Marigolds for Mourning (Thyme Will Tell Mysteries)
The town of Hayden is stunned when it's most popular high school student collapses and falls into a coma on Homecoming night. Jack Hargrove is either the victim of a cruel joke meant for someone else or attempted murder. His mother Trudy believes the latter. Years before a suspicious accident left her in a wheelchair, and when she was four, her father supposedly killed her mother, then himself. Trudy believes the curse of her family has a human hand, and she is determined it will not destroy her son. At stake is control of the Hargrove sanitarium. Dr. Howard Keegan has worked for the sanitarium for years, and Trudy has loved him for as long as she can remember. She also suspects him of being behind the attempt on Jack's life. She turns to her friend Regan Culver for help. Regan agrees to delve into the past and examine the events on the day Trudy's mother was killed. Regan's fiancé, police chief Matt Olin, examines the possibility of drug involvement at the high school. And struggles with his relationship with Regan. As they draw closer to the truth, and the killer strikes again, Regan and Matt must resolve their differences to find the answers. And Trudy must decide if the hands of the man she loves are those of a killer. Marigolds for Mourning is the second book featuring garden designer Regan Culver. Stallsmith has skillfully pulled together the treads of a complicated plot, meshing past and present. Her characters are well drawn and engaging. I appreciated the fact that although the events of the previous book are alluded to, the killer is not named, thus leaving the ending unspoiled for those who have not read Rosemary for Remembrance. Stallsmith's narrative is a smooth ride to the climatic finish! Marigolds for Mourning is heady perfume! Like a roller coaster, this one takes you steadily to the top, then drops you over the edge! Linda Fitzner  --Copyright © 030199 Literary Times, Inc.  All rights reserved--FromLiterary Times