Another Bouchercon find, although I think I might have had this title on my "Maybe" list for awhile a few years back. If it was, it was because the title intrigued me, but I didn't get a strong enough vibe from the blurb to commit. Susan Cox was one of the participants in Bouchercon's Author Speed Dating event, and my interest was renewed.

I liked it, and I'm interested in reading the next one, but my enjoyment wasn't without reservations. Either Cox's writing style and I were not in sync, or it was poorly edited before going to print. This is one of those situations where it could go either way: Cox's style is a bit loose and free form, so I often felt like the MC, Theo's, thoughts jumped around, or she made connections without a clear line of reasoning, or - and I'm blaming the editing for this one in particular - there would be an abrupt change of narrative topic or scene.

Otherwise, it had great bones. Theo is hard to warm to, but she's in hiding, so maybe her need to stay detached extends to the reader too (the POV is first first past, or after-the-fact). But the San Francisco neighborhood, and most of the characters involved in the mystery, come alive.

The story starts with a man pushed out of a window and before it's all solved, there are smugglers, compost-obsessed-gardeners, machetes, a suspiciously-acting possible love interest, and yes, a man on a washing machine. It all ties together in the end, sort of. Mostly.

This is a first novel as well as a first in a series, and frankly, it shows. The narrative could have flowed better, the plot could have been tighter, more cohesive. But as I said, it has good bones, and there's a lot of potential in this odd but glorious neighbourhood Susan Cox has created. I definitely want to see where she takes it. ( )

Winner of the Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel award, Susan Cox’s debut mystery is set in a close-knit community in San Francisco, and is full of well-drawn characters the reader will enjoy getting to know. Theophania Bogart has fled a family scandal in England and settled anonymously into a courtyard community by opening a shop called “Aromas,” which sells high- end body products. Theo witnesses a man fall from a window and finds herself caught up in a series of crimes that ultimately affect her and her entire group of friends. A plump grieving baker, a stoic surgeon ex-lover, a shady business partner, a troubled teen, a talented gardener, a grumpy Italian professor and a gay best friend surround the main character and provide humorous dialogue and intriguing plot elements. Rounding out this cast is a female Columbo-like detective and a handsome and mysterious lawyer who runs a women’s shelter. As the crimes increase and the motives remain murky, the reader will have fun trying to figure out “who-done-it,” and will be surprised once the tale is told. A charming debut. ( )