Leann Sweeney – Pushing up Bluebonnets

The fifth book in the Yellow Rose Mysteries series, published January 2008.



Adoption PI and Houston heiress Abby Rose has dedicated her life to helping folks reunite with lost relatives. But when you start shaking family trees, you never know what kind of strange fruit might drop on your head…

Pushing Up Bluebonnets

When former FBI Agent and now small-town police chief Cooper Boyd asks for Abby’s help identifying a young woman who’s fighting for her life following a murder attempt, the job seems easy. But when Abby discovers this girl may be connected to a prominent Texas family, her questions about the victims past become stickier than pecan pie. And she’s about to learn the hard way that when she crawls out on a limb, she’d better be certain there’s not someone behind her with a saw and a mean spirit …


For now the last book in this great series, which makes me a little sad. It is such a good series, but due to health problems, Leann Sweeney can only write one book a year, and for now she is focuses on her new Cats in Trouble series, which is a great one as well. But still, this series is special.

The victim of a car accident is brought unconscious to the hospital, and kept in a coma because of her injuries. She has no identification or anything with her. The only thing in her car that could be a clue, is one of Abby Rose’s business cards. So small town chief of police Cooper Boyd asks Abby to come over, so maybe she can identify the girl. But Abby is sure she has never met her, even though her face is almost unrecognizable due to the bruises and swelling. And she does most of her work by mail, sending business cards along with her answers. She cannot possibly help all the people that want her to find their lost relatives. But perhaps the handwriting on her business card can point her in the right direction.
So with the help of her Aunt Caroline, they start sorting through Abby’s archive. When they have finally found a letter with the same handwriting, Aunt Caroline gets ill, and has to be taken to the hospital. Diagnosed with diabetes, she will have to make major changes in her eating and drinking habits, especially as she is in denial of the whole thing. But Abby’s sister Kate is a strong task master, and will keep her on the right path. She is not only a wonderful psychiatrist who helps Abby with her cases, she is also a health-nut, and knows just what is good and what is not for their Aunt Caroline.
Kate is still not back to her own merry self, after her bad experience with her last boyfriend. A murderer, who just wanted to know what was going on with Abby’s investigation. But meeting Cooper might just be the cure she needs. He is also some kind of health nut, so they have at least that much in common.

When Abby finds out the girl might be JoLynn Richter, granddaughter of Elliot Richter, a very very rich and powerful man, things get complicated. There is no lack of suspects now, as his whole family seems to have despised JoLynn for appearing on his doorstep sometime last year. His daughter has been gone for three years some 20 years ago, and JoLynn really could be his granddaughter. But they want no changes in their inheritance, and did not like JoLynn, nor treat her right.
And what about her past? Where has she been all those years before she appeared on Elliot’s doorstep? She doesn’t want to talk about it, and is it true that Elliot has not had her investigated before? She does have a fake driver’s licence, her car is also not registered.

The more Abby and Cooper find out, the more dangerous the case seems to become. Especially when JoLynn’s ex-boyfriend, a known criminal, turns up murdered…


A very good book. Unfortunately, I could only read for a small period of time, so I did not get as lost in the story as I usually do. But still, I enjoyed it very much. I am happy for Kate, and her new love interest Cooper. Things are going strong with Abby and her own boyfriend Jeff, and his younger sister Doris, who has Down Syndrome.
And then the mystery, well, I dare you to read this book and puzzle it all out before Abby finds out herself. I am sure, I could not have guessed where this book was heading at all. There were not as many quaint Texan sayings in this book as in the others, but those that were, are fun.
Lovely humor, great characters, friendship and family, some suspense, a whole lot of mystery, and the love scenes happen behind closed doors ;)

9 stars.