Things are eerily quiet at Gemma’s quaint English tearoom and she can’t understand why – until she learns about the trendy new “tea bar” that’s opened on the other side of the village. To her horror, she soon finds her customers being stolen and her business the target of sabotage. Meanwhile her mother’s newfound obsession with all things Asian means a whole new world of fluffy footwear and hazardous dinner encounters. But Gemma has bigger problems than trying to eat with chopsticks, when the ruthless rival owner is savagely murdered and she is considered the key suspect! Luckily, she can still count on the help of the nosy Old Biddies, while the naughty antics of her tabby cat Muesli uncover some unexpected clues too…

Summer has arrived at Hollyhock Cottage and romance is in the air. The roses are about to bloom, the garden nursery is filled with fragrance and colour—and Poppy is going on her first proper “date” in a long time. Despite her qualms about mixing business with pleasure, she’s accepted the invitation of a charming pesticide salesman and is looking forward to a night of flirting and fun. Instead, the evening ends in a chilling murder! Meanwhile, Poppy is grappling with problems at the cottage garden too, from mysterious pests attacking her roses to disgruntled customers leaving in droves—not to mention a runaway slug leading her on a merry chase! Then there’s Oren, the cheeky ginger tomcat, poking his paws where they don’t belong. But when a threatening note arrives, Poppy realises that cats aren’t the only ones killed by curiosity. Will she solve the mystery and live to prune another day?