Rooted in Deceit

July 23, 2018
In Tyson’s appealing fourth Greenhouse mystery (after 2017’s Seeds of Revenge), organic farmer Megan Sawyer is preparing for the opening of her wood-fired pizza operation at Washington Acres Farm, the family homestead in Winsome, Pa., when her good-for-nothing father, Eddie Birch, and his highly demanding Italian wife, Sylvia Adriana Altamura, unexpectedly show up. Eddie declines Megan’s invitation to stay at the farm, since the couple have a reservation at a nearby yoga retreat center, where Sylvia is eager to meet elusive artist Thana Moore, who has a show at the center. When Sylvia and Thana quarrel and Thana is later murdered, suspicion falls on Sylvia. Megan, who happens to share an unhappy past with Thana, seeks to get Sylvia and Eddie out of this mess, with a little help from her grandmother, Bonnie “Bibi” Birch, but without the support of her veterinarian boyfriend, Daniel “Denver” Finn, who’s away tending to a family crisis. Lively characters, a charming setting, red herrings galore, and a satisfying denouement make this entry a winner.