Creeping Jenny

With the threads of its plot as thin and tangled as pot-bound roots, the latest crime-amongst-the-flowers caper for horticulturist Celia Grant can't easily be recommended to readers unfamiliar with the series. Sherwood ( The Hanging Garden ) gives his ladylike sleuth of a certain age a Marple-esque manner, then tries to toughen up the cozy tone with copious references to bloody events in previous adventures. At the start of this gossamer-thin case, Celia hires a new employee at Archerscroft Nursery in the British village of Melbury. Jennifer Watson quickly belies her vapid looks and quiet manner by seducing a co-worker. Then she disappears after a neighbor sees her being forced into a car by two men with Irish accents. The trail leads to an abandoned house where militant environmentalist literature hints at major disruptions of forthcoming horticultural events. The author strews his story line with false leads easily discernable by both reader and sleuth. Despite some supple prose, this newest adventure, featuring a bizarre form of terrorism, is strictly for fans of the highly opinionated Ms. Grant. (Dec.)