Magnolias & Malice

A Branch, a Body, and a Festival Shattered by Secrets

The grand reopening of the Magnolia Arboretum should have been the town’s crowning event. Instead, the celebration takes a dark turn when a body is discovered beneath a fallen magnolia branch, and whispers of murder scatter faster than petals in the wind.

Florist Iris Bennett and her new assistant, Sadie only wanted to enjoy the festival, but Winston, her mischievous one-eyed cat, has other plans. With him pawing at suspicious trails and Detective Mark Cooper urging her to stay out of trouble, Iris is quickly drawn into a tangled web of grudges and secrets. Bitter rivalries, bruised egos, and festering betrayals bloom around every corner, and it’s clear someone has been pruning their problems with deadly precision.

If Iris doesn’t get to the root of the truth soon, Cedar Grove’s springtime charm could be buried beneath a wave of malice and she might be the next to fall.