Kirkus Reviews QR Code
SEEDS OF REVENGE by Wendy Tyson

SEEDS OF REVENGE

by Wendy Tyson

Pub Date: Nov. 14th, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-63511-278-8
Publisher: Henery Press

A chance encounter involves an organic farmer in a case of murder.

On the way home from a trip to sell winter greens to Philadelphia chefs, former lawyer Megan Sawyer picks up Becca Fox, whose car has died on her way to Winsome, Pennsylvania. Becca, a chemist, is on her way to visit her aunt Merry, who's offered to let her set up a display of modern love potions in her store. But Becca feels no love for her estranged father, Paul, a psychologist-turned–investment adviser whom Merry’s invited to the town they’d lived in years ago hoping that he and Becca will reconcile. That seems unlikely, since Becca’s convinced that Paul murdered her mother. Megan, who runs an organic farm with her grandmother Bibi and has a romantic relationship with local veterinarian “Denver” Finn, knows what a difficult family situation can be like because her own mother walked out on her when she was a child. When Paul is found dead, killed by phosgene gas, Becca, who hated her father and had the knowledge to create the phosgene, is the obvious suspect. Megan’s assisted the police before (Bitter Harvest, 2017), and police chief Bobby King is only too glad to get her help again. Megan soon learns what a sleazy person Paul was. His first wife died in an accident, and he cheated on Becca’s mother. He once worked with Denver’s aunt, a physician who got rid of him when she realized he was harming his patients. He also had a strange relationship with Megan's aunt Sarah, a famous mystery writer whose novels may have provided a template for the murder.

Tyson’s third look at the joys and perils of small-town life features enough engaging characters to offset the transparent mystery.