Author & Sewing Designer June McCrary Jacobs: ~ FRIDAY FICTION FEATURE MURDER LAVENDER DAZE ~

Thursday, April 23, 2026

~ FRIDAY FICTION FEATURE MURDER LAVENDER DAZE ~

~ FRIDAY FICTION FEATURE ~

-- 'MURDER IN A LAVENDER DAZE' --

AUTHOR DARYL WOOD GERBER

Murder in a Lavender Daze (An Aroma Wellness Mystery)

by Daryl Wood Gerber

About Murder in a Lavender Daze

Murder in a Lavender Daze (An Aroma Wellness Mystery)

Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Setting - Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Cozies Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 28, 2026

Print length ‏ : ‎ 304 pages Paperback ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496751523 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496751522

Digital ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496751539 ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FKWZ7F23

Emma Brennan always knew that her idyllic California hometown of Carmel-by-the-Sea would be the perfect place to open her very own spa. The success of her Aroma Wellness Spa, gift shop, and café has proved her right. But while the business is located in the Courtyard of Peace, Emma finds herself privy to events that are far from serene—like murder . . .

With its soothing décor and tempting treatments, customers are flocking to Aroma Wellness for more than just facials and massages. Lately, Emma has been booking private events, from spa parties to bridal showers and birthdays. Next on her calendar is something really unique: A “Happily Divorced” party.

After eight years of marriage, Addison Lacey is divorcing her husband, whom she claims convinced her he was Mr. Nice Guy when he was really Mr. Controlling Guy. To kick off her journey toward becoming a better version of herself, Addison wants to celebrate, bigtime. Her wealthy mother, Gianna, a former model turned difficult diva, is footing the bill. . . . But when Emma goes to Gianna’s home to pick up the final payment, she and Addison find her dead in her bed amid the aroma of lavender, with an herbal-infused pillow from the party nearby.

Soon, Addison is a prime suspect. But Emma knows there are plenty of others Gianna rubbed the wrong way, including her soon-to-be ex-son-in-law. Once again, with the help of her cousin, her nana, and her trusted Birman cat, Vivi, Emma is determined to sniff out a killer—whether the police like it or not . . .

MY REVIEW:

A strong cast of quirky characters, whimsical garden fairies, and a pampered cat lead readers through a well-constructed cozy murder mystery set in the picturesque coastal town of Carmel-by-the-Sea . . .

I enjoyed reading this entertaining clean, cozy mystery written by an award-winning author. As someone who has been fortunate to visit Carmel, California, dozens of times in the past, I feel the author successfully captured the unique ambience of this lovely small town on the Central California Coast.

This book features an assortment of characters, and the list of the Cast of Characters provided to readers in the Front Matter was very helpful to me as I navigated this 'new-to-me' series. A street map of the town is also provided for readers' reference.

The story includes a lot of tension between various people in the community, family members, and friends. Some of the characters were rude and obnoxious while others were kind and friendly. This blend of personalities made it challenging to pin down who actually committed the crime—the hallmark of a well-written mystery!

Learning about fairies, crystals, and other treatments at the spa were key to the plot and added an interesting twist to the events in the story. There are half a dozen recipes in the Back Matter of the book including regular and Gluten-free versions of some of the foods included in the story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. All of my thoughts and opinions shared here are solely my own.

* * * * * * * * * * *

About Daryl Wood Gerber

Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, Aroma Wellness Mysteries, Fairy Garden Mysteries, and Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense novels, including the well-received Accidental Murder, The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams trilogy. Daryl has published a standalone Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays, and her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. Also, she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. You can learn more on her website: https://darylwoodgerber.com