A Twinkle of Trouble (Fairy Garden Mystery 5), by Daryl Wood Gerber

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I have been a huge fan of Daryl Wood Gerber's Fairy Garden Mystery series since book one, A Sprinkling of Murder. That was the book that made me realize how much I love a touch of paranormal in my cozies. I'm pleased to say A Twinkle of Trouble is another strong installment in the series.

Courtney Kelly, owner of Open Your Imagination in picturesque Carmel-by-the-Sea, has rented a small plot of land at the Flower Farm in the hopes of growing her own supplies for her fairy garden business. The annual Summer Blooms Festival is coming up, and Courtney has reserved a spot. Unfortunately, not everything is coming up roses when a dead body is found. Courtney, along with her fairy sidekick sleuth, Fiona, sets out to find out who killed her friend. Is another friend of hers the culprit or was it someone else?

The setting alone gives this series a light-hearted, airy feel to it. I really enjoyed spending time in Carmel-by-the-Sea again with Courtney and her friends, humans and fairies, as well as Courtney's adorable ragdoll cat, Pixie. One thing I really appreciate in this series is the list of characters at the beginning of the book. One of my biggest challenges when I read a cozy is remembering who all the characters are. This isn't a problem here because, whenever necessary, I can refer to the list that gives a brief explanation of who each character is. It was such a delight to meet up with everyone again. And this time we got to meet Fiona's sister. The banter between these two fairy siblings was quite entertaining. One of my favorite fairies is Cedric Winterbottom. He doesn't play a major role in this book, but every time he speaks I can't help smiling.

There were plenty of suspects with motives and opportunity that kept me guessing. About halfway through the book I did have a hunch who the culprit was, which turned out to be correct. However, there were times when I wavered. I wasn't completely sure until Courtney figured it out.

One of the reasons why I love collecting physical copies of all the books in this series is that each chapter begins with a short poem about fairies. They are such a delight to read. I wouldn't classify this as a culinary cozy, but for fans of recipes, there are several at the end of the book. Courtney's friend's last name is Brownie, so you can count on a brownie recipe to be among them.

If you're looking for a light-hearted cozy, I think you'll be happy with Daryl Wood Gerber's Fairy Garden Mysteries. As with most cozies, each book is a self-contained mystery. However, in order to follow the growth of the characters, I recommend beginning with book one, A Sprinkling of Murder, and working your way through the series.

Book 5, A Twinkle of Trouble, released today. Thank you to Daryl Wood Gerber for providing me with an ARC of this delightful book! All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.