The Parrot in the Closet Mystery--Murder Picks a Rose

Suspected of murdering her wealthy grandfather, a young, single mother is determined to find out who really killed her beloved grandfather and discovers she is getting help from the two very unlikely forces of her grandfather's macaw and her son who not only talks to animals, but strikes up conversations with her dead grandfather.

Veronica Vallejo, a 23 year old single mother, is content in her life now that she has earned her BA degree from UC Davis in horticulture and Business Administration and devotes every spare moment to her seven year old son, Salvador. Living with her grandfather, Albert Mason and helping him run the Serenity Valley Rose Gardens, Veronica sees her future in a "bed of roses" as she learns the art of rose cultivation and breeding. A retired genetic engineer, Albert Mason has bred the first true blue rose he has named "Blue Moon." Spring brings excitement to the gardens as they get ready to open to the public and prepare to show the Blue Moon to rose cultivars from around the world to sell it to the highest bidder.

When Albert Mason is found murdered and his beloved dog and the blue rose are missing, Veronica is determined to find out who murdered her grandfather. Never far from her mind is the quest to find the missing rose and her grandfather's dog, Brandy who was named after a rose of the same color.

A prime suspect with the means and motive, Veronica works to win the trust of the detective on the case. With the help of Bee Bop, her grandfather's greenwing macaw and her son, who talks to her grandfather's ghost and the macaw, she works to prove her innocence and bring the true murderer to justice.




Sandra K. Sullivan--her experience and knowledge of what real young people go through
to heal and move on is what brings her characters to life on the page.