'Dirty Rotten Tendrils' bursting with forget-me-not characters; best Flower Shop Mystery to date

Did I mention her really sexy boyfriend Marco Salvare, who is both a PI and the owner of Down the Hatch Bar and Grill?

Or Jillian, Abby’s cousin and sometimes wardrobe consultant to the stars, along with Maureen, Abby’s Mom, a kindergarten teacher by day and not-so-artistically-inclined by night, who delights in bringing her latest creations to Bloomers to be sold.

What kind of artist Mom is is debatable, according to Abby, who changes mediums as frequently as people change shoes.

“In New Chapel, unlike big cities, you won’t experience heavy traffic snarls, clouds of toxic exhaust fumes, or frustrated drivers honking horns at every tiny irritation.”

But when a local boy, Cody Verse, wins first place in a reality TV show for his singing, that slow-paced, easy-paced, amble down the sidewalk, small town way of life turns into a media free-for-all with roped off screaming crowds of fans.

Dirty Rotten Tendrils is the 10th in Kate Collins’ flower shop mysteries series —each one better than the last.

If you love flowers and spunky and sexy crime-solvers, this is the series for you. When you’ve read ‘Dirty Rotten Tendrils,’ you’ll want to go back and start from the beginning: ‘Mum’s the Word,’ ‘Slay It with Flowers,’ ‘Dearly Depotted,’ ‘Snipped in the Bud,’ ‘Acts of Violets,’ ‘A Rose from the Dead,’ ‘Shoots to Kill,’ ‘Evil in Carnations,’ and ‘Sleeping with Anemone.'

The descriptions of the flower arrangements are so vivid you can almost smell the stargazer lilies. The story is so compelling, it will bring sunshine warmth to a cold winter day.

So do something for yourself at the start of this holiday season: Wrap up in a blanket, settle into a comfy chair with a glass of wine or a mug of steamy coffee, and enjoy one of the best cozy reads of the season.

I love this Flower Shop series. Any one of the titles would make a perfect gift for any cozy mystery, flower-loving friend.