Deadly Devotion by Sandra Orchard, a Mysterious Review.

Review: In the small quaint Canadian town of Port Aster, Kate Adams is studying herbal medicine. When her mentor dies by an "accidental self-inflicted suicide" — or so say the authorities — Kate is convinced she was murdered in Deadly Devotion, the first mystery in the "Port Aster Secrets" series by Sandra Orchard.

Daisy Leacock was found to have ingested a fatal dose of thiophene, a natural compound found in marigolds and used in herbal teas. Experts in handling herbs, Daisy and Kate were close to finding a cure for depression using herbal medicine, and Kate cannot believe that Daisy would make such an amateur mistake. Though the police have closed the case, Kate convinces Detective Tom Parker to assist her in finding Daisy's killer. It's a risk for Tom: he's been ordered not to reopen the case and helping Kate could cost him his job.

It isn't long before their investigation unearths a lot of confusion, disbelief, and deception, most of which is centered on Daisy's supposedly dead nephew Edward, who has returned to claim a share of his late aunt's inheritance. But he is hardly the only suspect with a motive for murder …

There are a lot of characters in Deadly Devotion, but each is well developed, uniquely identified, and probably more importantly to the reader, easily kept track of. Considerable attention is paid to herbs and their benefits and risks, all of which plays into the nicely crafted murder mystery plot. Too, there is a hint of romance between Kate and Tom. All in all, this is a very enjoyable mystery and a pleasure to read.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Deadly Devotion.

Acknowledgment: Baker Publishing Group provided a copy of Deadly Devotion for this review.

Desperate Measures
Revell (Trade Paperback), June 2015
ISBN-13: 9780800722241; ISBN-10: 0800722248

Deadly Devotion

A Port Aster Secrets Novel by Sandra Orchard