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The Gardener's Plot
A woman helps set up a community garden in the Berkshires, only to find a body in one of the plot's on opening day.
After life threw Maggie Walker a few curveballs, she’s happy to be back in the small, Berkshires town where she spent so much time as a child. Marlowe holds many memories for her, and now it also offers a fresh start. Maggie has always loved gardening, so it’s only natural to sign on to help Violet Bloom set up a community garden.
When opening day arrives, Violet is nowhere to be found, and the gardeners are restless. Things go from bad to worse when Maggie finds a boot buried in one of the plots… and there’s a body attached to it. Suddenly, the police are looking for a killer and they keep asking questions about Violet. Maggie doesn’t believe her friend could do this, and she’s going to dig up the dirt needed to prove it.
The Gardener’s Plot takes readers to the heart of the Berkshires and introduces amateur sleuth Maggie Walker in Deborah J. Benoit’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut.
After life threw Maggie Walker a few curveballs, she’s happy to be back in the small, Berkshires town where she spent so much time as a child. Marlowe holds many memories for her, and now it also offers a fresh start. Maggie has always loved gardening, so it’s only natural to sign on to help Violet Bloom set up a community garden.
When opening day arrives, Violet is nowhere to be found, and the gardeners are restless. Things go from bad to worse when Maggie finds a boot buried in one of the plots… and there’s a body attached to it. Suddenly, the police are looking for a killer and they keep asking questions about Violet. Maggie doesn’t believe her friend could do this, and she’s going to dig up the dirt needed to prove it.
The Gardener’s Plot takes readers to the heart of the Berkshires and introduces amateur sleuth Maggie Walker in Deborah J. Benoit’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut.
321 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 2024
66 people are currently reading
10776 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 485 reviews
October 27, 2024
Deborah J. Benoit’s book,
The Gardener’s Plot,
is a delight for those who love gardening and cozy mysteries. This debut features Maggie Walker who has moved back to her hometown of Marlowe. She volunteers to help Violet Bloom set up a community garden. When opening day arrives, Violet doesn’t show up and one of the gardeners complains about a boot in his plot. When Maggie pulls on the boot, it turns out there’s a body attached to it. The police keep asking questions about Violet while Maggie doesn’t believe her friend is the killer. That means she decides to do some sleuthing to prove it.
Maggie is a master gardener and writes a gardening column for the newspaper. She needs to find the answer to whatever question pops into her head. She also is organized, uses lists, and has a natural curiosity. She’s an easy character to like unless you are the police trying to solve the murder. The other characters have a variety of depths based on their roles.
This mystery is full of small-town atmosphere, including a sense of community, but also some negatives like vicious gossip and social power plays. The world-building is well done and the writing flows well. While I guessed the killer, the journey through some twists and red herrings that kept me engaged. The author is a master gardener and was born and raised in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. Her expertise in gardening and familiarity with the area added a level of depth and realism to the novel.
Overall, this is an entertaining and fast read with good characterization and a few suspenseful scenes. I would love to see this turned into a series.
St. Martin’s Press and Deboroh J. Benoit provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for November 05, 2024.
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My 3.91 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
Maggie is a master gardener and writes a gardening column for the newspaper. She needs to find the answer to whatever question pops into her head. She also is organized, uses lists, and has a natural curiosity. She’s an easy character to like unless you are the police trying to solve the murder. The other characters have a variety of depths based on their roles.
This mystery is full of small-town atmosphere, including a sense of community, but also some negatives like vicious gossip and social power plays. The world-building is well done and the writing flows well. While I guessed the killer, the journey through some twists and red herrings that kept me engaged. The author is a master gardener and was born and raised in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. Her expertise in gardening and familiarity with the area added a level of depth and realism to the novel.
Overall, this is an entertaining and fast read with good characterization and a few suspenseful scenes. I would love to see this turned into a series.
St. Martin’s Press and Deboroh J. Benoit provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for November 05, 2024.
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My 3.91 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
January 29, 2025
Like many readers, I was drawn to this because of the gardening theme, and the author delivered fairly well on that point. The mystery was well-grounded but what brought my rating down was the flow and feel. Maggie is such a flat character with a lackluster narration, which made the story drag with a slow pace and repetitiveness. Her friend Sally brought some much-needed pep. I also had a hard time visualizing the characters' ages, I thought maybe late middle age or senior citizen, but Sally has kids, so maybe not, or maybe the ages vary in these characters, but I didn't get the impression that they were younger middle age.
This may be the start of a series, and if so, I would give the next book a chance to see if the writing irons out these imbalances.
This may be the start of a series, and if so, I would give the next book a chance to see if the writing irons out these imbalances.
September 21, 2024
Deborah J. Benoit, a brand new author to me, showed up in NetGalley earlier this summer, and I love murder mysteries and gardening, so it appeared to be a solid fit. Overall, I enjoyed the setting and getting to know a new cast of characters. Balancing the protagonist's personal mystery with that of the victim's made for a good dual-purpose storyline. I struggled a bit to keep some of the characters straight, and it felt a little too cardboard in some places, but it came together nicely in the end with a few things left open for future installments. I'll read the second to see if it cements the series for me.
April 21, 2025
It seems that this month (April 2025) I have had the pleasant opportunity of reading 2 authors that have been awarded the Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award for their winning debuts. The first being, “Sun, Sand and Murder” by John Keyse-Walker. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The second being this one.
“When I stopped to listen closely, nature played a subtle, musical soundtrack. Birds chirped in the trees around me. The breeze rippled across the flower beds and rustled the leaves of the trees. Other sounds might intrude, but when I was in my garden, the sounds of spring surrounded me like one of Gramma’s hugs.”
As readers, we are following along with Maggie Walker, who has recently acquired her Gramma’s home as her own and moved back to her hometown after several years away. Working alongside neighbor Violet, Maggie is excited for opening day of the community garden. But Violet who was in charge, doesn’t show. Instead, a body is discovered in one of the gardener’s plots. (Hence: the title of the book.)
Where is Violet? And, whose body is buried here? And, why?
In the meantime, readers are aware of the pesky real estate guy named Carl Henderson. He is wanting to buy up everyone’s houses and land, that juts up against the woods, so he could create a huge development of resort homes. How does his presence affect the homeowners?
As the police begin their investigation of the gardener’s plot with the body, Maggie insists on being a sleuth herself to find her missing friend and figure out what and why this happened. What will she discover? Is she putting herself in the crosshairs of the killer by doing this?
For “Murder She Wrote,” Jessica Fletcher fans there will be something that occurs with the characters to appreciate as it relates to the mystery they are trying to unravel.
The scenic Berkshires in western Massachusetts and the small-town intimacy including a collection of well-developed characters, (not all likable) adds to this slow burn, twisty, cozy who-dunit.
The second being this one.
“When I stopped to listen closely, nature played a subtle, musical soundtrack. Birds chirped in the trees around me. The breeze rippled across the flower beds and rustled the leaves of the trees. Other sounds might intrude, but when I was in my garden, the sounds of spring surrounded me like one of Gramma’s hugs.”
As readers, we are following along with Maggie Walker, who has recently acquired her Gramma’s home as her own and moved back to her hometown after several years away. Working alongside neighbor Violet, Maggie is excited for opening day of the community garden. But Violet who was in charge, doesn’t show. Instead, a body is discovered in one of the gardener’s plots. (Hence: the title of the book.)
Where is Violet? And, whose body is buried here? And, why?
In the meantime, readers are aware of the pesky real estate guy named Carl Henderson. He is wanting to buy up everyone’s houses and land, that juts up against the woods, so he could create a huge development of resort homes. How does his presence affect the homeowners?
As the police begin their investigation of the gardener’s plot with the body, Maggie insists on being a sleuth herself to find her missing friend and figure out what and why this happened. What will she discover? Is she putting herself in the crosshairs of the killer by doing this?
For “Murder She Wrote,” Jessica Fletcher fans there will be something that occurs with the characters to appreciate as it relates to the mystery they are trying to unravel.
The scenic Berkshires in western Massachusetts and the small-town intimacy including a collection of well-developed characters, (not all likable) adds to this slow burn, twisty, cozy who-dunit.
November 5, 2024
This cozy mystery totally wowed me! This is my first time reading anything by Deborah Benoit. I read the reviews and found some three stars, four stars and five stars. I decided to read this mystery and loved it from the start. It grabbed me into the story hook, line and sinker. I thought it was scary. The main character thought so too because she was always checking to be sure the dead bolts were locked on her doors. After reading this book in the evenings every time I heard the slightest noise I would be checking my doors also. It was an easy read and I enjoyed the Author’s writing style and the flow of the story. There was more than one murder and there was plenty of suspects who had enough motives to want to kill one of the victims. The characters were all awesome and made this cozy come to life. It was gripping and unpredictable. I had an idea who the killer might be and I hit the nail on the head with the one I picked. I’m glad I decided to read this book. Not only have I found a new to me Author but I’m hoping this series will continue so I can read book two when it becomes available.
I recommend The Gardener’s Plot to readers of cozy mystery and suspense books. This is the first book to the series and it’s scheduled for release on 11/5/24.
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are solely my own.
#TheGardenersPlot #NetGalley
I recommend The Gardener’s Plot to readers of cozy mystery and suspense books. This is the first book to the series and it’s scheduled for release on 11/5/24.
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are solely my own.
#TheGardenersPlot #NetGalley
October 22, 2024
This is an entertaining, well-written, murder mystery novel. It has a likable, intelligent, strong and capable female protagonist, small town drama, supportive friends, a loyal canine, murder, mystery, intrigue, the beauty of gardening, and a satisfying conclusion. I am looking forward to reading more mystery novels featuring Maggie Walker with great anticipation. Many thanks to Ms. Benoit, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley, from whom I received an advance reader copy of this delightful novel. This is my honest opinion.
November 9, 2024
Maggie Walker has inherited her grandmother’s house in a small town in the Berkshires. She’s long been a gardener, so when she is asked to help Violet with the new community garden, Maggie jumps in with both feet. But the morning of the grand opening, Violet is nowhere to be found. Then, a member of the community finds a boot in his plot in the community garden. A boot attached to a dead body. With the police thinking Violet might have something to do with it, Maggie’s set out to find her friend and prove she is innocent. But can she do it?
Since this book won a contest to be published, it caught my attention. Sadly, I don’t think it was quite ready for publication. The writing seemed a little vague at times, filling in details later, after we’d already made our impressions of things. The plot bogged down in the middle as Maggie spun her wheels before leading us to a good climax. The main characters were great, but the suspects were a little flat. The setting was charming, and even this non- gardener loved hearing about the plants. I wish I had liked this book better, but I probably won’t be moving on with the series.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Since this book won a contest to be published, it caught my attention. Sadly, I don’t think it was quite ready for publication. The writing seemed a little vague at times, filling in details later, after we’d already made our impressions of things. The plot bogged down in the middle as Maggie spun her wheels before leading us to a good climax. The main characters were great, but the suspects were a little flat. The setting was charming, and even this non- gardener loved hearing about the plants. I wish I had liked this book better, but I probably won’t be moving on with the series.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
November 4, 2024
I enjoyed The Gardener's Plot as it is a little different from other cozy mysteries I have read and I especially liked the gardening aspect. Maggie is back living in her grandmother's home in the Berkshires after the death of her husband in Boston. She is a master gardener and loves working in her yard and working as the assistant director of a local garden where people can plant their own little garden plot as they wish. Thinking life would be slower and simpler in her small hometown was a mistake. Life is typical small-town life sprinkled with spending time with her best friend Sally and her family and seeing other old acquaintances, some great but some not. But then two murders, an annoying cousin, missing friend, and being a person of interest can put a damper on things. Things get a little tense when Maggie and Sally do their own investigating. I hope this will be the start of a new series.
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts.
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts.
October 7, 2024
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Nov. 5, 2024
Maggie Walker has returned to the town she spent a lot of her childhood in, after inheriting her grandmother’s home after her passing. Delighted to live among the memories and to be back in the town she loves with the people who know her best, Maggie decides to help community member, Violet Bloom, set up a community garden. Finally, the day of the garden’s reveal is upon her, and everyone is lined up to begin tilling their plot- until Maggie uncovers a dead body. Although the police are investigating, Maggie is desperate to know how a man’s dead body wound up in the community garden her and Violet spent so much time working on. Speaking of- Violet has been missing for days and no one has heard from her. Has something happened? Could this small town have yet another murder on its hands?
Deborah J. Benoit’s debut, “The Gardener's Plot”, is a murder-mystery with a floral twist. Focused on the creation of the town’s community garden, amateur sleuth Maggie uproots more than weeds, which leads to an intriguing who-dunnit that kept me guessing.
For those who lack green thumbs (like me) Benoit ensures that “Plot” does not drown the reader in the specificity of planting and growing. Although there are a few sections that provide knowledge and some helpful tidbits, the plot focuses on the murder and the subsequent investigation. There are a lot of characters in this novel, mostly all of the members of the community (including many small business owners) and its’ garden aficionados, so there are lots of options to choose from when it comes to solving the case, if you can keep them all straight.
I enjoyed Maggie as a protagonist, as she was likable and relatable. Benoit managed to write an entire novel without describing the physical characteristics of any of the characters, although I’m not sure if it was intentional or not. This required a bit of an adjustment on my part, as I was so unfamiliar with this style, but I do have to give props to Benoit for not giving Maggie any romantic interests in this novel. It was nice to see a female protagonist without men being thrown at her feet, which was also something I’m not used to (but this was definitely a positive aspect!)
“Plot” wrapped up nicely, so it’s hard to say if more Maggie Walker stories will follow. I enjoyed Benoit’s writing style, for the most part, and was invested enough in Maggie to read more from her, if that’s where Benoit wants to go with this. Otherwise, I was extremely satisfied with the ending and was not left wanting.
Expected publication date: Nov. 5, 2024
Maggie Walker has returned to the town she spent a lot of her childhood in, after inheriting her grandmother’s home after her passing. Delighted to live among the memories and to be back in the town she loves with the people who know her best, Maggie decides to help community member, Violet Bloom, set up a community garden. Finally, the day of the garden’s reveal is upon her, and everyone is lined up to begin tilling their plot- until Maggie uncovers a dead body. Although the police are investigating, Maggie is desperate to know how a man’s dead body wound up in the community garden her and Violet spent so much time working on. Speaking of- Violet has been missing for days and no one has heard from her. Has something happened? Could this small town have yet another murder on its hands?
Deborah J. Benoit’s debut, “The Gardener's Plot”, is a murder-mystery with a floral twist. Focused on the creation of the town’s community garden, amateur sleuth Maggie uproots more than weeds, which leads to an intriguing who-dunnit that kept me guessing.
For those who lack green thumbs (like me) Benoit ensures that “Plot” does not drown the reader in the specificity of planting and growing. Although there are a few sections that provide knowledge and some helpful tidbits, the plot focuses on the murder and the subsequent investigation. There are a lot of characters in this novel, mostly all of the members of the community (including many small business owners) and its’ garden aficionados, so there are lots of options to choose from when it comes to solving the case, if you can keep them all straight.
I enjoyed Maggie as a protagonist, as she was likable and relatable. Benoit managed to write an entire novel without describing the physical characteristics of any of the characters, although I’m not sure if it was intentional or not. This required a bit of an adjustment on my part, as I was so unfamiliar with this style, but I do have to give props to Benoit for not giving Maggie any romantic interests in this novel. It was nice to see a female protagonist without men being thrown at her feet, which was also something I’m not used to (but this was definitely a positive aspect!)
“Plot” wrapped up nicely, so it’s hard to say if more Maggie Walker stories will follow. I enjoyed Benoit’s writing style, for the most part, and was invested enough in Maggie to read more from her, if that’s where Benoit wants to go with this. Otherwise, I was extremely satisfied with the ending and was not left wanting.
November 19, 2024
I feel like I just read the same chapter on repeat
Read
May 11, 2025This was a DNF for me. Not enough mystery and too much gardening information.
February 28, 2025
The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit in quick, rapid-fire thoughts.
-a light and airy read (for a murder-mystery!)
-main character Maggie seemed super naive for a good chunk of the book
-(and looking back, I wish she had more personality)
-character name "Violet Bloom" fit in perfectly within a gardening-based book
-oppositely, "Sam Whitacker" was a familiar sounding character name
-Maggie seemed to have luck on her side, with everything working in her favour
-similar feeling plot to other mysteries I've read lately
-I had fun guessing the perpetrator
-perfect cozy mystery for spring
All in all, this was a decent debut with a beautiful cover!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy to read and review.
-a light and airy read (for a murder-mystery!)
-main character Maggie seemed super naive for a good chunk of the book
-(and looking back, I wish she had more personality)
-character name "Violet Bloom" fit in perfectly within a gardening-based book
-oppositely, "Sam Whitacker" was a familiar sounding character name
-Maggie seemed to have luck on her side, with everything working in her favour
-similar feeling plot to other mysteries I've read lately
-I had fun guessing the perpetrator
-perfect cozy mystery for spring
All in all, this was a decent debut with a beautiful cover!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy to read and review.
October 31, 2024
*3-3.5 stars. Not a bad start to a new cozy mystery series. The gardening theme drew me in. It had the usual elements of an amateur sleuth trying to solve a local murder with the police seeming to suspect her! The story dragged a bit in the middle and the whodunit was fairly easy to figure out but it was still a fun read.
Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc odyssey this new cozy mystery. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc odyssey this new cozy mystery. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
June 30, 2024
Maggie is looking for a fresh start. She has moved and can't wait to do what she loves. When someone is murdered, she decides to investigate. I liked this book.
February 14, 2026
I got this as a Blind Date with a Book from my local library and I am so pleased with it! The main characters were fun and the mystery was interesting from the beginning. This was just a cozy small town mystery.
November 28, 2024
Good, clean, fun, cozy mystery. I only read to 65%, but this fits its genre spot on. Recommended to cozy mystery whodunnit crime novel fans.
April 9, 2025
I love gardening mysteries and there are so few anymore so I picked it up. It was too slow and wordy. I did like the setting, but I don’t feel the character was very well developed . The whole thing about people not having cell phones on them drove me crazy.
November 4, 2024
Good start to a new series. I liked that, despite the murder, the story continued to focus on gardening rather than losing the theme in the investigation as some often do. It took me awhile to warm to Maggie but she grew on me and I was intrigued by the myriad of tasks she had to keep up with, especially her various fights for her property from developers and family alike. There was quite a bit of repetition in the book but hopefully that will be smoothed out if this is a series.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for an honest review.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for an honest review.
May 26, 2024
Small town sleuthing. The garden theme is on point and makes for an appealing book for garden lovers. This isn’t a murder investigation with blood, gore, or scary anticipation, so no need to be scared of being in your local garden plot after reading! It is a very slow read that took me forever to get into. And I considered not finishing many times.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Releases on November 5, 2024.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Releases on November 5, 2024.
December 22, 2024
This one is for my small town, cozy mystery people. Not necessarily my preferred genre but an easy, lighthearted read nonetheless. I definitely recommend the audio for this one. The narrator did a very good job.
June 21, 2024
I really enjoyed this one as it had several twists and turns I didn't see coming! Maggie is Violet's assistant and they are excited to open the first community garden when a body turns up on opening day. It's a small town in Massachusetts so everyone knows everyone else and though not all get along, they manage to keep the peace for the most part. But of course a dead body is not an every-day occurrence, so tensions are running high and suddenly another resident is missing, Maggie sees herself as an amatuer sleuth so she begins her search for clues even as she's warned to leave things alone. And you never know what will turn up in a small town!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
January 17, 2025
Thank you to Minotaur Books for the digital copy to review.
Continuing on my recent inadvertent cozy mystery streak, this one was super enjoyable and just downright fun to read. Maggie has returned to the small Berkshires town she spent a lot of time in as a child for a fresh start, and is helping her friend Violet set up a community garden. Then they dig up a boot (attached to a body), and then Violet disappears. So, Maggie is not getting the exact fresh start she wanted, but she does have to try and figure out who the body is, where her friend is, along with what in the holy heck is going on around here. It was a lot of fun to read and try and figure out what was going on myself in addition to Maggie, who could not help herself as much as she was told to stay out of things, and fun fact, I did not figure it out. I highly recommend this one if you are a cozy mystery fan.
Continuing on my recent inadvertent cozy mystery streak, this one was super enjoyable and just downright fun to read. Maggie has returned to the small Berkshires town she spent a lot of time in as a child for a fresh start, and is helping her friend Violet set up a community garden. Then they dig up a boot (attached to a body), and then Violet disappears. So, Maggie is not getting the exact fresh start she wanted, but she does have to try and figure out who the body is, where her friend is, along with what in the holy heck is going on around here. It was a lot of fun to read and try and figure out what was going on myself in addition to Maggie, who could not help herself as much as she was told to stay out of things, and fun fact, I did not figure it out. I highly recommend this one if you are a cozy mystery fan.
December 8, 2024
⅘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Gardeners Plot
Author: Deborah J Benoit
Mystery
This was a fun and unique read! Thank you so much Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC! “A woman helps set up a community garden in the Berkshires, only to find a body in one of the plots on opening day”. This was the best one line summary of a book I have ever read. 😂. Maggie is a really interesting character. Honestly this book kind of reminded me of “The Maid” by Nita Prose. It was quirky and fast paced. It was definitely more of a cozy mystery, not a keep you on the edge of your seat, heart racing, palms sweating kind of read. You don’t read many books about gardening so this was fun! I would definitely read more by this author.
The Gardeners Plot
Author: Deborah J Benoit
Mystery
This was a fun and unique read! Thank you so much Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC! “A woman helps set up a community garden in the Berkshires, only to find a body in one of the plots on opening day”. This was the best one line summary of a book I have ever read. 😂. Maggie is a really interesting character. Honestly this book kind of reminded me of “The Maid” by Nita Prose. It was quirky and fast paced. It was definitely more of a cozy mystery, not a keep you on the edge of your seat, heart racing, palms sweating kind of read. You don’t read many books about gardening so this was fun! I would definitely read more by this author.
December 10, 2024
3.5 stars.
A dead body in a newly opened community garden and a missing friend (who is a generally super busy organizer of many things), and little information from police, propel main character and gardener Maggie Walker into taking matters into her own hands to figure out what is going on.
Maggie has returned to the small town of Marlowe in the Berkshires as she's looking to restart her life. A writer and gardener, she eagerly agrees to help Violet Bloom create a community garden in town, as she settles into her deceased grandmother's home.
All is not well, though. A local, pushy real estate agent keeps pestering her to sell, while Maggie's cousin Simon insists the house should be his, despite never having expressed any desire to purchase it when it was available. Also, Catherine Whitaker, wife of the Marlowe chief of police Sam, persists in saying pointed and unkind things about Maggie; this is longstanding behaviour, going back to when they were in school together.
Then, on the opening day of the garden, Violet is nowhere to be found and Maggie finds a dead body of the pushy real estate agent in a plot, leaving her shaken. Violet remains at large during the police investigation, with Maggie, and friend and neighbour Sally Kendall, doing their own sleuthing when Maggie feels frustrated by the lack of information released.
The two unearth jealousies, secrets, and motives, and eventually learn of various deals the dead man had on the go, and how his shenanigans affected people in town.
This was a pleasant story, with a likeable pair of amateur sleuths in Maggie and Sally. The small town atmosphere, full of personalities and gossip, was amusing and the story moved well, making this a fast and entertaining read.
Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
A dead body in a newly opened community garden and a missing friend (who is a generally super busy organizer of many things), and little information from police, propel main character and gardener Maggie Walker into taking matters into her own hands to figure out what is going on.
Maggie has returned to the small town of Marlowe in the Berkshires as she's looking to restart her life. A writer and gardener, she eagerly agrees to help Violet Bloom create a community garden in town, as she settles into her deceased grandmother's home.
All is not well, though. A local, pushy real estate agent keeps pestering her to sell, while Maggie's cousin Simon insists the house should be his, despite never having expressed any desire to purchase it when it was available. Also, Catherine Whitaker, wife of the Marlowe chief of police Sam, persists in saying pointed and unkind things about Maggie; this is longstanding behaviour, going back to when they were in school together.
Then, on the opening day of the garden, Violet is nowhere to be found and Maggie finds a dead body of the pushy real estate agent in a plot, leaving her shaken. Violet remains at large during the police investigation, with Maggie, and friend and neighbour Sally Kendall, doing their own sleuthing when Maggie feels frustrated by the lack of information released.
The two unearth jealousies, secrets, and motives, and eventually learn of various deals the dead man had on the go, and how his shenanigans affected people in town.
This was a pleasant story, with a likeable pair of amateur sleuths in Maggie and Sally. The small town atmosphere, full of personalities and gossip, was amusing and the story moved well, making this a fast and entertaining read.
Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
September 12, 2024
I received an advance galley through NetGalley.
Maggie has moved back to her small hometown, into her late grandmother's old house, soon after the death of her about-to-be ex. Gardening is her passion, and she's been looking forward to opening a new community garden with her friend Violet. However, when the garden opens up and boots--and a whole male body--are in a tilled bed and Violet is missing in action, Maggie sets out to find her friend her defiance of the authorities.
The small town setting and garden theme add fun to this cozy. I found the pace to be slow, though, and the cast didn't fully come to life. The murderer was someone I didn't expect, which is a nice surprise.
Maggie has moved back to her small hometown, into her late grandmother's old house, soon after the death of her about-to-be ex. Gardening is her passion, and she's been looking forward to opening a new community garden with her friend Violet. However, when the garden opens up and boots--and a whole male body--are in a tilled bed and Violet is missing in action, Maggie sets out to find her friend her defiance of the authorities.
The small town setting and garden theme add fun to this cozy. I found the pace to be slow, though, and the cast didn't fully come to life. The murderer was someone I didn't expect, which is a nice surprise.
October 10, 2024
This is the start of a new series by a new to me author. I was intrigued because the MC is an avid gardener and lives in the Berkshires. Since I love gardens and plants and live in New England, I decided to give it a go, and I am glad that I did! Maggie has just settled into her late grandmother's house in a lovely neighborhood in western Massachusetts. Her cousin is being a jerk about trying to get more from the estate but the recently widowed Maggie bought it far and square and is enjoying updating the home and rediscovering the gardens that had gotten away from her grandmother her later years. Having spent time there as a child and visiting her grandmother, she has some friends and aquientences in town and has gotten involved as second in command of a new community garden project. When the person in charge leaves a note on her door on opening day telling her she's going to be late but to start without her Maggie moves forward, unlocks the gate, gives out plot assignments and is startled to find a shoe in one of the freshly tilled plots. When Maggie pulls on the shoe, she finds a foot attached and realizes opening day is not going to go as planned. With a dead body in the garden and Violet still missing, there are lots of questions to be answered. This was a good mystery, Maggie and her friend Sally asked a few questions, but I didn't find their behavior out of the ordinary or over the top. They go to small town events, talk to neighbors, and ask a few questions. I find things unfolded in a way that made sense. I will look for more from this author. Thanks to #Netgally, #Minotaur, and the author for a chance to read. #TheGardenersPlot #DeborahJBenoit #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader
June 2, 2024
This definitely had the bones of a good cozy mystery, but fell short. I felt very disconnected from the narrator and I had to skip through the repetition. The idea was good enough that I finished the book to see what happened but the whole thing was very bland and wishing there was more time with expanding on characters and their relationships rather than rehashing the same plot points 1000 times.
I received this from net galley in exchange for a review.
I received this from net galley in exchange for a review.
November 23, 2024
After the death of her almost ex-husband, Maggie Walker decided to move back to her hometown and start fresh. Maggie had always loved gardening and was excited to work with Victoria Bloom on the new community garden. On opening day, Maggie stumbles upon a body in one of the garden plots and Victoria is nowhere to be found. The police seem to be more interested in naming Victoria as a suspect, than finding out why she is missing. Maggie is determined to find her friend and clear her name as a suspect.
There was a lot going on in this cozy mystery. Maggie is trying to find her best friend, while also trying to figure who is prank calling her in the middle of the night. Are the two occurrences connected? She is also trying to navigate the small-town gossip mill and avoid her nemesis, Katherine. I enjoyed the investigation and although some of the story seemed to drag on, there was enough twists throughout the story to keep me interested. The killer took me by surprise but was happy how the story ended. Although I believe this book is a stand-alone, the ending did leave it open to the possibility of another book. I would be happy to read more about Maggie and her friends.
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review The Gardner's Plot. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
There was a lot going on in this cozy mystery. Maggie is trying to find her best friend, while also trying to figure who is prank calling her in the middle of the night. Are the two occurrences connected? She is also trying to navigate the small-town gossip mill and avoid her nemesis, Katherine. I enjoyed the investigation and although some of the story seemed to drag on, there was enough twists throughout the story to keep me interested. The killer took me by surprise but was happy how the story ended. Although I believe this book is a stand-alone, the ending did leave it open to the possibility of another book. I would be happy to read more about Maggie and her friends.
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review The Gardner's Plot. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 23, 2024
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery, and I hope it is the beginning of a new series. The main character, Maggie, has inherited her grandmother's house and has rekindled childhood friendships-and animosity-when she moves in. She helps her friend, Violet, start a community garden. On opening day, Violet doesn't show up, and one gardener finds an old boot in one of the plots - that happens to be connected to a foot. The appearance of this dead body makes Maggie very worried about Violet, and Maggie can't help but engage in some amateur sleuthing to try to find her. In the process, Maggie encounters danger of her own. The pacing of the book was excellent, and the characters were just what every cozy mystery needs - an obnoxious relative, a greedy no-good troublemaker, charming shop owners, a snobby queen bee, an old flame, and some great friends. I listened to the audio, which was well done. The cover art is very eye-catching! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for an e-arc of this book. I'd definitely recommend it!
October 28, 2024
Huge thanks to netGalley and Dreamscape Media for giving me access to this ALC! I love cosy mysteries I was so happy to receive this one!
The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit (with its gorgeous cover) will be release on November 5th.
It's about Maggie Walker who returns to Marlowe for a fresh start, eager to help her friend Violet Bloom set up a community garden. On opening day, Violet is missing, and Maggie uncovers a body buried in one of the garden plots. The police launch a murder investigation and focus on Violet as a suspect. Convinced of her friend’s innocence, Maggie sets out to uncover the truth. Determined, she digs deeper, hoping to clear Violet’s name and reveal the real killer.
I loved the audiobook narrator, it was the perfect soft/quirky voice for Maggie! Amazing job! Bravo!
I recommend this book for any lover of amateur sleuth/cozy mysteries and ... gardening?! Love it!
The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit (with its gorgeous cover) will be release on November 5th.
It's about Maggie Walker who returns to Marlowe for a fresh start, eager to help her friend Violet Bloom set up a community garden. On opening day, Violet is missing, and Maggie uncovers a body buried in one of the garden plots. The police launch a murder investigation and focus on Violet as a suspect. Convinced of her friend’s innocence, Maggie sets out to uncover the truth. Determined, she digs deeper, hoping to clear Violet’s name and reveal the real killer.
I loved the audiobook narrator, it was the perfect soft/quirky voice for Maggie! Amazing job! Bravo!
I recommend this book for any lover of amateur sleuth/cozy mysteries and ... gardening?! Love it!
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