4-STAR REVIEW: DOOMED BY BLOOMS by Anna St. John

Josie Posey Mystery: Book # 1
Publication Date: February 7, 2023

Josie Posey, a mature yet ever-feisty big city crime reporter turned crime solver, has officially retired to a small, touristy town in middle America where she and her posse of friends “unofficially” have their noses in everything.

Josie loves her new life, but a weekly game of mahjong isn’t she itches to get back into the action. She gets more than she bargained for when The Village Gazette asks her to interview their local celebrity, a former NYC prima ballerina.

Then, the ballerina’s husband is discovered dead—face down in the couple’s beloved field of flowers. Now, Josie has the inside track on solving the murder, with her quirky Mahjong Mavens as useful sidekicks.

And if a killer in their midst wasn’t enough distraction, Josie’s matchmaking friends are pushing her to date again—particularly, to pursue an attraction toward a certain local blacksmith, with whom sparks fly.

I love finding new authors and starting new series. So, when a request for Clocked Out came to my inbox, I knew I needed to start at the beginning of the series and read Doomed by Blooms first. And what I got was a good mystery and series starter.

Josie is a retired crime reporter. She moved to a small town after her husband passed to take up residence in the house left by her grandmother. She has a sheepdog named Moe and a diverse group of friends who get together each week to play mahjong. She then takes a job at the local newspaper.

I really liked Josie. I found her relatable and was pleased to discover she was a middle-aged lady. The widowed aspect is a little overdone, but I see the appeal when it comes to giving her a love interest, and with no kids underfoot, she can come and go as she pleases. I found Josie had different interests, which were woven into the story, especially regarding her social circle. 

I look forward to seeing her grow and develop as the series continues.

The mystery was pretty well done. I didn’t figure it out, and as it was solved, it all made sense and didn’t feel like it came completely out of left field. Plenty of clues were dropped, and there were enough suspects and red herrings to make things interesting. The mystery was front and center for most of the book, with Josie sleuthing even as other events were happening. I was glad it didn’t get lost in the world-building.

Doomed by Blooms was a good book for the first in a new series. The world and character-building were commendable and didn’t overshadow a good mystery. I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next book in the series.

Anna St. John writes cozy mysteries featuring a mature, yet feisty, former crime reporter, Josie Posey, as the amateur sleuth.

Her debut novel, DOOMED BY BLOOMS, was released by Level Best Books in February 2023. CLOCKED OUT is the second book in her Josie Posey Mystery Series. It is scheduled to release Feb. 6, 2024.

A former journalist, award-winning advertising copywriter, and ad agency owner, Anna is married to her high school sweetheart. She writes from her home office in Kansas, with her Old English Sheepdog by her side.

Anna is represented by Cindy Bullard, of Birch Literary Agency. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Kansas Authors Club.