Blooming Murder
by Simon Whaley
Category: Fiction

"Blooming Murder is, essentially, what would happen if Gardener’s World had an illicit love child by Midsomer Murders via the work of Tom Sharpe." ~ PAJ Newman "With devilish and hilarious goings-on amongst the blooms, it is jam-packed full of wonderful and very likeable eccentric characters with a deliciously wicked streak of humour running through it. I loved every page and laughed my socks off at some bits." ~ The Word Is Out Now "The writing is addicting. I had trouble putting this one down and it was easy to be hooked." - Jessica Belmont Book Description: Two communities. One flower competition. So much dead-heading! Aldermaston’s having a bad day. A falling hanging-basket has killed the town’s mayor, and a second narrowly missed him. His wife wants him to build her new greenhouse in three days, and someone is sending him death threats. This isn’t the quiet life he expected as the new Marquess of Mortiforde. It’s the annual Borders in Blossom competition, and Mortiforde is battling with Portley Ridge in the final. But this is no parochial flower competition. The mayor’s mishap looks like murder, and there’s another body in the river. Someone desperately wants Portley Ridge to win for the fifteenth successive year. So when a mysterious group of guerrilla gardeners suddenly carpet bomb Mortiforde with a series of stunning floral delights one night, a chain reaction of floral retaliation ensues. Can Aldermaston survive long enough to uncover who is trying to kill him, and why? And can he get his wife’s greenhouse built in time? Blooming Murder is the first book in the Marquess of Mortiforde Mystery series. If you love the eccentricity of MC Beaton’s Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth books, and the humour of ITV's Midsomer Murder television series, you’ll love this first instalment of the Marquess of Mortiforde mysteries. “I loved this book and laughed such a lot at the going-ons in the village. A brilliant tale of jealousy, revenge and green-fingered criminality. I can not wait until the next book.” ~ The Devine Write "Simon Whaley’s Blooming Murder is a terrific cosy mystery perfect for Agatha Raisin fans. Full of eccentric characters, bucolic mayhem and mischief and village shenanigans, Blooming Murder is a fun, witty and entertaining mystery peppered with humour, intrigue and nail-biting suspense." ~ Bookish Jottings “Whaley’s writing style is straightforward and hooks you instantly, and his plot builds steadily from there. Blooming Murder is a charming, engaging novel.” ~ Bibliotica "Blooming Murder reads like a mix of Father Brown and Rosemary & Thyme with the humor of Monty Python. The sheer amount of floral puns and innuendo propagated throughout had me laughing helplessly and marveling at the author’s cleverness and audacity!" ~ PuzzlePaws "If you’re looking for a funny, cosy mystery with a cracking pace, you’ve come to the right place. Quintessentially British humour is in abundance here, as are the blooms… and the dead bodies. Now, the characters’ names might be tongue-twisters, but they perfectly sum up the vibe of this story—think of it as a mash-up of Carry On films, The Darling Buds of May and an Agatha Christie mystery and you’ll be primed for the Borders in Blossom competition where innuendo and double entendres are in full bloom." ~ Just4mybooks. "To me, this came across Midsummer Murders meets a Carry On film!" ~ CurledUpWithAGoodBook "I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it is a piece of ridiculous, riotous fun. If you are a fan of Midsomer Murders, with its pretty settings, eccentric characters and bizarre and convoluted murders, you will absolutely love this novel." ~ A Little Book Problem