next Nina Quinn novel.

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Customer Reviews

Excellent!
In Freedom, Ohio, successful landscaper Nina Quinn's life is falling apart. Her marriage is failing, her stepson is "out to get her", and her old mentor, Farmer Joe, has just mysteriously died. But Farmer Joe did NOT die of natural causes.

As things start unraveling even more in this small town, Nina tries to piece together what happened to her mentor. Using her business, called "Taken By Surprise", as a cover, Nina begins her own investigation. But as everything comes together, Nina realizes that this mystery strikes too close to home.

***** An entrancing novel that is full of suspense and wit. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book. Highly recommended for all mystery fans and those looking for a quick-witted read. *****

Reviewed by K. Blair

A Hoe Lot of Fun!!
Nina Quinn's specialty is designing gardens, but she discovers she also has a knack for solving a mystery. In between she has to deal with a teenaged step-son, a police detective ex and a neighbor who likes to keep an eye on the neighborhood.

Tons of fun! Heather Webber's debut is brilliant!

This Great Debut Mystery is a Hoe Lot of Fun
"A Hoe Lot of Trouble" introduces us to a wonderfully funny new mystery series starring Nina Quinn, professional landscaper. Nina owns a landscaping firm called "Taken by Surprise" which specializes in surprise garden makeovers that are completed in one day. (Think Home and Garden TV). In this opening installment, Nina is in the process of divorcing her philandering husband Kevin Quinn, a police detective in their small town of Freedom, Ohio. The mystery begins when Nina agrees to help her best friend Bridget by looking into the death of her father-in-law, Farmer Joe Sandowski. Add to these problems a series of equipment thefts from her business and trouble with her teen-aged stepson, and Nina certainly has her hands full!

Author Webber does a great job of developing the characters of Riley, Nina' stepson, and other members of Nina's family. The story is full of humor and the characters are real and likable.

I'm so glad to have discovered this new mystery series and am looking forward to reading more of Nina's hilarious adventures.