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Kelly Brakenhoff – Author

Cozy Mysteries and Children's Picture Books

November Book Club: The Broken Bridge by Iris March

The Broken Bridge by Iris March

I have black thumbs when it comes to houseplants. Even succulents wither under my haphazard care. People who know the names of their plants and the exact amounts of water and fertilizer for every situation fascinate me. 

The Broken Bridge, featuring amateur sleuth Molly Green, was a fun read because it gave me a glimpse into the head of a plant person. Molly and her twin sister May inherited their grandparents’ garden center store and run it together. Their store sits next to a trail where an unfortunate hiker goes missing. In this first episode of the new Succulent Sleuth Cozy Mystery series, Molly and her friends help the police solve the mystery of his disappearance.

two kinds of plant people: green plant with one yellow leaf. caption OMG my plant is dying. dead plant with caption I think I can save it.

There’s several unusual elements to like in this series. Iris March, the author is an expert in the sustainability field and sprinkles conservation advice into Molly’s everyday routine. Molly is a frequent runner on the trail where the hiker went missing. 

I’ve often found myself on a deserted trail in the middle of nowhere thinking it would be a great setting for a murder mystery. (Just not with me as the victim.) 

Another aspect of this series is the twin sister relationship between Molly and May. Finally, both sisters are married to nice guys who are helpful and functional. I don’t recall seeing that very often in cozy mysteries. There’s a good number of characters and potential villains, but the characters were different enough from each other that I could keep them straight. 

I look forward to reading more of Iris March’s mysteries. Maybe I’ll learn how to be a better plant parent by osmosis. 


Kelly Brakenhoff is an author of eleven books and an ASL interpreter. She divides her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and picture books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog. The mother of four young adults and a hunting dog, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.

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