Rooted in Deceit - Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Rooted in Deceit (A Greenhouse Mystery #4) by Wendy Tyson

Rating:  Very Good

Source: Publicist

Description:  It’s summertime in Winsome. Washington Acres is abloom, Megan is preparing for the grand opening of their wood-fired pizza farm, and things with Megan’s beau, handsome Dr. Finn, are getting as hot as the August temperatures. But when Megan’s ne’er-do-well father arrives in Pennsylvania with his high-maintenance Italian wife, Sylvia, and announces they’re staying at the new yoga retreat center a town away, a sweet occasion sours.

Eager to secure pieces for her Milan boutique, Sylvia finagles a meeting with up-and-coming artist Thana Moore, whose work is showing at the retreat center. After their explosive encounter, Thana is murdered and Sylvia becomes the prime suspect. Only Sylvia isn’t the only one with ties to the artist—once upon a time, Thana Moore had been Megan’s best friend. As Megan delves into Thana’s past, piecing together the years since their falling out, she realizes that something sinister is afoot in Bucks County. Unless Megan can find the killer, this idyllic summer will turn nightmarish. Innocent people may be imprisoned—and even more could die. 

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've really enjoyed the 1st and 3rd book in this series (haven't read the 2nd one but I'm sure I'll enjoy that one too!) so I couldn't resist grabbing this one.

My Impression:  If you're not sure cozy mysteries are for you this is one of the series that I really think you need to try.  It's got everything a cozy mystery is supposed to have - an amateur sleuth, a community that is supportive but quirky to the point of driving the main character crazy at times, and a solid mystery in each and every book.  There are some continuing story threads but they're not so prominent that if you're reading out of order it'll get confusing or they're summed up so succinctly that you know what's going on without having to wade through an info dump.  

This new mystery lives up to the standard that the previous three books have set.  I loved being back at Washington Acres and seeing what Megan, Bibi, Clay, and Clover are up to.  The changes around the farm were interesting and I really appreciated getting a bit of a peek into Clay and Clover's childhood.  I also really like Megan and the police chief, Bobby King's relationship.  Bobby is very smart and capable as well as just being a nice guy and a good friend.  He respects Megan's opinion and insight but at the same time does remind her that she's a civilian.  I also really appreciated how Megan's relationship with her parents is handled.  I don't think the parent/child relationship is ever completely clean and Tyson does a good job of showing that with how Megan handles difficult situations on both sides.  I did wish Thana's character was explored a little more.  It wasn't that anything was left open ended it was more that I never really felt like I got a picture on just who Thana was.  

The mystery kept me guessing.  There were so many directions it could have gone and I couldn't make up my mind until the very end.  I've been in a bit of a reading slump the last couple of months and this was one of the books that helped me out of it.  I really just enjoyed sitting down with this book and finding out what happened next as well as spending more time with Megan and everyone else at Washington Acres.  I can't wait to find out what happens next in the series.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Yes!  I'm glad that I have the 2nd book waiting on my shelves and am excited to read #5.  

Would I Recommend this Book?  I really would if you're a mystery fan.  You can jump in here if you want with no issue but book 1 is also fantastic.  Either way you can't lose!