B.

Birdie McBraeden is a lifelong lover of gardens and stories. Before becoming a novelist, she worked as a landscape architect, designing outdoor spaces where people could slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with nature. 

That background now plays a central role in her writing. Her cozy mysteries are often set in gardens, greenhouses, flower shops, and charming small towns—places where communities flourish and secrets sometimes grow beneath the surface. She enjoys writing about passionate gardeners and eccentric shop owners.

The idea to begin writing developed gradually. While working on landscape designs, she often found herself imagining the lives of the people who might walk those garden paths. Those small curiosities eventually became characters, and those characters became stories.

When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found tending her own garden, visiting local nurseries, or experimenting with new plants. She is especially fond of heirloom roses, climbing jasmine, and any flowers that attract butterflies. Through her books, she hopes to invite readers into welcoming communities filled with flowers, friendship, and just enough intrigue to keep things interesting.

Long biography

Birdie McBraeden is a professional landscape architect and mystery novelist. She lives in Middleton, Virginia and travels around the world as a gardening consultant. She lives with her husband and 2 sons. 

Short biography

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About Birdie McBraeden

Poppy Abbott hoped the evening would be simple: deliver the flowers, admire the art, and maybe enjoy a glass of champagne before heading back to her shop.
Instead, she ends up at the center of another mystery.

When Poppy arrives at the Briarwood Museum’s highly anticipated gala with a van full of lush peony arrangements, the last thing she expects is trouble. The museum is unveiling a newly acquired masterpiece, the guest list is packed with wealthy donors and local celebrities, and Poppy’s flowers are supposed to be the finishing touch to a perfect night.
But before the evening is over, the masterpiece has vanished… and one of the museum’s richest patrons collapses after sipping poisoned champagne.

Suddenly the gala is locked down, the police are everywhere, and Poppy finds herself uncomfortably close to the center of the investigation. After all, she had access to the event before most of the guests arrived—and plenty of opportunities to slip in and out unnoticed.

Determined to protect her reputation (and keep her beloved flower shop from becoming infamous for all the wrong reasons), Poppy starts digging into the museum’s glamorous guest list. Between jealous collectors, feuding donors, secretive curators, and one very nervous museum director, it doesn’t take long to realize that someone at the gala had far more than art appreciation on their mind.

Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—Poppy isn’t alone. Detective Rowan Hale, the sharp-eyed investigator she’s reluctantly teamed up with on previous cases, is assigned to the crime. While Rowan would strongly prefer that Poppy stay out of police business, experience has taught him that once she starts asking questions, there’s no stopping her.
As Poppy follows a trail of hidden rivalries, whispered deals, and long-buried secrets, she discovers that the stolen painting may be the least dangerous part of the evening’s events.

Because someone at the museum gala is willing to kill to protect their secrets.
And if Poppy isn’t careful, her next flower arrangement might be for a funeral—her own.
In Peonies & Poison, the newest installment in this charming cozy mystery series, flower shop owner and amateur sleuth Poppy Abbott once again proves that even the prettiest events can hide the deadliest thorns.

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About Peonies & poison

- book page

A warm, welcoming series that proves even the prettiest towns hide a few dark secrets.

- booklist

With a florist’s eye for detail, McBraeden crafts mysteries that are both gentle and gripping.

- publishers weekly

Perfectly paced and irresistibly cozy, with a heroine readers will root for.

- NYT

McBraeden proves that small-town secrets can be as thorny as any rose bush.

praise for the flower shop mysteries

Maggie Oster
Coastal Publishing
maggie@coastalpublishing.com

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Tillie Starling
Coastal Publishing
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Angela Sweetwater
Tidewater & Roper Agency
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Cathleen Roper
Tidewater & Roper Agency
cathleen@tidewaterroper.com

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