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The Gardener Mysteries #1
Seeds of Murder
Roses are red. Violets are blue. All the evidence is pointing to you...
Steph Williams has landed her dream gardening job working for the wealthy, gated community of Beaulieu Heights. With her beloved dog Mouse for company, she's quite content to be left alone to tackle the weeds and tend the flowers.
If she happens to overhear secret feuds while working in the gardens, or refused access to a locked shed, she knows not to question it - after all, gardeners should be seen and not heard.
Until she is accused of blackmailing the residents with notes disclosing their darkest secrets. Now she's forced to swap her gardening gloves for a detective's notebook, with just ten days to clear her name.
But when Steph's investigation leads her to discover a freshly dug grave in one of the gardens, she soon realises that the residents are hiding more than it seems - and they'll just about do anything to stop their secrets from being unearthed...
Will Steph be able to catch the perpetrator and nip this case in the bud before it becomes too late?
Seeds of Murder is the start of a brand-new gardening murder mystery, perfect for fans of Peter Boland, Fiona Leitch and The Potting Shed Mysteries .
Steph Williams has landed her dream gardening job working for the wealthy, gated community of Beaulieu Heights. With her beloved dog Mouse for company, she's quite content to be left alone to tackle the weeds and tend the flowers.
If she happens to overhear secret feuds while working in the gardens, or refused access to a locked shed, she knows not to question it - after all, gardeners should be seen and not heard.
Until she is accused of blackmailing the residents with notes disclosing their darkest secrets. Now she's forced to swap her gardening gloves for a detective's notebook, with just ten days to clear her name.
But when Steph's investigation leads her to discover a freshly dug grave in one of the gardens, she soon realises that the residents are hiding more than it seems - and they'll just about do anything to stop their secrets from being unearthed...
Will Steph be able to catch the perpetrator and nip this case in the bud before it becomes too late?
Seeds of Murder is the start of a brand-new gardening murder mystery, perfect for fans of Peter Boland, Fiona Leitch and The Potting Shed Mysteries .
Audiobook
Published August 31, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
September 13, 2024
Steph (and her dog) get a job gardening within a closed gated community, somewhere overlooking London. The plots of land are particularly large, the owners are wealthy, the gardens seem to be able to support all variety of plants and styles. Steph, of course, has a history, as do the largely pretentious inhabitants.
Although the title implies murder, the crime (other than the writing) is really around theft, blackmail and - who knows! For me this book was simply a repetitive retelling of daily living - Monday House A - arrive garden eat drink ... Tuesday House B ... Virtually every page involves drinking coffee. I found the characters, except perhaps for the dog, boring and unbelievable. The dialogue ... arrgghh. The whole novel just felt silly, unconvincing and frankly ridiculous. And let's not talk about the epilogue!
So, as per the reviews on here, there are lots of people that loved this book, and there are those of us who really did not. For me there are better examples of the so called "cozy crime" genre out there.
Although the title implies murder, the crime (other than the writing) is really around theft, blackmail and - who knows! For me this book was simply a repetitive retelling of daily living - Monday House A - arrive garden eat drink ... Tuesday House B ... Virtually every page involves drinking coffee. I found the characters, except perhaps for the dog, boring and unbelievable. The dialogue ... arrgghh. The whole novel just felt silly, unconvincing and frankly ridiculous. And let's not talk about the epilogue!
So, as per the reviews on here, there are lots of people that loved this book, and there are those of us who really did not. For me there are better examples of the so called "cozy crime" genre out there.
January 5, 2024
Seeds Of Murder is the first book in the Gardener Mysteries series by British author, Rosie Sandler. The audio version is narrated by Gisella Ohaka. Even though some of the residents are demanding, a bit snooty and entitled, thirty-one-year-old gardener and tree surgeon, Steph Williams feels she’s lucked into the perfect job at Beaulieu Heights: five residences of varying descriptions, fully staffed to serve the families they house, she spends a day a week on each of their gardens, and Mouse, her big shaggy dog, welcomed by most.
Some of the gardens are more challenging than others, and it’s quickly clear that the previous gardener’s work was, at best, erratic. It seems that, rather to her dismay, Steph has the sort of face and demeanour that invites confidences: within the week, a flakey teen and a talented artist have shared secrets, and she wonders “how many confidences one person can absorb before they explode, secrets bursting from them like the seeds from Himalayan Balsam”.
Before she has been there very long, Mouse has alarmed at the woods behind her cottage, where she discovers a set of footprints. Mouse also brings her some puzzling items he has dug up: a child’s shoe, then another, a stuffed rabbit, and a piece of faded cloth, apparently belonging to a child about whose death everyone is circumspect.
While most of the staff make sure she is well and deliciously fed, some of her employers have strange requests and restrictions about where she might enter, and with one husband, Steph needs to exert her physical strength to curb his lecherous conduct. The behaviour of a teenaged son towards the teen girls on the estate is also disturbing.
Steph also has to deal with a constant stream of calls and texts from the ex-husband who bankrupted her business. She’s not sure if the first threatening note is from him. Then, expensive statues begin to go missing; and others on the estate receive threatening notes: Steph somehow becomes the prime suspect, and has a limited time to prove her innocence and keep her job.
In this gated community, between the families and staff, there is a large cast and it helps to take notes to keep track of them, and their various lies and secrets. There are copious mentions of plants, something that is bound to appeal to gardeners; there are one or two plot holes and in some aspects of the story the author’s fingerprints are apparent, but these can be forgiven for a twisty plot and appealing protagonists, including the dog.
The story plays out against a background of the mystery of Steph’s birth parents, something likely to be the subject of further instalments, of which there are two so far: Murder Takes Root and Murder In Bloom. And Steph’s departure from Beaulieu Heights is presaged by the job offer she receives in the Epilogue, looking like she’ll be off to Derbyshire. An enjoyable cosy.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Bonnier UK Audio.
Some of the gardens are more challenging than others, and it’s quickly clear that the previous gardener’s work was, at best, erratic. It seems that, rather to her dismay, Steph has the sort of face and demeanour that invites confidences: within the week, a flakey teen and a talented artist have shared secrets, and she wonders “how many confidences one person can absorb before they explode, secrets bursting from them like the seeds from Himalayan Balsam”.
Before she has been there very long, Mouse has alarmed at the woods behind her cottage, where she discovers a set of footprints. Mouse also brings her some puzzling items he has dug up: a child’s shoe, then another, a stuffed rabbit, and a piece of faded cloth, apparently belonging to a child about whose death everyone is circumspect.
While most of the staff make sure she is well and deliciously fed, some of her employers have strange requests and restrictions about where she might enter, and with one husband, Steph needs to exert her physical strength to curb his lecherous conduct. The behaviour of a teenaged son towards the teen girls on the estate is also disturbing.
Steph also has to deal with a constant stream of calls and texts from the ex-husband who bankrupted her business. She’s not sure if the first threatening note is from him. Then, expensive statues begin to go missing; and others on the estate receive threatening notes: Steph somehow becomes the prime suspect, and has a limited time to prove her innocence and keep her job.
In this gated community, between the families and staff, there is a large cast and it helps to take notes to keep track of them, and their various lies and secrets. There are copious mentions of plants, something that is bound to appeal to gardeners; there are one or two plot holes and in some aspects of the story the author’s fingerprints are apparent, but these can be forgiven for a twisty plot and appealing protagonists, including the dog.
The story plays out against a background of the mystery of Steph’s birth parents, something likely to be the subject of further instalments, of which there are two so far: Murder Takes Root and Murder In Bloom. And Steph’s departure from Beaulieu Heights is presaged by the job offer she receives in the Epilogue, looking like she’ll be off to Derbyshire. An enjoyable cosy.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Bonnier UK Audio.
November 16, 2023
Overall, I did enjoy this book, and I am interested in the character development so will possibly read the next book. However, there were aspects that pulled me out of fully enjoying the story as a true "cosy mystery". I sum up the good and not-so-good below:
The good:
I loved Moose (the dog) which may not seem like a major plot aspect, but his character description was really lovely and added to the "cosy feel" of the book.
The setting, I enjoyed the complexities of the rich gated community, with the nuances and class levels that this brings.
The gardening, I enjoyed the descriptions of Steph's day to day work, and the interactions between Steph and Moose in these environments.
There were some interesting character elements relating to Steph's background with her family and ex partner, that I presume will be developed further in future books.
The not-so-good:
I got pulled out of the story a lot when I simply couldn't understand Steph's decisions, why on earth would you persevere in asking your employer about the circumstances surrounding their child's death? While this later became pertinent, there was initially no apparent mystery that arguably required solving, and so this behaviour by Steph was unjustified. This came across as unnecessary (and cruel) nosiness, and made it hard to reconcile Steph's intended role as the likeable main character.
Other examples of this include: why didn't Steph go to the police herself when she was accused of being the blackmailer? None of her interactions with the other characters were heartwarming enough to justify her wanting to protect any crimes they were hiding, or her wanting to stay so badly in this job or environment with people who openly looked down on her and even (on occasion) sexually harassed her. Similarly, why didn't she go to the police when Moose, and later, herself, were attacked? Her situation simply wasn't desperate enough to justify her allowing this to continue without involving law enforcement, and for someone devoted to her dog, her lack of true righteous anger here was bewildering.
Finally, when the true culprits were revealed, and the worst crime came to light (murder of a child), the response by Steph and the other characters was simply not believable or acceptable. No true justice occurred, and again, Steph's relationship with the characters was not strong enough (and my opinion of them as the reader were not high enough), to justify the lack of punitive action. There simply was no satisfaction in reading the outcome, considering that some of the crimes involved kidnapping and hurting a dog, breaking and entering Steph's house and attacking her, and an earlier crime of child murder. The culprit(s) got away mostly unscathed (aside from damaged pride), and the other characters saw no issue with this.
The good:
I loved Moose (the dog) which may not seem like a major plot aspect, but his character description was really lovely and added to the "cosy feel" of the book.
The setting, I enjoyed the complexities of the rich gated community, with the nuances and class levels that this brings.
The gardening, I enjoyed the descriptions of Steph's day to day work, and the interactions between Steph and Moose in these environments.
There were some interesting character elements relating to Steph's background with her family and ex partner, that I presume will be developed further in future books.
The not-so-good:
I got pulled out of the story a lot when I simply couldn't understand Steph's decisions, why on earth would you persevere in asking your employer about the circumstances surrounding their child's death? While this later became pertinent, there was initially no apparent mystery that arguably required solving, and so this behaviour by Steph was unjustified. This came across as unnecessary (and cruel) nosiness, and made it hard to reconcile Steph's intended role as the likeable main character.
Other examples of this include: why didn't Steph go to the police herself when she was accused of being the blackmailer? None of her interactions with the other characters were heartwarming enough to justify her wanting to protect any crimes they were hiding, or her wanting to stay so badly in this job or environment with people who openly looked down on her and even (on occasion) sexually harassed her. Similarly, why didn't she go to the police when Moose, and later, herself, were attacked? Her situation simply wasn't desperate enough to justify her allowing this to continue without involving law enforcement, and for someone devoted to her dog, her lack of true righteous anger here was bewildering.
Finally, when the true culprits were revealed, and the worst crime came to light (murder of a child), the response by Steph and the other characters was simply not believable or acceptable. No true justice occurred, and again, Steph's relationship with the characters was not strong enough (and my opinion of them as the reader were not high enough), to justify the lack of punitive action. There simply was no satisfaction in reading the outcome, considering that some of the crimes involved kidnapping and hurting a dog, breaking and entering Steph's house and attacking her, and an earlier crime of child murder. The culprit(s) got away mostly unscathed (aside from damaged pride), and the other characters saw no issue with this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2023
What a thrillingly wonderfully set cosy mystery. The 1st in a series which gas great promise. Told from pov of main characters the gardener Steph who with her adorable dog Mouse needs to find out who's the blackmailer is in order to kerp her job.
The narrator nailedvit for me. There was emotion in all the right places especially in the interactions with veryone else. High quality aidio. The nice thing was the narrator had confidence when saying long garden plant names. It flowed. Helped by a well written story where facts were dripped in when relevant. I feel in love with mouse and i can definitely see this series being a great success.
A fairly quick listen. Perfect for any cosy mystery or fog lover. A fab 5 star listen.
Thank you net gallery and publisher and narrator and author for mybarc. Highly recommended
The narrator nailedvit for me. There was emotion in all the right places especially in the interactions with veryone else. High quality aidio. The nice thing was the narrator had confidence when saying long garden plant names. It flowed. Helped by a well written story where facts were dripped in when relevant. I feel in love with mouse and i can definitely see this series being a great success.
A fairly quick listen. Perfect for any cosy mystery or fog lover. A fab 5 star listen.
Thank you net gallery and publisher and narrator and author for mybarc. Highly recommended
March 7, 2024
An easy and enjoyable start to the book, quickly setting the scene and introducing some interesting characters. However, it then quickly descended into a first half of unnecessary filler and monotonous loops of daily routines. Did we really need a full description of what was for lunch everyday?!
I was hopeful the story would improve in the second half however it did not. Multiple story lines seemed completely irrelevant and added in for no real benefit of the plot. A big unveiling of a husband who faked his death now returning and secretly living in the woods but this was then not addressed until the epilogue in which it was quickly brushed over.
The ending itself was ok but I felt this book didn’t live up to the potential that it appeared to have in the first few chapters.
I was hopeful the story would improve in the second half however it did not. Multiple story lines seemed completely irrelevant and added in for no real benefit of the plot. A big unveiling of a husband who faked his death now returning and secretly living in the woods but this was then not addressed until the epilogue in which it was quickly brushed over.
The ending itself was ok but I felt this book didn’t live up to the potential that it appeared to have in the first few chapters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2024
Seeds of Murder is the first installment in the cozy mystery series The Gardener Mysteries Steph the gardener sleuth and her dog mouse have just taken on the groundskeeping at Beaulieu Estates and are immediately thrown into the drama of the rich residents. As thefts begin taking place and secrets are on the brink of coming out, Steph must solve who is blackmailing the residents.
As far as cozy mysteries go Seeds of Murder met almost all of my expectations. However, with "murder" in the title I was a little disappointed it was not the main premise of the story.
As far as cozy mysteries go Seeds of Murder met almost all of my expectations. However, with "murder" in the title I was a little disappointed it was not the main premise of the story.
February 13, 2024
Light and easy to read. The lead character, Steph, is pleasant but the entire story is nonsense. If your precious dog was abducted by someone who had threatened his welfare then your dog reappeared, bloody and limping, having chewed through the rope binding him, to escape, surely you would contact the police? Or, at the very least, take your dog to a safe place- rather than continually leaving him in the care of potential suspects. In the next scene, Steph arrives home to find a hooded man in her house, the door is smashed open; the hooded man then attacks her with the broken door and kicks her when she is on the ground, before running off with her notebook... still, it seems fine for her to continue investigating..? The end is odd; a resident calls a meeting at 6am and confesses, the others say 'it can't be you' so it must be her daughter.. who blackmails and regularly assaults people... but nothing is done about it and that's how it ends!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2024
Seeds Of Murder is the first book in the Gardener Mysteries series by British author, Rosie Sandler. Even though some of the residents are demanding, a bit snooty and entitled, thirty-one-year-old gardener and tree surgeon, Steph Williams feels she’s lucked into the perfect job at Beaulieu Heights: five residences of varying descriptions, fully staffed to serve the families they house, she spends a day a week on each of their gardens, and Mouse, her big shaggy dog, welcomed by most.
Some of the gardens are more challenging than others, and it’s quickly clear that the previous gardener’s work was, at best, erratic. It seems that, rather to her dismay, Steph has the sort of face and demeanour that invites confidences: within the week, a flakey teen and a talented artist have shared secrets, and she wonders “how many confidences one person can absorb before they explode, secrets bursting from them like the seeds from Himalayan Balsam”.
Before she has been there very long, Mouse has alarmed at the woods behind her cottage, where she discovers a set of footprints. Mouse also brings her some puzzling items he has dug up: a child’s shoe, then another, a stuffed rabbit, and a piece of faded cloth, apparently belonging to a child about whose death everyone is circumspect.
While most of the staff make sure she is well and deliciously fed, some of her employers have strange requests and restrictions about where she might enter, and with one husband, Steph needs to exert her physical strength to curb his lecherous conduct. The behaviour of a teenaged son towards the teen girls on the estate is also disturbing.
Steph also has to deal with a constant stream of calls and texts from the ex-husband who bankrupted her business. She’s not sure if the first threatening note is from him. Then, expensive statues begin to go missing; and others on the estate receive threatening notes: Steph somehow becomes the prime suspect, and has a limited time to prove her innocence and keep her job.
In this gated community, between the families and staff, there is a large cast and it helps to take notes to keep track of them, and their various lies and secrets. There are copious mentions of plants, something that is bound to appeal to gardeners; there are one or two plot holes and in some aspects of the story the author’s fingerprints are apparent, but these can be forgiven for a twisty plot and appealing protagonists, including the dog.
The story plays out against a background of the mystery of Steph’s birth parents, something likely to be the subject of further instalments, of which there are two so far: Murder Takes Root and Murder In Bloom. And Steph’s departure from Beaulieu Heights is presaged by the job offer she receives in the Epilogue, looking like she’ll be off to Derbyshire. An enjoyable cosy.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Embla Books.
Some of the gardens are more challenging than others, and it’s quickly clear that the previous gardener’s work was, at best, erratic. It seems that, rather to her dismay, Steph has the sort of face and demeanour that invites confidences: within the week, a flakey teen and a talented artist have shared secrets, and she wonders “how many confidences one person can absorb before they explode, secrets bursting from them like the seeds from Himalayan Balsam”.
Before she has been there very long, Mouse has alarmed at the woods behind her cottage, where she discovers a set of footprints. Mouse also brings her some puzzling items he has dug up: a child’s shoe, then another, a stuffed rabbit, and a piece of faded cloth, apparently belonging to a child about whose death everyone is circumspect.
While most of the staff make sure she is well and deliciously fed, some of her employers have strange requests and restrictions about where she might enter, and with one husband, Steph needs to exert her physical strength to curb his lecherous conduct. The behaviour of a teenaged son towards the teen girls on the estate is also disturbing.
Steph also has to deal with a constant stream of calls and texts from the ex-husband who bankrupted her business. She’s not sure if the first threatening note is from him. Then, expensive statues begin to go missing; and others on the estate receive threatening notes: Steph somehow becomes the prime suspect, and has a limited time to prove her innocence and keep her job.
In this gated community, between the families and staff, there is a large cast and it helps to take notes to keep track of them, and their various lies and secrets. There are copious mentions of plants, something that is bound to appeal to gardeners; there are one or two plot holes and in some aspects of the story the author’s fingerprints are apparent, but these can be forgiven for a twisty plot and appealing protagonists, including the dog.
The story plays out against a background of the mystery of Steph’s birth parents, something likely to be the subject of further instalments, of which there are two so far: Murder Takes Root and Murder In Bloom. And Steph’s departure from Beaulieu Heights is presaged by the job offer she receives in the Epilogue, looking like she’ll be off to Derbyshire. An enjoyable cosy.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Embla Books.
dnf
October 30, 2023DNFed after 36%…
I think it is better if I leave this book now, even though it is a NetGalley book and I try to finish them, but it would only end in a reading slump.
Usually, with books, there are 1-2 things that disturb or annoy me, but here, at a third of the way through the book, there are already 4!!! red flags, so I don't think I should have given it any more chances.
1) There were too many characters. She has her own family there, which is not small, then there are the people on the estate, and our lovely protagonist, Steph, also visited the village so there are a few characters from there, too. I had no idea who was who, I completely lost the thread during the series of visits to the houses. Then I didn't care anymore. And since it's an audiobook, the plethora of characters is even less memorable
2. The book runs on so many threads, but in a bad way. There's the garden and the things found by the dog, and there's also the case of the missing girl, which I don't know do they related each other. In addition, there are two threads to her own background story: divorce and adoption. And that's all under 36%. I couldn't dive in anywhere, because the next one had already arrived
3. Steph's character was antipathetic to me. Yes, often the main character of cozy mysteries is a character who pokes his nose into everything, but here she was really annoying. She hasn't even started working yet, but she's sniffling after everything. Seriously, she moved into the cottage and took her dog with her without saying a word to the landlord...
4. This is not a cozy mystery for me... Yes, there are mysteries, there is a small town, a quarter of what I have read so far was about what to do in the garden, but the base of a cozy mystery is the atmosphere... It should be pleasant, cozy, not depressing. Although death and murder usually appear in these books, they are always in a humorous form, in a light tone. So far, there have been disappearances, violence against women, divorce, adoption, and the writer took these topics too seriously for me, but that doesn't make the book cozy...
I'm really sorry for the book, and I'm in the mood to read a cozy mystery right now, so I will look for another one...
I think it is better if I leave this book now, even though it is a NetGalley book and I try to finish them, but it would only end in a reading slump.
Usually, with books, there are 1-2 things that disturb or annoy me, but here, at a third of the way through the book, there are already 4!!! red flags, so I don't think I should have given it any more chances.
1) There were too many characters. She has her own family there, which is not small, then there are the people on the estate, and our lovely protagonist, Steph, also visited the village so there are a few characters from there, too. I had no idea who was who, I completely lost the thread during the series of visits to the houses. Then I didn't care anymore. And since it's an audiobook, the plethora of characters is even less memorable
2. The book runs on so many threads, but in a bad way. There's the garden and the things found by the dog, and there's also the case of the missing girl, which I don't know do they related each other. In addition, there are two threads to her own background story: divorce and adoption. And that's all under 36%. I couldn't dive in anywhere, because the next one had already arrived
3. Steph's character was antipathetic to me. Yes, often the main character of cozy mysteries is a character who pokes his nose into everything, but here she was really annoying. She hasn't even started working yet, but she's sniffling after everything. Seriously, she moved into the cottage and took her dog with her without saying a word to the landlord...
4. This is not a cozy mystery for me... Yes, there are mysteries, there is a small town, a quarter of what I have read so far was about what to do in the garden, but the base of a cozy mystery is the atmosphere... It should be pleasant, cozy, not depressing. Although death and murder usually appear in these books, they are always in a humorous form, in a light tone. So far, there have been disappearances, violence against women, divorce, adoption, and the writer took these topics too seriously for me, but that doesn't make the book cozy...
I'm really sorry for the book, and I'm in the mood to read a cozy mystery right now, so I will look for another one...
February 7, 2025
Review for the audiobook
I have so many thoughts about Seeds of Murder and very few of them are good. I guess I'll start with the good.
The narrator is fantastic, and the prose is easy to sink into.
OK, with that out of the way, what is this story? There's not even a murder?! The story centers around the blackmail mentioned in the blurb, which doesn't actually happen for half of the book. Which means we spend a ridiculous amount of time on the day to day activities of very boring rich people and their equally boring staff.
Our MC, Steph, is fine. I spent quite a good chunk of the book thinking she was a trans woman because her family and herself are acting quite dramatic about her changing her name. I think the author thought it was an interesting character detail... It's mentioned so many times!!!
I'm not going to keep ranting, but this is just the tip of the iceberg of the weird shite included in this book.
Oh. 1 star for the dog.
I have so many thoughts about Seeds of Murder and very few of them are good. I guess I'll start with the good.
The narrator is fantastic, and the prose is easy to sink into.
OK, with that out of the way, what is this story? There's not even a murder?! The story centers around the blackmail mentioned in the blurb, which doesn't actually happen for half of the book. Which means we spend a ridiculous amount of time on the day to day activities of very boring rich people and their equally boring staff.
Our MC, Steph, is fine. I spent quite a good chunk of the book thinking she was a trans woman because her family and herself are acting quite dramatic about her changing her name. I think the author thought it was an interesting character detail... It's mentioned so many times!!!
I'm not going to keep ranting, but this is just the tip of the iceberg of the weird shite included in this book.
Oh. 1 star for the dog.
November 14, 2024
A story all about the world’s nosiest gardener. Like seriously Steph, just mind your own business!
The first half of the book was really slow and repetitive. Do we really need to know what Steph and her dog are having for lunch everyday? A bit unnecessary if you ask me.
The part I found most I unbelievable was they all accused her of being the blackmailer when there was literally no logic or evidence behind it.
I probably would read the next book just find out what happens with the other storylines that weren’t answered. But overall it wasn’t great!
The first half of the book was really slow and repetitive. Do we really need to know what Steph and her dog are having for lunch everyday? A bit unnecessary if you ask me.
The part I found most I unbelievable was they all accused her of being the blackmailer when there was literally no logic or evidence behind it.
I probably would read the next book just find out what happens with the other storylines that weren’t answered. But overall it wasn’t great!
January 7, 2024
This was a cozy, cozy mystery that focused a lot on the relationships between the characters. Since there wasn’t a murder to solve I was skeptical on whether I would enjoy it, but it was a pleasant read.
March 11, 2025
When we read fiction we must suspend belief but this was just too much. Steph was AN IDIOT.
July 18, 2024
3.5 rounded up
August 4, 2024
3.75 ⭐️
October 15, 2023
This book was such as easy read - I loved every page. The characters were larger than life and as rich as anything. And the mystery of who sent the blackmail notes was a tricky one to work out. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded and found the chapters flying by. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for my free audiobook.- I would totally recommend reading this one.
February 15, 2024
It started off as quite a quirky and cosy crime novel. However despite its short length, it does take its time to get anywhere. The title ‘Seeds of murder’ is somewhat misleading, as it is more about trying to find a blackmailer than finding a murderer. There were a few times where I found myself a little frustrated with the main character. A gardener who is accused of being the blackmailer, is given ten days to prove her innocence and catch the real blackmailer. Why doesn’t she just go to the police? Because she doesn’t want to lose her job. Even when her beloved dog is threaten and eventually taken away, she still doesn’t call the police. It just didn’t make sense to me. There’s a bit of background story going on too. Her ex-husband who racked up depth who keeps trying to get money, her adoptive parents have fell out with her because she wants to find her birth parents, one of them suffers a heart attack at one point. There seemed to be a lot of good ideas here, plenty of mystery to keep you going, but it just all fell a bit flat for me with the solutions to these. Everything felt somewhat rushed in the end. I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2023
I loved the premise of this book; gardening and cosy crime = perfect!
Although primarily a mystery, there was also a fascinating insight into the wealthy residents of Beaulieu Heights, who all have secrets and, frankly, think they're more important than anyone else! Steph and her gorgeous dog, Mouse, are great characters and overall, I enjoyed Rosie Sandler's writing.
As the story progressed, clues and details were slowly drip fed to the reader, increasing the tension and intrigue.. Steph herself also has secrets and her amateur sleuthing means that she also has to come clean about her past, adding another layer of mystery.
What somewhat spoiled it for me, was the narration of the audiobook. At 1.0 speed, the narrator sounded monotone and bored. At 1.5 speed, she made Steph sound whiny on occasion, and I don't feel Steph was a whiny character. I would be interested to continue with this series, perhaps with a different narrator.
3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Rosie Sandler and Bonnier for an ARC in return for an honest review.
Although primarily a mystery, there was also a fascinating insight into the wealthy residents of Beaulieu Heights, who all have secrets and, frankly, think they're more important than anyone else! Steph and her gorgeous dog, Mouse, are great characters and overall, I enjoyed Rosie Sandler's writing.
As the story progressed, clues and details were slowly drip fed to the reader, increasing the tension and intrigue.. Steph herself also has secrets and her amateur sleuthing means that she also has to come clean about her past, adding another layer of mystery.
What somewhat spoiled it for me, was the narration of the audiobook. At 1.0 speed, the narrator sounded monotone and bored. At 1.5 speed, she made Steph sound whiny on occasion, and I don't feel Steph was a whiny character. I would be interested to continue with this series, perhaps with a different narrator.
3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Rosie Sandler and Bonnier for an ARC in return for an honest review.
September 4, 2023
What a fabuloud new mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed the intrigue and how hard Steph worked to solve this mystery and prove her own innocence. This was different from most normal cozies I read. Normally it's a pretty standard- small town protagonist, someone is found dead, MC solves the crime, often before the police can, or with the help of the police. This mystery was had more of a Stepford vibe, with several rich families living in an elite community, all keeping secrets from one another. The murder/death was not the focus, but instead the MC was accused of theft and leaving threatening blackmail notes for the resident. She had to prove her innocence with in 5 days or risk losing her job, which was the head gardener in their elite community.
I was inititally a smidge hesitant because of the present tense writing, but after a few chapters, I barely noticed. There is an ongoing mystery which involved Steph's ex-husband that I hope will be followed up on in a later book.
I was inititally a smidge hesitant because of the present tense writing, but after a few chapters, I barely noticed. There is an ongoing mystery which involved Steph's ex-husband that I hope will be followed up on in a later book.
March 12, 2025
Rather twee and far fetched in places
December 30, 2023
Implausible at best.
I persevered until the end, suspending my growing disbelief in the hope it would be worth it - it wasn’t.
Trying not to drop spoilers so I’ll just say that plot holes abound, several crimes and misdemeanours go unpunished and the whole thing had me shaking my head in the end.
I persevered until the end, suspending my growing disbelief in the hope it would be worth it - it wasn’t.
Trying not to drop spoilers so I’ll just say that plot holes abound, several crimes and misdemeanours go unpunished and the whole thing had me shaking my head in the end.
July 2, 2024
Too many characters, too many (sub)plots, weird ending, weird motive. Just overall whack experience.
January 24, 2024
Steph Williams arrives at her new dream job as gardener of Beaulieu Estates, a gated community. She’s accompanied by her large dog Mouse, an adorable, opinionated, and protective fellow.
Steph is eager to get started; her finances were destroyed by her now ex-husband, who bankrupted them and their business, and cheated on her.
Each large home in the community has its own security gate, and large garden; Steph has her work cut out for her, as each garden has its own needs and design, and temperamental, snooty owners to deal with.
Though she enjoys the work, she’s less enthused by the various small confessions and secrets various people at each house divulge to her. She’s downright horrified when the head of the community's management committee haul her before them and accuse her of blackmail. Then they give her ten days to clear her name or she’s out.
Steph begins interviewing each family, and gradually learns what each is hiding from others, as well as the identity of the blackmailer. During this period, both Mouse and she are attacked, her adopted father suffers a health scare, which brings Steph and her adopted mother back together after a difference of opinion about Steph’s desire to meet her birth parents.
This is a good start to a cozy mystery series. Steph proves to be an engaging main character. She has the occasional tendency to blurt out thoughts, she finds great calm in the repetitive tasks in garden maintenance, and though shaken by the committee’s accusations, she manages to gain the families’ trust and solve the case.
Mouse was utterly adorable and stole every scene he was in, whether watching animal documentaries on tv, playing with Mr. Rabbit, or refusing to stir himself on rainy days. I look forward to reading about more of his antics, and Steph's endeavours solving more mysteries.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Embla Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Steph is eager to get started; her finances were destroyed by her now ex-husband, who bankrupted them and their business, and cheated on her.
Each large home in the community has its own security gate, and large garden; Steph has her work cut out for her, as each garden has its own needs and design, and temperamental, snooty owners to deal with.
Though she enjoys the work, she’s less enthused by the various small confessions and secrets various people at each house divulge to her. She’s downright horrified when the head of the community's management committee haul her before them and accuse her of blackmail. Then they give her ten days to clear her name or she’s out.
Steph begins interviewing each family, and gradually learns what each is hiding from others, as well as the identity of the blackmailer. During this period, both Mouse and she are attacked, her adopted father suffers a health scare, which brings Steph and her adopted mother back together after a difference of opinion about Steph’s desire to meet her birth parents.
This is a good start to a cozy mystery series. Steph proves to be an engaging main character. She has the occasional tendency to blurt out thoughts, she finds great calm in the repetitive tasks in garden maintenance, and though shaken by the committee’s accusations, she manages to gain the families’ trust and solve the case.
Mouse was utterly adorable and stole every scene he was in, whether watching animal documentaries on tv, playing with Mr. Rabbit, or refusing to stir himself on rainy days. I look forward to reading about more of his antics, and Steph's endeavours solving more mysteries.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Embla Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
October 10, 2023
Seeds of Murder follows the story of Steph Williams and her dog, Mouse. She’s just landed her dream job as a gardener in the gated community, Beaulieu Heights. The residents seem to be living idyllic lives in their huge mansions in an elite community, and their insane wealths, but deep down something much darker is going on beneath the surface of Beaulieu Heights.
Families are blackmailed and Steph is hauled in front of the Neighbourhood Watch and blamed for the notes and some mysterious thefts. To protect herself and her job, she sets about uncovering the BH secrets and find out who is responsible.
I absolutely LOVED this. Rosie Sandler has created such loveable characters in Steph and Mouse. Steph overcomes so much in such a short space of time, is exceptionally knowledgeable in all things gardening and is undoubtedly one of my favourite heroines, along with her loveable sidekick Mouse 😍
There’s a lot of twists and turns along the way and the ‘who dunnit’ element is exceptional, keeping you entertained and engrossed all the way through. Guessing the culprit was a game within itself! The cozy mystery vibe is one of my favourites and Seeds of Murder excelled in that!
I’m hoping and praying that there will be multiple books in this series, it’s such a quick easy read, with an interesting storyline and fantastic characters 😍
Thanks to @thiscolourfulrosie @thebookdealer and @emblabooks for my copy of this! Seeds of Murder is out now so make sure you check it out!
Families are blackmailed and Steph is hauled in front of the Neighbourhood Watch and blamed for the notes and some mysterious thefts. To protect herself and her job, she sets about uncovering the BH secrets and find out who is responsible.
I absolutely LOVED this. Rosie Sandler has created such loveable characters in Steph and Mouse. Steph overcomes so much in such a short space of time, is exceptionally knowledgeable in all things gardening and is undoubtedly one of my favourite heroines, along with her loveable sidekick Mouse 😍
There’s a lot of twists and turns along the way and the ‘who dunnit’ element is exceptional, keeping you entertained and engrossed all the way through. Guessing the culprit was a game within itself! The cozy mystery vibe is one of my favourites and Seeds of Murder excelled in that!
I’m hoping and praying that there will be multiple books in this series, it’s such a quick easy read, with an interesting storyline and fantastic characters 😍
Thanks to @thiscolourfulrosie @thebookdealer and @emblabooks for my copy of this! Seeds of Murder is out now so make sure you check it out!
November 2, 2025
Wow this was bad. Absolutely bonkers plot which somehow involves a little bit of everything - including but not limited to:
- lots of gardening
- two different sets of adoptions
- lots of pervy behaviour including towards young teenage girls
- someone faking their death and living in the woods
- husband doing secret crossdressing and getting confused for an escort (?)
- multiple financial crimes and some big old gambling debt
- secretly recording people in compromising positions at sex parties
- heart attack
- dognapping
- secret underground meth lab???
So much happened and was completely brushed over with no emotion whatsoever, to make more room for long descriptions of coffee and frittatas.
The dog also pissed me off - why is this random gardener taking her dog to work where he’s constantly being a nuisance and letting walk mud around all these fancy houses?? Why does she exclusively pick TV shows for the dog??
- lots of gardening
- two different sets of adoptions
- lots of pervy behaviour including towards young teenage girls
- someone faking their death and living in the woods
- husband doing secret crossdressing and getting confused for an escort (?)
- multiple financial crimes and some big old gambling debt
- secretly recording people in compromising positions at sex parties
- heart attack
- dognapping
- secret underground meth lab???
So much happened and was completely brushed over with no emotion whatsoever, to make more room for long descriptions of coffee and frittatas.
The dog also pissed me off - why is this random gardener taking her dog to work where he’s constantly being a nuisance and letting walk mud around all these fancy houses?? Why does she exclusively pick TV shows for the dog??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2024
Seeds of Murder by Rosie Sandler is the first book in The Gardener Mysteries series. Steph Williams starts a new job as gardener at the wealthy gated community of Beaulieu Heights but when residents start receiving blackmail letters, she is accused and needs to clear her name to keep her job. I enjoyed getting to know Steph, Mouse and the residents, although I thought it was strange the way the mystery was handled. I would have thought the police would be involved especially when Mouse was kidnapped and hurt. The title is a bit misleading as there is little focus on murder which I kept waiting for. A rather slow mystery with an unsatisfactory and unrealistic resolution which rather spoiled it for me.
June 16, 2023
#SeedsofMurder #NetGalley is a new to me author and this book was great to read.
Steph Williams is ready to start her new life, and getting the job at Beaulieu Heights was a dream come true, she's excited to work in the gardens of these exclusive homes, but she soon becomes privy to some pretty deep secrets.
Each family has their own secrets and when a rash of burglaries begins, soon Steph finds herself in danger of losing her job, and possibly her own life if she isn't careful.
I fell in love with Mouse immediately, and I really like Steph, too.
It's always a pleasure to discover a new author and I'm looking forward to reading more in this series. I will recommend this book to others, with the hope they like it as much as I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
Steph Williams is ready to start her new life, and getting the job at Beaulieu Heights was a dream come true, she's excited to work in the gardens of these exclusive homes, but she soon becomes privy to some pretty deep secrets.
Each family has their own secrets and when a rash of burglaries begins, soon Steph finds herself in danger of losing her job, and possibly her own life if she isn't careful.
I fell in love with Mouse immediately, and I really like Steph, too.
It's always a pleasure to discover a new author and I'm looking forward to reading more in this series. I will recommend this book to others, with the hope they like it as much as I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
September 7, 2023
Not often I get to read a book in which the main character has the same first name as me, so how could I resist?!
Seeds of Murder is a cosy mystery – Book 1 in a planned Gardener Mysteries series – and features landscape gardener Steph and her dog Mouse playing amateur sleuths as they try to work out who is blackmailing residents in the closed community they have moved to work in. And her job is on the line if she can’t uncover the culprit within the committee’s arbitrary deadline.
Although the story is written as a first-person account from Steph herself, the author manages to cleverly keep information under wraps until it becomes relevant to the storyline – a really tricky feat without making it seem contrived, but Rosie Sandler nails it here!
There is more than one mystery for Steph (and readers) to uncover, as Mouse’s discovery of a stray shoe seems to set of an avalanche of secrets, including garden art thefts and a disturbing visit from someone in Steph’s past (which appears to be a longer-running storyline, as this mystery is ongoing at the end of the book). This mixture of suspense with more everyday information about gardening and landscaping really grew on me 😉 and definitely made me want to read more and find out what happens next.
I found the set-up of Steph’s gardening job a little unusual, as was her overall treatment by the residents and members of the community committee, but these oddities just added to the mystery potential and made me wonder what other secrets might be lurking behind the rosebushes, locked sheds and secret gardens!
Green-fingered cosy mystery fans will enjoy this series starter and will look forward to seeing what these ‘Seeds’ bloom into!
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
Seeds of Murder is a cosy mystery – Book 1 in a planned Gardener Mysteries series – and features landscape gardener Steph and her dog Mouse playing amateur sleuths as they try to work out who is blackmailing residents in the closed community they have moved to work in. And her job is on the line if she can’t uncover the culprit within the committee’s arbitrary deadline.
Although the story is written as a first-person account from Steph herself, the author manages to cleverly keep information under wraps until it becomes relevant to the storyline – a really tricky feat without making it seem contrived, but Rosie Sandler nails it here!
There is more than one mystery for Steph (and readers) to uncover, as Mouse’s discovery of a stray shoe seems to set of an avalanche of secrets, including garden art thefts and a disturbing visit from someone in Steph’s past (which appears to be a longer-running storyline, as this mystery is ongoing at the end of the book). This mixture of suspense with more everyday information about gardening and landscaping really grew on me 😉 and definitely made me want to read more and find out what happens next.
I found the set-up of Steph’s gardening job a little unusual, as was her overall treatment by the residents and members of the community committee, but these oddities just added to the mystery potential and made me wonder what other secrets might be lurking behind the rosebushes, locked sheds and secret gardens!
Green-fingered cosy mystery fans will enjoy this series starter and will look forward to seeing what these ‘Seeds’ bloom into!
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
July 5, 2025
Pretty boring, but what irritates me most is this group of wealthy people are engaged in all kinds of immoral and illegal behavior, all of which demands police involvement and consequences of the most serious nature, yet there was none. No police involvement and no consequences. The truth of what was going on in this neighborhood is so sordid I could barely finish the book. Not to mention the gardener (I’ve already forgotten her name) has nothing to recommend her in solving crimes. The best thing about it is Mouse the dog. I won’t be continuing this series.
January 1, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️
After reading so many reviews I thought I would give this book a go… there are soooo many characters!! It’s hard to keep track of who is who🤭.. the plot was ok but it wasn’t a page turner for me I felt I was fading in and out of the story but I did enjoy the ending and how it was all put together!!
If you enjoy gardening and fancy a different psychological thriller this would be the perfect book for you!
⭐️⭐️⭐️
After reading so many reviews I thought I would give this book a go… there are soooo many characters!! It’s hard to keep track of who is who🤭.. the plot was ok but it wasn’t a page turner for me I felt I was fading in and out of the story but I did enjoy the ending and how it was all put together!!
If you enjoy gardening and fancy a different psychological thriller this would be the perfect book for you!
⭐️⭐️⭐️
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