Profile: Ann Ripley Finds Fertile Ground for Murder

Jodi Torpey, special to The Denver Post, recently wrote a profile on Ann Ripley, whose gardening mysteries feature Louise Eldridge, the host of "Gardening with Nature," a popular syndicated television show. Torpey writes that plants are used throughout her books to add scenic descriptions, create plot points, or serve as clues for solving the crime.

Many of Louise's adventures are based on Ripley's real-life experiences. "But I'm not as foolish as Louise," Ripley says. "She's always getting herself into trouble."

Torpey adds that for the books in the series, Ripley has visited botanic gardens, talked with experts from the Department of Agriculture and interviewed a professor who regularly travels to the Amazon researching medicinal plants. Ripley also draws on her own gardening expertise. Her grandfather was a farmer and her father was a practical gardener.

Ripley's most recent mystery, Summer Garden Murder, the 9th in the series, is to be followed by a Death in the Orchid Garden, inspired by a recent trip to Kauai. She envisioned Louise taking her gardening show to Hawaii, where she meets a group of elite botanists attending a convention there. "There's a murder or two," Ripley says. "One guy is shoved off a cliff and, of course, Louise is right in the middle and gets to the bottom of the case."

Read the rest of the profile of Ann Ripley on the Denver Post.com here.The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books is commited to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series. Please visit often!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, ann ripley.