Weeding Out Lies: A Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mystery by Jackie Layton
About Weeding Out Lies
Weeding Out Lies: A Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mystery
Cozy Mystery1st in Series
Setting - Texas
Level Best Books (July 11, 2023)
Print length : 302 pages
ASIN : B0C7JT33B4
Flower farmer Emma Justice’s life is firmly rooted in Lutz, Texas where she has recently begun her new business. One morning while delivering flowers, she stumbles upon a prominent citizen. Dead. When a friend is accused of murder, Emma launches her own investigation. She’s used to separating weeds from flowers. Emma will dig for clues, weed out red herrings and cultivate a plan to find the killer.
About the Character Guest Post
Hi, I’m Emma Justice. I’m thirty-eight years old, a widow, a recent empty-nester, and a new business woman. Despite a fear of failure, I’ve taken the plunge into starting my dream business of opening a flower farm.
I did the research. I talked to other flower farmers, I took a few business classes, I followed blogs of other flower farmers who began with only big yards and not huge acreage of regular farms. Growing flowers has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember.
In case you wonder why I waited so long to follow my dream; it was probably a fear of failure. I’m a single mom, and I needed a steady and reliable job. No doubt you understand.
My three-bedroom bungalow sits on the edge of town. There’s room for my daughter, myself, and space for my office. In the garage, I have an extra refrigerator for cut flowers. My backyard is extra-large, and I have the cutest garden shed. It’s big enough for my tools and supplies and pretty enough for a magazine spread.
Over the years, I tried growing different perennials to see where I’d get the biggest return. The yard has a fence between my flower area, and the back underutilized space. If things go well, I’ll expand without having to move.
Our little town of Lutz, Texas recently had a murder. I’m heartbroken to say, I found her body. It was one of the worst days of my life, but it’s not about me. It was about the tragic loss of a woman’s life. A friend, prominent citizen, and mother to two teenagers. I won’t go into all the reasons, but I decided to start my own investigation into her murder. (Actually, the lead suspect begged me to prove her innocence.)
You probably think I’m ill-equipped to solve a murder, and you’re probably right. I’ve had no training as a detective, but I read a lot of cozy mysteries. I’m also good with details, and my steady job was as a pharmacy technician. You’d be amazed at the ‘detective’ work involved with that job. Not only do we fill prescriptions for patients, we’re supposed to prevent abusers from getting narcotics. They can be creative in their quests, and I learned how to spot some of the scams. I also got to know the police chief through the pharmacy and because our daughters participated in some of the same activities.
In addition to all this, people like food and flowers. My best friend, Sophie Becker, owns the bakery. When you show up with food and flowers, it’ll get you in the door. Sometimes it’ll get a suspect or a witness talking. And sometimes, you can witness the actions of your suspects.
In case you’re wondering when I work on my gardens if I’m solving a murder mystery, I’ll tell you. It’s hot in Texas, so I typically get up early in the morning and head to my garden. I’m a fair-skinned redhead, so it’s also better for me to work early and late in the day. Pulling weeds is a good stress reliever, and sometimes when I get absorbed with my flowers, an idea will come to me.
So, for me being a flower farmer and an amateur sleuth work well together. Stay cool and hydrated, my friends. That heat can be brutal.
About Jackie Layton
Jackie Layton is the author of cozy mysteries with Spunky Southern Sleuths. Her stories are set in Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina. She lives on the coast of South Carolina where she enjoys walks on the beach and golf cart rides around the marsh. Reading, gardening, and traveling are some of her favorite hobbies. She always keeps a notebook handy to write down ideas for future stories. Be careful what you say around her, because it might end up in a book.
Author LinksAuthor Website https://jackielaytoncozyauthor.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Joyfuljel
Twitter https://twitter.com/joyfuljel
Goodreads https://bit.ly/37slujv
Bookbub https://bit.ly/37RqGQ8
Purchase Link - Amazon
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