Death of an Orchid Lover

by Nathan Walpow

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440234921
• ISBN13: 9780440234920
• Release Date: April 2000
• Publisher: Dell Publishing Company
• Length: 308 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.1" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable Mystery Combines Murder and Orchid Gardening

Los Angeles actor Joe Portugal can't seem to stay away from trouble. Joe finds himself at the home of orchid lover Dr. Albert Oberg to attend the spring social of the Palisades Orchid Society. When Dr. Oberg winds up dead later in the evening, the prime suspect is an old acting friend of Joe's who asks him to find the real murderer. The mystery that follows is a good one, interspersed with lots of interesting gardening trivia about growing orchids and cacti. Author Walpow does a great job of setting the Los Angeles scene, and the characters are quirky and lovable. A very enjoyable aspect of the story is Joe's love life (or more exactly, his lack of a love life). I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and will definitely look for other mysteries by Mr. Walpow.

An entertaining book, even for non-orchid lovers

I'm not into orchids *or* succulents, but plant-loving sleuth Joe Portugal is a fun guy to spend some time with nevertheless. Joe is an actor who appears in commercials, which gives him plenty of free time to solve crimes. He's really more of a cactus man, but he enters the cutthroat (really!) world of orchids in order to find out who murdered a member of the local orchid society. It's not too difficult to guess whodunit, and the plot could be stronger, but this book is still a light and amusing read. I liked Joe's deadpan observations and wry sense of humor, and enjoyed learning about the differences between cactus and orchid lovers.

One less host

DEATH OF AN ORCHID is the second title in Nathan Walpow's Joe Portugal Mystery Series. It's an interesting gardening series that takes place in Culver City, CA. It seems Joe Portugal and I have some things in common, the love of cactus and succulents and learning to live with the condition of CRS (for the meaning, you will have to read the book). Competitiveness can be found in just about every avenue in life, and most certainly in gardening, especially when it comes to wanting the best. This is just one of the possibilities Joe Portugal has to consider as he tries to help an old acting friend who has been accused of murdering the host of the Orchid Spring social. While he is sleuthing, Joe takes the time to try out for a commercial and to comfort Gina when life with her lover, Jill, gets shaky. Gina, being a good friend and old sweetheart of Joe's, puts on her sleuthing shoes and joins him on the path of murder and mayhem among some beautiful flora and disconcerting inhabitants. I think Mr. Walpow's sense of humor, along with his characters stood out the most. The plot, the suspects, and the paths taken were very well set, although I have to admit, I did have it solved about half way through.

Even better that the first one

I was happy to renew my acquaintance with Joe Portugal, cactus maven and amateur sleuth. This time he gets involved with killings among orchid enthusiasts. It's an off-beat mix of actors, plant smugglers, old loves, and one very nasty murderer. Joe's sense of humor had me chuckling throughout, despite the dangerous situations he keeps landing himself in. The main character comes across as a damaged person trying hard to be a decent human being. Joe just keeps getting more appealing and his lovelife couldn't be more complicated. Even if you're not a plant enthusiast yourself, you'll find it hard not to get interested. (Didja know that the term "orchid" comes from the Greek word for testicle?) Fascinating characters, tight plot, genuine humor--another quick read from Walpow.

Botanical lovers are going to love this one

Forty-six-year-old Los Angeles resident Joe Portugal earns enough income from starring in commercials to keep his body and spirit nourished. He has finally accepted the reality that he will never be a great actor and enjoys spending time cultivating his succulent plants, treating them like his children. At a party given by orchid enthusiast Albert Oberg, Joe runs into fellow attendee Laura Astaire, a person he has not seen in fifteen years. Joe is surprised when Laura calls him the next day, begging him to help her. The police feel she murdered her boy friend Albert.Laura asks Joe to clear her name by finding the real killer. Joe agrees, but before he can start investigating, Laura dies. The police want to tie her death into a neat package labeled guilt leading to suicide, but Joe rejects the theory because of Laura's plea for him to prove her innocence. Joe begins inquiries into the two murders not yet realizing how dangerous a pastime amateur sleuthing can become.DEATH OF AN ORCHID LOVER is a refreshing, fast-paced novel filled with offbeat charcaters that beguile the audience into liking them in spite of their serious flaws. Horticulture details are cleverly interwoven into the story line by an author who obviously is an expert on plant life because he is an enthusiast himself. Joe's quirky sense of humor enables him to survive situations that would make many a person weep. Although this is only Joe's second appearance, author Nathan Walpow has a winning series that appears ready for a long run.Harriet Klausner