Bones Gather No Moss

When English botanist Dr. Jane Greenwood travels to France to edit a collection of wildflower drawings, neither she nor Celia Grant, the professional nurserywoman and amateur sleuth who recommends her for the job, anticipates problems. But then Jane goes missing from the chateau where she has been working. Celia, her sleuthing instincts alerted, promptly determines to find her and bring her home. From Jane's letters home, Celia learns of the discord and a hint of buried secrets the botanist found within the family who had hired her. When Jane's body is discovered in the underbrush 20 kilometers from the chateau, Celia's suspicions rest on its quarreling inhabitants. Unfortunately, the usually active gardener extraordinaire is given little leeway to snoop in this, her ninth adventure, and must rely on the police for clues to consider. The result is a somewhat distanced puzzle that may disappoint fans of such earlier titles as The Hanging Garden and Creeping Jenny. (Jan.)