The Trail of the Wild Rose by Anthony Eglin

Title: The Trail of the Wild Rose
Author: Anthony Eglin
ISBN: 9780312365479
Publisher: Minotaur Books, 2009
Hardcover, 304 pages
Genre: Amateur Sleuth, #4 English Garden mystery
Rating: C+
Source: Paperback Swap

First Line: They walked more slowly now.

A party of plant hunters who journeyed to the remote corners of China and are now dying off one by one supply Dr. Lawrence Kingston with his fourth mystery.

A colleague at Kew Gardens enlists Kingston to go to an Oxford hospital where a member of a recent horticultural expedition to China lies very seriously injured. The patient's unconscious ramblings raise questions about what happened on that expedition, about the group's objectives, and about the man's own identity. After the patient's death, Kingston interviews other members of the party, gradually uncovering a nasty conspiracy.

I have greatly enjoyed the other books in this series, but this one had a few elements that got right up my nose. Kingston's fastidiousness and vanity were emphasized a bit more in this book, and with his penchant for haring off to interview and investigate-- with and without the prior knowledge of the police-- led me to believe that the man thought of himself as a silver-haired John Steed. He also lost several Brownie points by obsessing over whether or not to be seen with a female character because she didn't wear makeup.

Kingston's friends always want to fix him up with a female so he'll be happy. With his attitude, I hope for the females' sakes that they never succeed. Speaking of friends, several times throughout the book, Kingston went to lunch with a friend to new restaurants. The result of this made the book feel more like a gourmet's tour of southern England than a mystery.

The Trail of the Wild Rose began with such promise in a biologically diverse and remote corner of the world, but it devolved rapidly into a bumbling investigation in which a former professor told the reader much more than what was shown. I sincerely hope that in the fifth book in this series, Kingston's opinion of himself is not nearly so high.

You can read this book out of order without becoming confused; however, I would suggest that, if you've never read a book in this series before, you try one of the first three. They are very enjoyable.

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Review-- The Water Lily Cross

Title: The Water Lily Cross
Author: Anthony Eglin
ISBN: 9780312365462/ Thomas Dunne Books, 2007
Genre: #3 in the English Garden cozy mystery series
Rating: B

First Line: Another fickle June day was ending.

Retired botany professor Dr. Lawrence Kingston is busy climbing into helicopters to film English gardens when he gets the call from Becky Halliday saying that her husband has gone missing, but that doesn't matter. Stewart Halliday is one of Kingston's closest friends, and he drops everything in order to see what he can do to help. Halliday and Kingston have enjoyed working Sunday crossword puzzles for years, and when Kingston finds crossword-based clues in the Halliday home, his unease increases. Soon he's crash landing in a helicopter, getting conked in the head, and being held hostage--all in the name of friendship.

This was where Kingston was walking on eggs. Carmichael was already aware of Stewart's cryptic messages. Now introducing the idea that Stewart could have left more messages in the house could give Carmichael the impression that Kingston had read The Da Vinci Code one time too many.

Anyone who loves English gardens or British television series such as Rosemary & Thyme will enjoy Eglin's English Garden mystery series. Eglin is an award-winning gardener himself and knows how to put flowers front and center in a mystery in unusual and compelling ways. Dr. Lawrence Kingston is a fussy, older bachelor type who drives a sporty convertible. He knows how to keep a stiff upper lip, and when he wants answers to his questions, he isn't above letting the other person assume he's a medical doctor. Although Kingston seemed to take stupid risks a few too many times in this book, I still enjoy the series for the information about plants, for glimpses into beautiful gardens, for engaging mysteries, and for keeping an eye on Kingston. I'm looking forward to the next in the series!