The Retired Assassin's Guide to Orchid Hunting

Retired Assassin's Guide, Book 2

By: Naomi Kuttner

Narrated by: Thomas Barker

Assassin. Gardener. Reluctant cat adoptee.

All Dante wants is to be left alone in the small New Zealand town no one's heard of. No drama. No bodies. No questions.

But then, of course, the orchid convention comes to town, and Dante is knee deep in suspects, intrigue, and red herrings.

On top of all this, Dante must navigate a mysterious woman from his past, cat issues, and the terrifying prospect of a first date.

And he has to do it while fighting his instinct to solve problems the old-fashioned way: permanently.

The Retired Assassin's Guide to Orchid Hunting is a cozy paranormal mystery with found family, ghosts, a grumpy assassin, and a sunshine gardener.

Come for the murder, stay for the cat, the gardens, and the chaos.

©2025 Inkblot Publishing (P)2026 Podium Audio

Love these books!

I love everything about these books! The stories are captivating, the characters are so real that I can see them in my mind’s eye. I truly hope some studio turns this into a movie, or better yet, a series!
I’m patiently waiting for the 3rd book to come out on audio.
Please keep them coming!

Amusement and suspense. Perfect.

Easy listening and very entertaining. The story keeps you engaged and there’s very little “stress” involved. Thank you!!

Stellar narrator-intriguing story!

I forgot to mention in my review of the first book in this series that the narrator is absolutely incredible! A real genius when it comes to accents. It’s hard to believe it’s the same person narrating each character.

Even though the main character, Dante, is almost totally implausible, you want him to be real and you’re always rooting for him.

The book is full of an odd collection of quirky characters. It is set and beautiful New Zealand in the South Island. And even though it is a murder mystery, there’s no blood and gore or horrible things described. The book just takes you to another world in that it is totally fictional. But isn’t that why you’re reading a cozy mystery?

There’s no sex and no bad language and the story is very interesting and engaging. Can’t wait to listen to the third book.

Good for my mood

I wish there were more books in this series. I hope the author doesn’t take years to come out with the next installment.

Totally hooked

I knew this series would be special from the first chapter of Book 1. The characters are unusual but relatable and the narrator gives them more depth, while expertly rendering their voices and varied accents. Humor and intrigue, and a dose of murder without too much gore. This is an author to follow!