Devil's Trumpet (Gardening Mysteries) [Paperback]

Mary Freeman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Gardening Mysteries | Publication Date: April 1, 1999

Rachel O'Connor's landscaping client is found dead from an "accidental" fall. Suspects are easy to find -- but digging out evidence isn't so easy. Before long, Rachel has to look out -- before she encounters an "accident" of her own...

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Rachel O'Connor's company, Rain Country Landscaping, may be struggling, but she has a dream job at Oregon's famed Columbia River Inn--until owner Henry Bassinger plunges to a suspicious death in the Columbia Gorge. If Rachel doesn't solve the murder soon, she will lose not only her livelihood but her life.

Devil's Trumpet is Mary Freeman's triumphant mystery debut. Labeled "A Gardening Mystery," the novel successfully walks a razor's edge: detailed enough to satisfy gardening fans, but not so detailed that it alienates nongardeners. And for readers who can't wait for Freeman's next book, there is good news: under the name Mary Rosenblum, she has published three science fiction novels (The Drylands, Chimera, and The Stone Garden) and one collection (Synthesis & Other Virtual Realities) that are every bit as entertaining, ingenious, and populated with fascinating, sympathetic characters. --Cynthia Ward

Review

Rachel O'Connor is a young entrepreneur who is trying to start and maintain her own landscaping firm. She has a crew of one other person; a young Guatemalan man named Julio Peron. They don't have many jobs and one of the biggest ones doesn't even pay them. Rachel is trying to restore the resort that Henry Bassinger owns. It was once a spectacular hotel where all the rich and famous would go to enjoy a relaxing time at the Columbia River Inn. Now the hotel is in a state of disrepair which Rachel is doing her part to try and bring back to its former opulence. Unfortunately, Henry has no money and seems to be going crazy too. But all of a sudden Henry gives her quite a bit of money. Does this have anything to do with Henry's nephew showing up all of a sudden with plans to turn it into a modern resort? Things look even more suspicious for the nephew, Alex Cresswell, when Henry has one of his fits and ends up dead. Henry's moods had been getting more and more erratic and Alex's arrival did nothing to sooth him. Rachel starts to look into Henry's past to find some answers, and is joined by her high school sweetheart, Jeff Price, Jeff just happens to be a policeman, and has recently come back into their small town himself. Rachel finds herself going deeper into the whole town's past then she could have imagined. The Devil's Trumpet is a novel with many plots running through it. I can't do justice to all the storylines in this review. Mary Freeman writes as though she has known these towns people all their lives, which makes you instantly comfortable with them too. The plot is full of twists, and there are enough other stories about Rachel's life going on at the same time that you are never bored. I was able to figure out the 'who' of the crime about three quarters of the way through, but not the 'why.' This kept me guessing till the end. I would love this story to become a series! Mary Freeman has created a whole new world for mystery lovers to roam! Stimulating plots, - intriguing characters and an author with a talent for both! Michelle Sawyer -- Copyright © 030199 Literary Times, Inc. All rights reserved -- From Literary Times

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Berkley; 1St Edition edition (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425168212
• ISBN-13: 978-0425168219
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,614,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some very good mystery back west, November 6, 2000

By 

Karina A. Suarez "Karina A. Fogliani-Ahmed" (Walt Disney World, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Devil's Trumpet (Gardening Mysteries) (Paperback)

Usually modern mysteries are not as good as the traditional British classics. I was very gladly surprised when I read this book by Mary Freeman; the first of a new series subtitled "A gardening mystery". The setting is unusual as well: a small town in western Oregon. The sleuth is Rachel O'Connor, who owns a landscaping business in the mytical town of Blossom. Although her business is jusy getting by, Rachel has a lucrative contract with Henry Bassinger, the present owner of the once very famous Columbia River Inn. The hotel is now very much into decay. However, one day Henry finally pays Rachel with a substantial check. That same day Henry is found dead at the bottom of the gorge, and the investigation begins. Although Rachel is an amateur sleuth; she is, nonetheless, incredibly persuasive. The story is abound with red herrings and, although I could guess who the murderer was quite a few chapters before the denouement, I did not feel dissapointed. Ms. Freeman's talent rests, I find, in the way the handles her storytelling; particularly, in the way she reproduces dialogue among her characters. Communication could never be more realistic. This is a rare gift among mystery writers, who sometimes focus too much into the descriptions of surroundings and neglect the aspect of communication among characters. Well, none like this here. I am very much willing to read the following mysteries in the series, which will appeal not only to mystery lovers but to gardening lovers as well; each book including, at the end, a useful gardening tip, while lots of them are sprinkled throughout the novel. It will be a nice turn of events if in one of them Rachel and her ex-high school sweetheart formalize their relationship. This, while solving another murder, of course.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful debut of a new amateur sleuth, February 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Devil's Trumpet (Gardening Mysteries) (Paperback)

Rather than join the family orchard business, Rachel O'Connor opens up a landscaping firm based on the belief that Blossom, Oregon is about to be discovered by the rest of the country. Although she ekes out a living, Rachel does have a lucrative contract with Henry Bassinger, owner of the once famous Columbia River Inn. Rachel becomes concerned about being paid for her work when Henry begins to forget things and at times act irrationally. Ultimately, he pays her with a good check.

While being interviewed by a potential client, Rachel learns that Henry recently died with the police treating his demise as if a homicide was committed. In charge of the investigation is Rachel's former and perhaps future boyfriend. Suspects abound including individuals close to Rachel, who begins her own sleuthing, unaware that a dangerous person does not want Rachel succeeding.

Mary Freeman's debut novel, DEVIL'S TRUMPET, turns out to be a very good amateur sleuth mystery. Readers will like the characters and the serpentine plot filled to the max with red herrings. The background information on landscaping adds depth without tedium or destruction to the story line. Sub-genre fans will be pleased with the arrival of Ms. Freeman on the mystery scene.

Harriet Klausner

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a terrific debut, April 4, 1999

By 

marty, a Buffista "sf-marty" (San Francisco, Ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Devil's Trumpet (Gardening Mysteries) (Paperback)

Mary Freeman has written a nicely paced mystery in a beautiful setting. Her discriptions never intrude on the mystery of what will happen next. I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading more of her work. (She also gives a gardening tip or two that I appreciated)