NJ Litz is a former journalist and communications director.
Her books combine mystery with romance and feature strong women who get justice
for those who can’t get it for themselves. No Bed of Roses, her second novel,
launches April 23. Learn more about NJ and her books at
her website.
The Inspiration for No Bed of Roses
When I started writing
fiction rather than news stories and corporate communications, which were my
career, I followed the adage, “Write what you know.” Having spent two-thirds of
my life in the St. Louis area, I tapped into one of its revered
institutions—the Missouri Botanical Garden—for my second romantic mystery.
You might be surprised to
know that the Missouri Botanical Garden, or MOBOT, is the oldest botanical
garden in the United States. (I was expecting that honor to go to some place on
the east coast since it was settled earlier.)
I’ve visited MOBOT since I
was a child for field trips and summer camps, but really came to appreciate it
when I grew older. Having lived in Boston and Chicago as well as St. Louis—all
of which have winters that can be both frigid and snowy—I crave color by February every year. Between my need for color and
with MOBOT providing a visual feast for the eye and soul, it’s not surprising
that I became an avid gardener.
If you’re a gardener, too,
you know what it’s like to be seduced by all the choices at your local nursery
at this time of year, then realize when you get home that you’ve bought way too
many flowers, and it will take you the entire
weekend to plant them. And then you go to another nursery the next weekend and
do the same thing!
One of the things that made
MOBOT perfect for a mystery is that the 79-acre garden has more than 30
specialized or sub-gardens. These include a garden for the visually impaired
that relies on plants with texture and scents; a maze; a garden designed to
attract birds; a geodesic dome for tropical plants, and a Japanese garden
devoted to harmony. Plus, there are numerous gardens devoted only to roses,
daylilies or irises.
Think of all the places to
hide something!
To solve the mystery
surrounding the death of her research assistant, my botanist heroine Bree has
to decode the clues the assistant left as part of a treasure hunt in MOBOT she had
planned for her lover. Bree suspects he’s the killer.
In addition to the physical beauty
of the Garden, Bree’s quest is also complicated by the need to decode the
“language of flowers”. The use or arrangement of flowers conveys special
meanings. For example, a peony represents good fortune and a happy marriage.
Did you know that the pink rose expresses platonic love and friendship? A red
rose plays an important part in the romance between Bree and Nick, the slacker journalist
who partners with her, in solving the mystery.
No Bed of
Roses
Feisty botanist Brianna Kincaid reluctantly teams with
hard-partying journalist Nick Mancini to find the killer of her research
assistant. Initially, the assistant’s death appears to be an accident. However,
she has a unique substance in her body that Bree identifies as a poisonous
plant. Bree also learns her assistant, Megan, was pregnant.
Bree discovers Megan planned a treasure hunt for the mysterious
father of her child in the lush Missouri Botanical Garden. Bree is convinced
the clues identify the father, whom Bree believes murdered Megan.
When Bree and Nick succeed at decoding some of Megan's clues,
the hunters become the hunted as the killer tries to stop them.
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