A Glimmer of a Clue by Daryl Wood Gerber

A Glimmer of a Clue is the second book in Daryl Wood Gerber’s Fairy Garden Mystery series.

When Courtney’s friend Meaghan’s mother gets into a ponytail-pulling wrestling match with a nasty art critic Lana in public, Courtney puts an end to it with a garden hose. Lana is thrown out of Sport Zone and Lana will not go down without a fight. She sues Sport Zone for discrimination.

At the Beauty of Art Spectacular fundraiser, Lana creates a scene by insulting Didi, the owner of Sport Zone and then Lana’s husband. Wanda, Meaghan’s mother claims she’s feeling tired and goes to take a nap. After a while, Meaghan calls Courtney – Lana is lying dead with a letter opener from one of Courtney’s fairy gardens sticking out of her chest and Wanda is standing next to her murmuring “What have I done?”

Tamara, a local antique seller and therapist says Wanda is prone to sleepwalking. Did Wanda murder Lana during her sleepwalking episode? Courtney does not believe her friend’s mother – Wanda’s also been a second mother to Courtney – would have killed someone, sleepwalking or not.

Every time a new story is told, a fairy is born.

– Anonymous

I remember reading the first book of this series two years ago and I absolutely loved the theme – fairy garden. I do a bit of gardening but I had never heard of fairy gardens before coming across this series. Like last time, as I reading through this book, I felt the need to create a fairy garden. I have heard that fairies are found near trees and plants, invisible to us. I have also been told that the sparks we see from our peripheral vision are indeed fairies. Well, all I would say is, the universe is full of mysteries and what we believe or do not is up to us.

Let’s get on with the review now. Courtney’s late mother and grandmother believed in fairy but her father did not. Courtney returned to Carmel-by-the-sea after a heartbreak and started a fairy gardening corner – Open Your Imagination. She also conducts workshops and donates her fairy gardens to fundraisers. She has Fiona – a fairy – as her sidekick in amateur sleuthing adventures.

When Wanda is accused and later arrested of killing Lana, Courtney knows she must prove Wanda’s innocence as well as bring Lana’s killer to justice. Lana might have been nasty to almost everyone but no one deserves to be murdered. As is the case in any murder, fingers point to Lana’s husband. Lana had insulted him during a company meeting – for which Lana wasn’t invited but she attended it anyway.

We also have a side story here. One of the Carmel’s resident’s teenage daughter ran away and joined a cult decades ago. Tish, the mother, hopes her daughter would return one day. When she talks to Courtney about it, Fiona wonders if the search needs a fairy’s touch. When a local reporter contacts Courtney for gossip on Wanda’s arrest, Courtney makes a deal with her – try to locate Twyla and in return, receive news about the latest developments in Lana’s murder investigation.

The highlight of this series are the beautiful fairy gardens that Courtney makes. And, the fairies too – so many types of them, each with a unique gift. I loved Fiona’s banter and her teasing Pixie (Courtney’s ragdoll cat). I also loved the mystery but I cannot say the same about the ending.

My only niggle has something to do with one of the suspects. So many clues pointing towards them but then, Courtney learns something – turns out this particular suspect will be arrested, but for a different crime. The identity of the (real) killer was no surprise. Things were pretty clear when Courtney comes across a piece of evidence but no points to Courtney for not connecting the dots sooner.

We have a dash of romance and as the story ends, there is some progress in the department of hearts. I am curious to know how this angle will be explored further in the next book.

Overall, A Glimmer of a Clue by Daryl Wood Gerber was an entertaining cozy mystery. If you are looking for a fairy-themed mystery, I recommend you to give this book a try.

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