Part of Meg Langslow, book 11
First published 2009
Meg Langslow feels relieved when her eccentric parents take up rose growing. Dad tends the garden while Mother arranges the blooms for competitive shows. When the Caerphilly Garden Club hosts its first annual rose show, Meg volunteers to help. She quickly discovers that rose growers make her own family look normal. These competitors will do anything to win the Black Swan trophy. Someone tries to murder the wealthy woman hosting the competition on her estate. The intended victim has made many enemies. She mistreats her farm animals, which angers animal welfare activists including Meg's zoologist grandfather. Meg wants to let the local police handle the investigation while she protects her parents' chances at the trophy. But more rose growers face danger, and Meg must solve the crime herself. She races to catch the killer before the competition turns deadlier than anyone expected.
Genres: animals, mystery, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth
Vibes: cozy, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family
Setting: Caerphilly, Black Swan
306 pages · Hardcover · Minotaur Books