The English Garden Mystery

McCabe and Cody, Book 11

By: Dan Andriacco

Narrated by: Tom Lennon

An "Old Money" Family Meets Murder

Shakespearean scholar and philanthropist Ezra Bainbridge, patriarch of one of Erin, Ohio's wealthiest old families, lives quietly and happily at his Stratford Court compound with three triplet daughters until accusations of elder abuse roil the family.

Amateur sleuth Sebastian McCabe and his friend Jeff Cody are drawn into the controversy as objective observers but are soon ensnared in a puzzling series of horrendous murders, each one of which is marked by the presence of a flower. It takes McCabe and Cody to figure out the meaning of these floral tributes, but not until it is almost too late.

At the center Stratford Court, and of the mystery, is an English garden around which stand the homes of Ezra Bainbridge and his daughters, all of them named for Shakespearean characters-Ophelia, the professor; Desdemona, the rebel; and Portia, the social climber.

The story finds Erin much changed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with some of our old friends gone forever and others transformed.

Readers of the early Ellery Queen mystery novels will find more than a passing similarity to those classics, from The English Garden Mystery title of the novel to the "Challenge to the Reader" at the point in the book where all the clues have been presented.

©2022 Dan Andriacco (P)2025 MX Publishing

Smell the Flowers

A delightful tale of murders most terrible.The victims were a set of wealthy triplets, mature women. One at a time they were murdered and left with a flower near them and all three killed with expensive artwork as the weapon.With many clues and even more red herrings, McCabe and Cody attempt to unwind the case or cases! Loved It!!

Excellent story!

Another great story in the McCabe and Cody mystery series by Dan Andriacco. Murder hits a set of triplets in a wealthy family and a flower is found at each scene. A lot of clues and suspects but Sebastian McCabe and Jeff Cody are on the case. Tom Lennon’s narration is outstanding. His performance brings the characters and story to life.