The Chamomile Conspiracy by Louise Marvin

It’s my stop today on the blog tour for The Chamomile Conspiracy by Louise Marvin. Many thanks to Lori Caswell of Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for giving me an opportunity to be a part of this blog tour.

Pax Thatcher arrives at her seaside hometown of Honesty Harbor, Maine for a visit and discovers Miss Millie is missing. Miss Millie runs a tea shop and is known in the community for being a witch. Samwise, the store help, tells Pax that Miss Millie is unwell and resting.

When Sam and Pax pay Miss Millie a visit, they find her lying on the floor. By the time the ambulance arrives, Miss Millie breathes her last. Her dying wish is for Pax to find the person responsible for killing her.

The Chamomile Conspiracy is the first book in Louise Marvin’s Garden Lover Cozy Mystery series.

The story begins with Pax Thatcher visiting her hometown in Maine. She met Miss Millie two years ago at the cemetery – Pax was at her parents’ grave when Millie first spoke to her. They grew close soon after and every time Pax came to Honesty Harbor, she made it a point to pay Miss Millie a visit. But this time, Miss Millie has called in sick and is not at her store.

When Pax and Sam reach Miss Millie’s home, they find her lying on the floor. Before the paramedics could come in, Miss Millie breathes her last. She whispers to Pax before dying and tells her to find the killer. Pax cannot believe that someone would have wanted to harm the kind old woman.

Pax starts to investigate and comes up with a list of suspects. Then there is the question of Miss Millie’s heir – it was believed that she had no immediate family. But then, Pax receives a surprise. She’s been left Millie’s estate – bank accounts, store, home and everything else. But why? Pax hardly knew Millie for a long time.

I loved the setting and the plot. The mystery behind an old witch’s murder piqued my curiosity – she was kind and loved by many – so why was she killed? Then there is the mystery behind Pax’s inheritance. Pax’s parents died years ago and her relationship with her paternal grandparents is shaky. She was told none of her mother’s relatives were alive. So, the question arises as to why would Millie, a complete stranger, leave all her assets to Pax?

My only niggle with this story was the main character. I didn’t like Pax as much as I would have loved to. She was curious and dedicated enough to find Miss Millie’s killer, all right. But there were times when she acted childish and I had trouble understanding her need to behave in this way.

Overall, The Chamomile Conspiracy was a good read. An interesting start to a brand new cozy series.

There’s a Giveaway for this tour. Details are here.

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