Dahlias, Deception & Death

A Deadly Secret Is About to Bloom in Willowberry.

Willowberry's dahlia show and competition should be all ribbons, flowers, and friendly contestants. Instead, unpopular judge Dez Colby turns up dead, and Stella and her curious American Bulldog, Rex, are soon sniffing around another murder.

Chief Detective Ben Morgan wants Stella to leave the investigating to him. But anonymous messages keep pointing her toward old betrayals and secrets someone desperately wants uncovered.

Dez Colby had plenty of enemies. Growers he'd humiliated. Careers he'd damaged. Old betrayals nobody forgot. With Judith, Margaret, Priya, and Evan all hiding something, almost anyone could have wanted him dead.

Stella knows she should walk away, but that's never been her specialty. Someone is leading her straight toward the truth.

If she follows the clues to their source and finds the truthy, she could be the next one "pushing up dahlias."