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Garden Girls #1
Who Murdered Mr. Malone?
Librarian Note: This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN B00QSGIHJ6.
Nothing exciting ever happens in the small town of Belhaven, Michigan. Nothing that is, until a body was found in the woods behind the local elementary school.
With the entire town in an uproar, "Garden Girl" Gloria Rutherford makes it her personal mission to find the killer or killers and solve the mystery with some help from her friends.
With a little amateur detective work, Gloria is able to uncover enough clues that point right to the murderer.
She's about to discover, however, things aren't always as clear cut as they would appear.
Nothing exciting ever happens in the small town of Belhaven, Michigan. Nothing that is, until a body was found in the woods behind the local elementary school.
With the entire town in an uproar, "Garden Girl" Gloria Rutherford makes it her personal mission to find the killer or killers and solve the mystery with some help from her friends.
With a little amateur detective work, Gloria is able to uncover enough clues that point right to the murderer.
She's about to discover, however, things aren't always as clear cut as they would appear.
219 pages, ebook
First published December 8, 2014
1506 people are currently reading
1128 people want to read
About the author
Hope Callaghan
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★ AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR ★
★ 2017 Mom's Choice Award ★
Hope Callaghan is an American author who loves to write clean fiction books, especially Christian Mystery and Cozy Mystery books.
She has written more than 70 mystery books (and counting) in six series.
Born and raised in a small town in West Michigan, she now lives in Florida with her husband. She is the proud mother of 3 wonderful children.
When she's not doing the thing she loves best - writing books - she enjoys cooking, traveling and reading books.
Get New Releases, Giveaways, and FREE & Discounted Books at: https://hopecallaghan.com/newsletter
OR Text the word BOOKS to 33222
★ AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR ★
★ 2017 Mom's Choice Award ★
Hope Callaghan is an American author who loves to write clean fiction books, especially Christian Mystery and Cozy Mystery books.
She has written more than 70 mystery books (and counting) in six series.
Born and raised in a small town in West Michigan, she now lives in Florida with her husband. She is the proud mother of 3 wonderful children.
When she's not doing the thing she loves best - writing books - she enjoys cooking, traveling and reading books.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 195 reviews
November 12, 2023
Gloria Rutherford and her friends set to finding the killer of Mr Malone after Gloria had discovered a piece of evidence the police missed. Investigating the piece took her to places she hadn't been before but with her friends by her side, she had courage. But the local cops weren't keen on her doing the investigating, saying she was putting herself in danger.
When an arrest was made, Gloria wasn't sure they had the right person. So she continued searching. She and her Garden Girls knew everyone in town - Belhaven in Michigan was small enough for that. So was it a local? Or was it a stranger who murdered Mr Malone?
Who Murdered Mr. Malone? is the first in the Garden Girls series, and my first read of Hope Callaghan. I needed a book with a question in the title, so this one fit the bill. It was pretty silly, fairly lightly entertaining, with the kind hearted, elderly characters up for a bit of fun.
When an arrest was made, Gloria wasn't sure they had the right person. So she continued searching. She and her Garden Girls knew everyone in town - Belhaven in Michigan was small enough for that. So was it a local? Or was it a stranger who murdered Mr Malone?
Who Murdered Mr. Malone? is the first in the Garden Girls series, and my first read of Hope Callaghan. I needed a book with a question in the title, so this one fit the bill. It was pretty silly, fairly lightly entertaining, with the kind hearted, elderly characters up for a bit of fun.
February 8, 2016
It is such fun to meet Gloria and her friends. The book starts out with Gloria finding herself looking for clues at the scene of the local abandoned school. She and her friends keep turning up clues even after the crime scene had left. Jill, Gloria's daughter is keeping tabs on her mother and Gloria wants no part of Jill's plans for her.
This is a fun read with lively and intelligent characters.
This is a fun read with lively and intelligent characters.
June 21, 2020
This basic Christian cozy mystery was better than OK so I've rounded it up to 3 stars. But it is very basic cozy mystery. A group of women form a club to do good deeds for needy neighbours. One of the group gets involved in a local murder by finding and then keeping a clue instead of giving it to the police and trying to figure things out herself.
July 6, 2022
For a cozy mystery, this book was cute and easy to read. Gloria and her Garden Girls club are fun characters. I love that half of the small town is past retirement age, just like Gloria, the amateur sleuth. I found a couple of editing errors, but otherwise enjoyed the story.
July 26, 2018
Really 2.5 stars. This book had a lot of potential, but it kind of fell flat towards the end. When I first started it, it reminded me of the Culinary Mystery series by Jody Kilpack. It was cute and there were a couple of things that made me laugh out loud. However, the crime was resolved much earlier in the story than I was expecting. (I think there were two chapters left after the big reveal.) Because it "ended" so early, I kept expecting that it was wrong and there would be more plot as I kept reading. While it didn't end on a cliffhanger, (which I appreciate), there were things left unresolved, that I'm sure will show up in the next book, but I just didn't quite like it. There was also a short chapter from the killer's perspective that to me seemed to foreshadow something, but I didn't ever really figure out what that was. I rounded up to 3 stars because I liked the book enough to read the next book in the series.
October 6, 2015
Who Murdered Mr. Malone? (The Garden Girls #1) by Hope Callaghan
Gloria Rutherford just started her "Garden Girls" club. Soon A body is found behind the Elementary School in Belhaven Michigan. Gloria decides she is going to try to find out who the killer is. With the help of her Garden Club friends they are going to find answers, and hope to reveal a murderer.
Gloria and her friends are delightful (older) ladies. They seem like a fun bunch of ladies to hang with. The plot moves swift, the story has some laugh out loud moments, drama, and mystery. Overall I feel those who like a good cozy mystery will enjoy Who Murdered Mr. Malone?.
Gloria Rutherford just started her "Garden Girls" club. Soon A body is found behind the Elementary School in Belhaven Michigan. Gloria decides she is going to try to find out who the killer is. With the help of her Garden Club friends they are going to find answers, and hope to reveal a murderer.
Gloria and her friends are delightful (older) ladies. They seem like a fun bunch of ladies to hang with. The plot moves swift, the story has some laugh out loud moments, drama, and mystery. Overall I feel those who like a good cozy mystery will enjoy Who Murdered Mr. Malone?.
July 24, 2015
A good Saturday read. Just put your feet up and enjoy!
Gloria is a widow,and her friends think she is depressed, but really she is just bored. When she spots the police at a crime scene her curiosity gets to her. Gloria waits until the next day though to act, but when she reads in the paper of a murder she tells her friends what she saw and then goes looking on her on. A piece of evidence she finds becomes the factor that leads her to become involved in the investigation and puts her in danger. Her faith gives her strength throughout her ordeal. A good Christian mystery that was fun and hard to put down. Enjoy!
Gloria is a widow,and her friends think she is depressed, but really she is just bored. When she spots the police at a crime scene her curiosity gets to her. Gloria waits until the next day though to act, but when she reads in the paper of a murder she tells her friends what she saw and then goes looking on her on. A piece of evidence she finds becomes the factor that leads her to become involved in the investigation and puts her in danger. Her faith gives her strength throughout her ordeal. A good Christian mystery that was fun and hard to put down. Enjoy!
December 19, 2015
Gloria has become a little bored, living alone in her old farmhouse after the death of her husband. When an unexpected murder happens in her little town, she gets her friends together to try and solve the murder. This is a Christian cozy mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. Will definitely reading more by this author.
January 7, 2021
I loved the premise of this series and really wanted to like it...
I couldn't finish it. The constant head-hopping drove me to distraction, but when I got to chapter 7 and read, "The killer grabbed the morning newspaper from the end of the driveway..." I was done.
Sorry.
I couldn't finish it. The constant head-hopping drove me to distraction, but when I got to chapter 7 and read, "The killer grabbed the morning newspaper from the end of the driveway..." I was done.
Sorry.
May 30, 2017
A quick, fun story
This series is great to read. Gloria is a great character and I'm enjoying meeting all her friends in the Garden Girls Club.
This series is great to read. Gloria is a great character and I'm enjoying meeting all her friends in the Garden Girls Club.
January 23, 2018
Cute, clean, cozy mystery.
May 5, 2020
This was not a great mystery book by any means. It was a Christian book, and as such there was no real violence. It is also continued into the second book. Very simply, a group of five women in a very small town form a group called the Garden Girls. They basically do good deeds and visit shut-ins from their church. When someone is found murdered behind the school, there is more excitement than there has been in years. They take it upon themselves to solve the mystery.
August 11, 2019
Loved the book ! I like books with older citizens in them , funny ,a nice cozy mystery.
November 22, 2020
Enjoyed the girls.
I enjoyed reading about Gloria and all her friends. Also, how she scooped out the murder. I look forward to reading more.
I enjoyed reading about Gloria and all her friends. Also, how she scooped out the murder. I look forward to reading more.
August 8, 2016
This was the first of my 2016 August Serial books to read. I have read many of Hope Callaghan books over the past few weeks and I cannot seem to get enough of them. She is a wonderful author and does a great job with cozy mysteries!
They are all Christian based and all the characters attend Church which is something I enjoy reading.
In this series, we meet Gloria Rutherford who lives in Belhaven, Michigan, a small town where everyone knows everyone and knows what everyone is doing and they know what is going on at all times. So when a dead body is found in the woods behind the old elementary school, everyone knows about it before it is mentioned in the paper or on the TV news.
Gloria just happens to be driving by the school as the police are trying to move the body from the woods, so she tells her friends what she knows.
Gloria and her 4 friends decide that it is time to form an exclusive club to share their fruits and veggies from their gardens to shut ins so they decide to be called the Garden Girls. They deliver their goods to shut-ins on Sundays after Church.
Gloria also decides that she wants to investigate who the dead person was in the woods and who killed him. So, she and her best friend Lucy decide to visit the crime scene.
Of course, they get too involved and the police have to warn them to stay away, but that does not keep them from spying. Gloria meets Paul Kennedy a police officer who she finds very interesting.
The book is well written and keeps you interested until the end and kept me interested enough to get into the next in the series. I have the first three in the series and hope to read all of the books.
I have fallen in love with Hope Callaghan and all of her characters! I can't wait to get back to them!
They are all Christian based and all the characters attend Church which is something I enjoy reading.
In this series, we meet Gloria Rutherford who lives in Belhaven, Michigan, a small town where everyone knows everyone and knows what everyone is doing and they know what is going on at all times. So when a dead body is found in the woods behind the old elementary school, everyone knows about it before it is mentioned in the paper or on the TV news.
Gloria just happens to be driving by the school as the police are trying to move the body from the woods, so she tells her friends what she knows.
Gloria and her 4 friends decide that it is time to form an exclusive club to share their fruits and veggies from their gardens to shut ins so they decide to be called the Garden Girls. They deliver their goods to shut-ins on Sundays after Church.
Gloria also decides that she wants to investigate who the dead person was in the woods and who killed him. So, she and her best friend Lucy decide to visit the crime scene.
Of course, they get too involved and the police have to warn them to stay away, but that does not keep them from spying. Gloria meets Paul Kennedy a police officer who she finds very interesting.
The book is well written and keeps you interested until the end and kept me interested enough to get into the next in the series. I have the first three in the series and hope to read all of the books.
I have fallen in love with Hope Callaghan and all of her characters! I can't wait to get back to them!
April 24, 2022
I read this book for a book challenge - I needed a book that was indie published and had something to do with gardening.
Positives: quick read, cozy mystery story line, clean read
Negatives: undeveloped characters and story line. Way too fast moving -plot needs major development and fleshing out. Short, choppy paragraphs - often only 1-2 sentences. Author tells you what's happening vs describing what's happening - something an editor could've really helped with.
This novel reads like a first draft outline of what could be a good book, but really needs a lot of fleshing out and a good editor.
Positives: quick read, cozy mystery story line, clean read
Negatives: undeveloped characters and story line. Way too fast moving -plot needs major development and fleshing out. Short, choppy paragraphs - often only 1-2 sentences. Author tells you what's happening vs describing what's happening - something an editor could've really helped with.
This novel reads like a first draft outline of what could be a good book, but really needs a lot of fleshing out and a good editor.
October 10, 2015
It was an okayish story, but far too simplified. She just happens to find 2 essential pieces of evidence the cops missed at the crime scene on 2 different occasions?? They'd have gone back and searched again after she turned in the first one!! Unfortunately is has PoV issues as well. The pov shifts back and forth between various characters all the time and it's very annoying. Add to that a bad guy pov scene claiming a loose end and sounding very calculating. But the real murderer was sloppy, leaving such major and identifiable evidence at the scene. Obviously he did nothing about any loose ends! So it ends up on 2 stars. But I would give the author another chance if I stumbled over a later one.
February 5, 2021
I really enjoyed getting to know Gloria and her friends in the Garden Girls group. I like their ministry idea for it, but I also love how they wanted to solve a mystery together. Gloria seems like such a nice lady, who wouldn't want to be friends with her and what better way to get answers from someone than by simply being nice to them. I could tell that she and a certain officer might start caring for each other. Lucy cracked me up with all the different things she liked trying. At least she could say she tried something, even if she ended up not liking it.
I liked how the showdown went, since it was in a protected place with no harm coming to our sweet main character. I plan to enjoy the rest of this series as well as the author's other series. I like her style. :)
I liked how the showdown went, since it was in a protected place with no harm coming to our sweet main character. I plan to enjoy the rest of this series as well as the author's other series. I like her style. :)
May 6, 2019
This is a good basic cozy mystery series. The cozy features a group of senior ladies with varied personalities: a busybody, a nervous Nellie, a busy with her boyfriend, and a sharp, mystery minded one to round out the group. They have formed a group called the Garden Girls, and their main activity is to visit shut-ins on Sunday and take them fresh fruit, vegetables etc.
The plot is a little too perfect with clues landing in Gloria's lap at exactly the right time. Also she develops a friendship with the leading homicide detective who is glad to take her clues and follow them up. A quick, easy read for a couple of hours.
The plot is a little too perfect with clues landing in Gloria's lap at exactly the right time. Also she develops a friendship with the leading homicide detective who is glad to take her clues and follow them up. A quick, easy read for a couple of hours.
May 19, 2015
Older women rock !!!
I loved this story about Gloria and her friends , who worked to solve a mystery with the Lord's guidance.
Gloria and her friends are seniors that have a social club and visit shut ins.
The story was full of suspense, funny at times and gives good examples of how you can have fun after retirement.
I hope to read more books by this author.
I loved this story about Gloria and her friends , who worked to solve a mystery with the Lord's guidance.
Gloria and her friends are seniors that have a social club and visit shut ins.
The story was full of suspense, funny at times and gives good examples of how you can have fun after retirement.
I hope to read more books by this author.
December 30, 2016
I received a copy of, Who killed Mr. Malone , for free for a honest review. I found this book a easy read. It was refreshing to find a book that did not have bad language but also showed the author's heart for the Lord. Bless you. I can honestly recommend this book to all ages to read.
February 24, 2017
Oh so disappointed! The end came with no resolution to who put the threatening note in the door. Also, who was living in the barn. I know there is a "book 2" but the loose ends should have been tied up in the first book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2015
Just ehhh
This book wasn't fantastic. The plot idea was a great one and I think with a little more polishing it could be a great book it's just not there yet.
This book wasn't fantastic. The plot idea was a great one and I think with a little more polishing it could be a great book it's just not there yet.
January 28, 2016
Fun read. I sure like Gloria and the other ladies in this book. They are nosy and witty.
July 17, 2020
Wonderful reading
I so enjoyed this book as I love clean mysteries and a Christian perspective. This is my first book by this author but I plan to read many more!
I so enjoyed this book as I love clean mysteries and a Christian perspective. This is my first book by this author but I plan to read many more!
April 25, 2023
Small-town Christian cozy mystery. And a cat named Puddles.
I also enjoyed Starboard Secrets by this author.
I legit just finished this so my thoughts are fresh.
Likes:
~Cute springy cover. Check!
~Small town setting and elderly lady sleuth. Double check!!
~Unexpected POV switch to the antagonist in the early investigation stage. Triple check!!! I really wish there'd been more of this.
~Mysterious subplot ending that was left open for the rest of the series. Quadruple check!!!
~The friendship between Gloria and Andrea. Quintuple check!!!!!
Dislikes:
~The Garden Girl club itself. The idea was nice, but it didn't offer much to the story. Honestly, the book could have held its own with just a small group of friends and the murder mystery.
~I didn't like Gloria at first. She was too crabby and bitter for me. Thankfully, she mellowed out some.
~Jill was a bit of a nag. I get she wants the best for her mom, but just chill out.
~The pacing was fast (a good thing) but this also made the timeline a bit jumpy.
~Unanswered question...
Overall:
~3.5 stars.
~The mystery was alright but what I really liked was the last few chapters with Andrea and Gloria. In a way, this saved the book for me. It was the perfect amount closure and I hope this isn't the last we've seen of Andrea. And of course, I can't end this properly without at least mentioning the real hero of the story. Puddles the cat. What can I say? I love cats.
I also enjoyed Starboard Secrets by this author.
I legit just finished this so my thoughts are fresh.
Likes:
~Cute springy cover. Check!
~Small town setting and elderly lady sleuth. Double check!!
~Unexpected POV switch to the antagonist in the early investigation stage. Triple check!!! I really wish there'd been more of this.
~Mysterious subplot ending that was left open for the rest of the series. Quadruple check!!!
~The friendship between Gloria and Andrea. Quintuple check!!!!!
Dislikes:
~The Garden Girl club itself. The idea was nice, but it didn't offer much to the story. Honestly, the book could have held its own with just a small group of friends and the murder mystery.
~I didn't like Gloria at first. She was too crabby and bitter for me. Thankfully, she mellowed out some.
~Jill was a bit of a nag. I get she wants the best for her mom, but just chill out.
~The pacing was fast (a good thing) but this also made the timeline a bit jumpy.
~Unanswered question...
Overall:
~3.5 stars.
~The mystery was alright but what I really liked was the last few chapters with Andrea and Gloria. In a way, this saved the book for me. It was the perfect amount closure and I hope this isn't the last we've seen of Andrea. And of course, I can't end this properly without at least mentioning the real hero of the story. Puddles the cat. What can I say? I love cats.
May 15, 2023
Five ladies Gloria Rutherford (widow and ring leader), Lucy Carlson (Gloria's best friend), Dorothy Jenkins ( owns and runs Dot's Restaurant with her husband Ray, Margaret Hansen (the critical one of the group) and Ruth Carpenter (town postmaster) form the garden club to deliver produce and flowers from their own gardens to shut ins.
There was a body (later identified as Daniel Malone) found near an old school and the women stop just to look around the site after the body had been removed. Gloria finds an antique charm on the ground and she only tells her best friend, Lucy. Gloria watches way too much crime TV and she decides to investigate. She and Lucy attend the funeral of the deceased to try to see if she can figure out who murdered the victim. The women also go to 3 different antique stores to see if the owners recognize the charm. One does recognize it and describes the couple that came into the store. Gloria goes to the local police and meets Officer Kennedy and tells him about the charm.
Will stop here so as not to give away any more details. For the most part, I did like this book as it featured older women. The very last of this book sets up for the next in the series. I would like to give this book 3.5 stars but I did round up. It is a clean cozy read which I appreciate. It just didn't grip me.
There was a body (later identified as Daniel Malone) found near an old school and the women stop just to look around the site after the body had been removed. Gloria finds an antique charm on the ground and she only tells her best friend, Lucy. Gloria watches way too much crime TV and she decides to investigate. She and Lucy attend the funeral of the deceased to try to see if she can figure out who murdered the victim. The women also go to 3 different antique stores to see if the owners recognize the charm. One does recognize it and describes the couple that came into the store. Gloria goes to the local police and meets Officer Kennedy and tells him about the charm.
Will stop here so as not to give away any more details. For the most part, I did like this book as it featured older women. The very last of this book sets up for the next in the series. I would like to give this book 3.5 stars but I did round up. It is a clean cozy read which I appreciate. It just didn't grip me.
June 2, 2022
Okay, I'm sorry, I wanted to like the book as it sounded intriguing, but it just wasn't realistic at all. You would think a 60 some year old woman would know that you don't withhold evidence in an investigation to go off and try to solve it yourself. The fact that not one, but two pieces of evidence were missed by the professionals was also unbelievable. And then to completely ignore the cops and go looking for more evidence. I was getting so frustrated with this Gloria.
There was a teensy tiny bit of suspense, which I would say is normal for a cozy mystery, which of course in not normally what I read.
The discovery of the culprit was an intriguing part of the story. And I liked learning about these ladies relationships. But they weren't really developed well.
And another thing that drove me nuts while I was reading was that each sentence or two was its own paragraph which was separated from the previous paragraph with a double spaced line. It made for choppy reading. And if the character was talking and the dialogue went to the next "paragraph" section, the author started in with a new set of quotes. So it was hard to tell who was talking. Besides the fact that it would switch from one person's point of view, back to anothers. Unfortunately not a fan
There was a teensy tiny bit of suspense, which I would say is normal for a cozy mystery, which of course in not normally what I read.
The discovery of the culprit was an intriguing part of the story. And I liked learning about these ladies relationships. But they weren't really developed well.
And another thing that drove me nuts while I was reading was that each sentence or two was its own paragraph which was separated from the previous paragraph with a double spaced line. It made for choppy reading. And if the character was talking and the dialogue went to the next "paragraph" section, the author started in with a new set of quotes. So it was hard to tell who was talking. Besides the fact that it would switch from one person's point of view, back to anothers. Unfortunately not a fan
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2018
This is a good Christian cozy mystery, first book in a new series. As a first book, it took a couple chapters to introduce the characters and the story. Gloria is 60 - ish and bored. A man dies in their small hometown. Gloria and her friends, The Garden Girls, poke around and inadvertently find some clues. I like that she has common sense regarding the police & the investigation. I am looking forward to more Garden Girls books. I actually read many of the Cruise Ship mysteries by Hope Callaghan and in book #6 the Garden Girls take a cruise and meet the characters in the Cruise Ship series. What a fun idea! I love the Cruise Ship series and am looking forward to more of the Garden Girls series.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 195 reviews