Oak and Dagger

Oak and Dagger by Dorothy St. James is my 14th book in the Cozy Reading Challenge.

It is part of the White House Gardener series.

Casey Calhoun is a gardener at the White House.  Frida Collingsworth, the White House's curator, accuses Gordon of stealing he research and notes about Dolley Madison.  The President decided to dig holes for two trees in honor of his children.  Unfortunately, he hits a pipe and mud and water shot up from the hole.  Casey and the secret service grab the President to pull him away.  

Later, Gordon Sims, the chief gardener is found face down in the Koi pond.  Casey and her sidekick Special Agent Jack Turner perform CPR on Gordon until the medical staff arrives.  An ambulance takes Gordon to the hospital.  Because Gordon feels like a father to Casey, she does not want to lose him.  Casey decides to look for Gordon's tools as he went out to trim a hedge.  She finds his pruning saw and Frida's body.

Casey sets put to find Frida's killer and clean Gordon as his prints were on the saw.  She also is trying to find seeds or plants to duplicate a historical garden and find the missing documents.  While she is doing this, Casey winds up meeting her father, who had disappeared years before.  

I love these books.  The descriptions make you feel you are there.  The characters are wonderful.  I love the way Jack's house is described.  I look forward to reading further adventures of the White House gardeners.