The Joe Portugal Mysteries Series

Nature. Nurture. Murder.

L.A. actor Joe Portugal just wants to keep the mealybugs off his cacti, give a little boost to his love life, and maybe make a few commercials along the way. And with a small acting role nailed down, Joe has every reason to mind his own business. But he doesn’t. That’s because a man who loved orchids has been found dead. And so has a woman who asked for Joe’s help.

Never one to walk away from a challenge, Joe is plunging into a world unlike any he’s seen before–the frenetic, highly competitive world of the orchid enthusiast. And suddenly Joe Portugal–actor, cactus lover, reluctant sleuth–is discovering that solving murder cases among the flora, fauna, and fanatics who thrive in L.A. isn’t just a hobby, it’s his true calling…especially since a killer has already come calling on him….

Includes The Joe Portugal Guide to Orchids.

In a city of fast cars and movie stars, these folks are crazy about cacti. Until a killer joins the club . . .

Joe Portugal likes people. But he likes plants better. That’s why the former theater actor turned small-time L.A. commercial star is a prominent member of the Culver City Cactus Club. Unfortunately, so is a killer.

The club’s president is dead–a poison succulent lodged into her mouth. With a father who knows a thing or two about murder, and police breathing down his neck, Joe can recognize a jam when he sees one. But when he begins searching through a colorful cast of plant lovers, plant dealers, and even international plant smugglers, he doesn’t find the answers he needs. Meanwhile, the killer has struck again, working his way through the Cactus Club with a garden variety motive–and a very green thumb–for murder. . . .

Includes The Joe Portugal Guide to Botanical Nomenclature