Slugfest (Dirty Business Mystery #4)

Hilarious fun romp.

Once in a while, I read a mystery book that just does not capture my attention and imagination the way I hoped it would. I never see it as the author's fault--I just see it as one of those things. Unfortunately, this is such a book. No doubt it is well-written and has a good mystery story to it, but I found myself and outsider and uninvolved. I just could not connect with the story nor the characters. The first problem is possibly the setting. I have virtually no interest in flower shows, so maybe I shouldn't have picked it up in the first place. Clearly, one would not think that a heinous crime would be connected with such a docile setting, but indeed it is in the book. Sometimes I can look past the setting, but I just was not able to in this book for some reason. I will say that I suppose I got a glimpse into what a flower show is, and I don't think any of the characters in the book had ever experienced so much action at a simple flower show. That made this book somewhat intriguing, and I might find that a reread would make me enjoy it more. I don't think I fully understood and appreciated some of the terminology and events in the book, so this is something I am indeed open to. I am grateful that the profanity was mild and that there were no sex scenes. There certainly are unexpected issues and the typical "who done it" interest. The author writes fairly well, but I was unable to engross myself in the story. My recommendation would be that if you have an interest in flowers and mystery books, this may be the book for you. And since this is in a series, maybe I missed out by not reading the other books in the series. I wish I could give it a higher rating because it is truly not a bad book, and it is clear that many people enjoy it. I just didn't happen to be one of them. I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

A simple, quick read.

Remember that old adage, "No good deed goes unpunished?" I wouldn't blame Paula Holliday, the likeable protagonist in Rosemary Harris' mystery, "Slugfest-The Flower Show Murders," if she allowed that thought to fester in her brain for a while. Paula runs Dirty Business Garden Solutions in Springfield, Connecticut, and often hangs out at a local eatery called the Paradise Diner. As does an eccentric artist, Dunstan Primo who fashions imaginative garden sculptures out of leftover lawn furniture, auto parts, and other assorted odds and ends. When Primo is offered the opportunity to exhibit his "art" at the prestigious Big Apple Flower Show, Paula is enlisted to manage his booth. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Paula could help out a friend, and also make some contacts for her own garden business. In no time at all, Paula is up to her pretty neck in a rash of vandalisms at the show. Plus, she's gotten herself on the wrong side of flower show security guard Rolanda Knox, a large woman whom Paula has privately nicknamed Fort. Then the body of another security guard is found at the show. Closely followed by the body of a young man Paula befriended before the opening of the flower show. What the heck is going on? Who knew that horticulture could be so...cutthroat? Rosemary Harris has crafted a light, funny mystery that's well-plotted and populated with a great cast of characters. She keeps readers guessing until the very end of the book. "Slugfest" may be a Dirty Business Mystery, but for me, it was good clean fun! Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author of "Marriage Can Be Murder" for Suspense Magazine

Slugfest By: Rosemary Harris Publisher: Minotaur Books Copyright April 2011 Paula Holliday is doing a good deed. She's agreed to help a friend by acting as Exhibit manager for a reclusive artist in her town. She's headed for New York City and is expecting a laid back weekend, selling a few pieces of garden art at the show and maybe see some great sample garden displays while she has the chance. Little did she know that she would be neck deep in horticultural sabotage, murder and something called The Javits Curse. Along the way she makes friends with a Mafioso's wife, various and sundry exhibitors, and her friend Lucy's downstairs neighbor, and a couple of NYC Homicide Detectives. Rosemary has raised Paula's character to new heights by taking her out of her Connecticut home and plopping her back in the Big Apple. A place she left, so that she could follow her dreams. This is the fourth book in the Dirty Business Series and looking into my Crystal Ball, I see a long and happy run for this series. FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the author in hopes that I would review it. Rosemary Harris can be found hiding out at http://rosemaryharris.com/ and also http://www.facebook.com/RosemaryHarri...

Slugfest Romps in Fields of the Classic Detectives. I grew up reading Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain and of course Arthur Conan Doyle. I was a bit of snob about not even being able to read Ross Macdonald, Ruth Rendell, Earl Stanley Gardner or even Agatha Christie. My crime and detective writers had to have an edge, a literary bent, and be a bit cynical. Now, I have to admit Rosemary Harris into my pantheon of detective writers, while asking, "Where has she been all my life?" I apologize for not finding her sooner, and I intend to make it up by reading everything she ever wrote. The Harris heroine in Slugfest is Sam Spade in heels and a dress, with a better sense of humor, and a highly observant and deeply insightful point of view. Like a Hammett detective, the Harris sleuth is not a genius of deductive reasoning, but has an unerring sense for where the answers may lie and the same courage to simply insert herself into the mix in order to see what floats to the surface. This novel moves at the pace of the classic noir detective stories and also with the same high level of surprises. Her other characters crackle with the same flash of reader recognition and with strong brush strokes. Lest one be tempted to say they might be caricatures, I suggest that you simply look around you, or pick up the newspaper. Harris sees us, and she knows our type. We are propelled through a New York City we at once know and understand we will never know. And there is humor here, not at the Carl Hiaasen level, which would make the book a comedy, but enough to add an interesting spice to the mystery. Finally, someone once said that a book works if you feel you want to know the writer. This may be noir fiction, of the funny and insightful variety, but it also sparkles with a feminine appeal that makes men want to meet the author and women want to be like her. She seems at once to be funny, humble, compassionate, alluring, intelligent, passionate, and a bit off beat. I will re-read Slugfest and will also get and read the rest of Ms. Harris oeuvre.

I just finished this book. I love that it was set outside of her little town and we got to meet new and different characters. Its a fun and fast read. I was able to finish it in one sitting. I don't know when her next book in this series is coming out but I will continue to read these books because I really like the main character and enjoy learning new things about gardening even though I am totally not a gardner. Other than that it was a fun read, good mystery and fun characters.

Slugfest ~Chestnut Hill Books (27) The nitty gritty of a flower show, August 24, 2012 By Ellen Rappaport (Florida) This review is from: Slugfest (Paperback) "Slugfest" proves once sand for all that Rosemary Harris knows how to write and write well. This 4th in her dirty business series with adventuress Paula Holliday pulled out all the stops. From the get go the excitement never let up. The characters both new and the regulars we've grown to expect worked together as a team in following and searching out the clues. It all begins when Paula takes on the request of being a vendor at a New York city flower show. This flower show, however, appears to have the Javits curse. I've never been to a flower show until now. R. H. brought me into the flower show along with Paula providing vivid details of the vendors and arrangements of all the booths. How they were set up, what they were selling, the history of this particular flower show...and then there's Rolanda "Fort" Knox. From Paula's first encounter with Rolanda a relationship begins to form. I can see this character becoming a part of Paula's "team" in future dirty business books. A charming young man, Garland, needs to get into the flower show to meet with someone. Why and who goes unanswered but it is so important to Garland that he leaves his backpack with Paula in the hope that he will return for it. Try as he may Garland can't get past Rolanda. Not yet anyway.Does he finally get in to meet with this unknown person? Time will tell...but I won't. Lucy, Paula's BFF, is out of town for now and so Paula will be using her apartment conveniently located near the flower show. Paula meets J.C. Kaufman, one of Lucy's neighbors. J.C. is a bit more than stand offish in the beginning but as the story evolves so does another new friendship. J.C. has Paula's back. J.C. is another character that I feel may have an ongoing part in future dirty business books. All in all I can only say that I have been given so many reasons to have enjoyed this book by the author. The characters continued to evolve and as they did they were worked into a pattern that had Paula's back. Babe wasn't in this particular book but that's ok. Paula was not on her main turf. The story was written so well that it invited me to continue reading and to look forward to each new chapter. The short chapters are perfect for me. I highly recommend this book and this series to all mystery & cozy lovers.

This is the 4th book in the Paula Holliday gardening series. I have read the previous books and enjoy this refreshing mystery series. This entry takes the reader behind the scenes at a top flower show. We are introduced to quirky exhibitors, fun and multi-dimensional exhibit hall staff and quite possibly a new love interest for Paula. The story unwinds at a pleasing pace, the murder does not happen at the beginning of the book which allows the reader to enjoy Paula and the show scene. As more characters are introduced along the way, the story goes off on several tangents making it impossible for me to determine the murderer. That in my opinion is an excellent mystery. It was fun seeing Paula back in New York and out of her comfort zone of her small town business. Rosemary Harris effortlessly entwines murder with the world of gardening. Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author with the hope that I would post an honest review.

Who knew being an exhibitor (or working around) at a gardening show could be this deadly and delightful? Rosemary Harris, in her witty funny style, has given us another excellent Paula Holliday mystery. Fast paced with well-developed characterization, Slugfest is a must read.