Sometimes murder smells sweeter than roses...

In picturesque Lavender Valley, the annual Flower Festival is the event of the season. But for Elodie Bloom, owner of the artisan soap shop Sublime Scents, the town's fragrant facade hides something far more complex than floral bouquets. Elodie navigates the world through her hyperosmia - an abnormally heightened sense of smell that's both a blessing and a curse.

When the festival's notoriously harsh head judge, Alistair Hardwick, collapses dead amongst the prize-winning roses, the official verdict is a tragic allergic reaction to a bee sting. The evidence seems to fit: the location, the nearby bees, the discovered EpiPen.

But Elodie's sensitive nose detects anomalies masked by the cloying perfume of roses - the distinct lack of bee alarm pheromones, the puzzling unused EpiPen, and faintest, most disturbing trace of bitter almonds. Convinced foul play is hiding in plain sight, Elodie, aided by her loyal friend Chloe, must follow a subtle scent trail of suspects. From competitive gardeners harboring secrets to bitter rivals nursing old grudges, Lavender Valley is filled with complex characters, any one of whom might have wanted the judge gone.

Can Elodie trust her extraordinary olfactory senses to sniff out the truth before the killer realizes her unique ability makes her a dangerous witness?

Dive into the fragrant world of Lavender Valley in the first installment of the Scentimental Sleuth Mysteries, perfect for fans of charming settings, unique sleuths, and mysteries that keep you guessing until the final reveal.