|
Dolycas
, December 08, 2018
(view all comments by Dolycas)
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I have been looking forward to heading back to Portland since I finished Natural Thorn Killers back in April. Britta Johnston and her aunt Elin have the most amazing flower shop and create such spectacular arrangements so having them design a beautiful, shining float for the annual Rose Parade is exciting. So much work with the help of just a few volunteers. But a group of protesters is ready to ruin everything. Dark Fusion, a gang, is determined to take down the system, starting with disrupting the whole event. Organizers are nervous, the police are on high alert, but when the gang’s leader is killed terror rises to a new level. Britta finding the body and her curious nature has her snooping for clues. But hold on tight, the city is going to rock before this killer is brought to justice.
This was a fantastic read. Tension always just below the surface until everything explodes.
I have helped build a few floats in my day and rode on a few too. Nothing ever elaborate as the floats in this story but understood the hard work that goes into making them truly shine. Most of the story takes place in the “float barn” and the author took us inside and her words truly painted a picture of all the happenings. The flowers, the floats, the cut up hands of the workers trying to get everything just right. The craziness and chaos as the deadline for completion draws near and then the chaos of a murder investigation added on top of all that.
Ms. Dyer-Seeley has created very likable characters along with some dastardly ones. Britta has her hands full with the float and making centerpiece arrangements for the big festival dinner, plus she is in the prime position to ask questions and make keen observations. Elin has an old beau in town and she spends most of her time with him rekindling their romance. There are tons of suspects especially the gang members full of violent tendencies. But a former Rose Festival Princess, the Grand Marshall and a couple other festival workers also find their names on the list.
The story takes some great twists and turns. Danger ramps up with fires and explosions. The pace was fast, almost too fast in places. Things were happening so quickly I had to slow down and reread a couple passages to make sure where all the key people ended up and zone it to catch any clues.
The author ties things up very satisfactorily at the end but I almost didn’t want the story to end. I really like Britta and her Aunt Elin and wasn’t quite ready to say good-bye. I am excited to see what happens next in their lives.
|