Sleeping with Anemone: A Flower Shop Mystery

Abby Knight protests against Uniworld food are done because she wants to protect cows but soon she's the one in need of protection. Someone is vandalizing her flower shop and people close to her are in danger. When the threats turned to murder Abby agrees to stop her protests. But is she too late to save not only her life but the lives of those she loves the most?"Sleeping with Anemone" is another nicely done mystery in Kate Collins's Flower Shop cozy mystery series. While the mystery has some particularly nice twists and turns, it is not as sharply written as other books in the series and in some ways the identity of the killer feels like a cheat. However, what makes the book so delightful are the characters and I was happy to see more of Abby's family in this book. Her niece Tara plays a major role (at least at the beginning - she kind of disappears in the second half of the book) and it was fun watching her interact with Tara. There is also, I'm happy to say, a lot more of Abby's parents in the book. Her mother and her disastrous art projects have been a running joke throughout the series but in this book, she comes through as a lot stronger and smarter than in the other books. I was also happy to see Abby's father play an important role in the book - Abby's relationship with him is very sweet and helps shape her character. Boyfriend Marco's family also plays a big part in the story and helps cement the relationship between Abby and Marco. Abby's "do I want to marry Marco or not" was amusing at first but got tired quickly (although I did laugh at the very end of the book), but did have a sweet ending. As I said, the mystery aspects were a bit weak, and readers will figure out certain plot aspects long before Abby, Marco and the police do and some of the bad guys were so bumbling, they could have come out at the Keystone Kops comedy. Some plot lines never were completely wrapped up - still, the character development is what makes this book worth reading."Sleeping with Anemone" is not the strongest book in Kate Collins's series but fans will still enjoy it.

After the horror that was Kate Collins' last book, I ordered "Sleeping with Anemone" with some trepidation. Would Abby and her friends come through this time or would I stop reading the book halfway through and give up on Bloomers Flower Shop forever.I am happy to say that this book has brought the gang back to where they belong--on the list of one of my favorite series.There are problems, of course (hence the 4 instead of 5 stars). The entire "Abby as an animal rights activist" is overblown and, as a former law student (albeit a drop out), Abby should have know the legal liabilities in some of her actions. There are times the will-they-or-won't-they-set-a-date-to-get-married gets a little old. But those are small problems.In general, this book is a well-written, well-thought out cozy. I know, the mystery isn't much of a mystery--I figured out what they were missing early on but that didn't stop me from enjoying their search.More importantly, the secondary characters--Lottie, Grace, Mom, Dad, and Reilly all make appearances. Even the roommate I found so annoying in the previous "Evil in Carnations" returns without all the baggage that made me dislike her before.I don't go through plots in reviews--you can get that from the Amazon description and other reviews. Furthermore, I really hate to see spoilers. So, I'll just say that Mom's artistic abilities (or lack thereof) once again play a prominent role in this book and the dynamics of both Marco's and Abby's families keep popping up.Now that Kate Collins has righted what was wrong previously, I look forward to the next installment--due October 2010.

I absolutely adore this series! I started them when I was in high school and have recently picked them back up again. In this installment, florist and amateur sleuth (or busybody!) Abby Knight set her sights on a bigger company to bring down. Unfortunately, it looks like that bigger company might be fighting back. After the third failed kidnapping, Abby's boyfriend Marco steps in to protect her. Together they'll have to figure out who is targeting her and why.As with all of her books, Kate Collins always has a mix of her characters personal hang-ups and relationships as well as the mystery. Abby's family is expecting Abby and Marco to be engaged, but her own history with diamond rings is keeping her from committing. Not to mention that now that Marco is hanging around twenty-four-seven, she seeing all of his flaws and faults.The author has done has done another remarkable job with Abby Knight. The character reflects the many different emotions associated with relationships but still has the strength to realize what's important in her life. And, as with the rest of the series, Sleeping with Anemone is funny and adorable!!

Abby Knight has a strong sense of fair-play about her. She believes strongly in right and wrong, and is not afraid of a few threats.This time Abby is taking on Uniworld that is using hormones to stimulate the cow's milk production.In this book, she meets a few people who would like to stop her from protesting, but it does not stop her at first. Only after Tara is kidnapped, does it stop her.Anyway without giving away too much of the plot- this is a good "cozy". Kate Collins has a knack for writing a book that is entertaining and enjoyable.While I do believe this book is the first one that we have excerpts that are from the "bad guys" of view, it added to the story- I don't know if I would want it always, but for this particular story-line, it did work.So, read the book, enjoy an afternoon with Abby and Marco (Hot Pockets)Looking forward to the next installment (Dirty Rotten Tendrils) out in October 2010!

Love them all.You want to keep on reading the whole series.I have the whole series and can't wait for more.