Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #782747 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-05
• Released on: 2008-02-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780312369675
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
in Harris's cozy debut, budding landscaper Paula Holliday turns sleuth after the former documentary filmmaker, a New York City transplant to the suburbs, unearths a box containing a small dead body in the neglected, overgrown garden of the Springfield, Conn., house of the recently deceased Peacock sisters, Dorothy and Renata. Sgt. Michael O'Malley, who looked like he knew his way to the donut shop, leads the crime investigation, but Paula does her share of detecting, supported by such friends as Lucy Cavanaugh, a fellow filmmaker, and Wanda Babe Chinnery, the proprietor of the local diner where all and sundry come to gossip. Harris does a good job developing her characters, their friendships and romances, though the mystery itself borders on the formulaic. Still, the action builds to a satisfying denouement and gardeners will appreciate the author's insider knowledge. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

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Customer Reviews

It's a good start, but.....
I picked up this book as I am a gardener in Southeastern Connecticut where the story, according to page two, is supposed to take place. Later, the same town is transported to southwestern Connecticut. Then it goes back and forth between the two areas, but it is the same town all along. Except in one part where the name of the town changes for some inexplicible reason. One character goes from Anna to Ann. The main character, Paula, goes for a run through UConn, which is in the Northwestern part of Connecticut, yet she is still in the same town. Finally, one character is supposed to be a Congressman representing the 53rd district for Connecticut, which is rather difficult as the 53rd district is in California.

The story was engaging and I liked the characters. I would probably read another book by Rosemary Harris, but she, and her editor, need to pay a little more attention to the details, as they were very distracting.

Great Start to a New Mystery Series
Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris is a delightful cozy mystery. Paula Holliday has given up her life in New York City to come to Springfield, Connecticut to start a gardening/landscaping business. Getting her first big job, that of reviving the gardens of a mansion recently inherited by the local historical society, Paula uncovers the mummified corpse of an infant. Of course, as in any good cozy mystery, Paula embarks on finding out who buried the infant, much to the dismay of the local police.

I truly enjoyed this mystery. Paula had the requisite wise-cracking friend, actually two of them, her friend Lucy from New York City and Babe, the owner of the local diner. I found the characters well fleshed out and the banter was witty and amusing. Paula's exchanges with Sergeant Mike O'Malley were fun to follow and I'm hoping their relationship develops in the next installment of this proposed series. Because I am from Connecticut I particularly enjoyed this book and found references to things I am familiar with enjoyable, particularly her reference to Dunkin Donuts coffee, one of my favorite things!

Wish It Had Pushed Up More with the Daisies
Paula Holliday has left behind the rat race of television programming for the quiet life of small town Connecticut. And she's indulging her love of gardening by opening a struggling gardening business. It's hard (and dirty) work, but she enjoys it.

When the mansion and gardens of Halcyon, a local landmark, are left to the historic society, Paula gets the job of restoring the grounds to their former glory. It's a mammoth project, but Paula is excited about the prospect. That is, until she starts digging the first day and finds the remains of a baby. Suddenly, old mysteries are rising to the surface. Who were the parents? Was it one of the spinster sisters who lived at Halcyon? Will digging up old rumors cause fresh pain?

This book had some entertaining moments, but for the most part it was rather bland. About half a dozen of the characters were interesting and memorable; the others were bland and tended to blend together, making it impossible for me to remember who was who.

The plot dragged for the first half, leaving us time to talk about gardening instead. When it did get going, it was interesting. Even then, it wasn't well developed as Paula had a habit of making wild, accurate statements out of nowhere. I kept scratching my head trying to figure out how she reached these correct deductions.

This book had an interesting premise. But it needed more time to put down roots. Instead of being in full bloom, this book was published as soon as it sprouted.