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Nina Quinn #1
A Hoe Lot of Trouble
Meet Nina Quinn, garden landscaper extraordinaire and very amateur sleuth, in this charming cosy series that is perfect for fans of Carolyn Hart.
Nina Quinn has had enough of her cheating cop husband. His affair with his partner has driven her close to the edge--and him out of their home. Nina, the owner of Taken By Surprise, a landscaping business that specializes in surprise garden makeovers, already has too much on her plate--her delinquent stepson has let his pet snake loose in the house, and her nosy mother won't stop pestering her to get her bridesmaid's dress fitted for her sister's upcoming nuptials. But it's the strange disappearance of gardening tools--including a very expensive set of hoes--that really throws a wrench in things. And when she gets a call that her oldest friend's father-in-law, a beloved old man who introduced her to landscaping, has been murdered, Nina knows that it's time to start digging for clues to the frustrating, mysterious, and downright evil things that have disturbed her peaceful Ohio hometown.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 2004
179 people are currently reading
2718 people want to read
About the author
Heather Webber
36 books4,310 followersUSA Today bestselling author Heather Webber loves to read, drink too much coffee and tea, birdwatch, crochet, and bake. She currently lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, and is hard at work on her next book. *Heather also writes under the pen name Heather Blake.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
January 15, 2012
I started this book thinking it was part of a series I'd read years ago, but this is a brand new series to me. After I figured that out, I enjoyed the book. Nina is a great character and she has an interesting cast of friends and family. The mystery was a good one, with an ending I didn't figure out right away - and I enjoyed the mini-twist at the end. I'll have to search out the rest of the books in this series.
April 11, 2017
A good story featuring a professionally successful main character who is experiencing upheaval in her personal life. A very decent mystery with a hair-raising chase scene. A fun best friend/cousin.
MC is definitely an amateur sleuth who tends to jump to conclusions. Though, to give her some leeway, this is her first 'case'. Hopefully she will improve in future books. I also hope that her personal problems become less prominent. The story did suffer from errors such as incorrect word usage and repetition, which pulled me out of the story a couple of times. I already own the second and looking forward to continuing the adventure.
MC is definitely an amateur sleuth who tends to jump to conclusions. Though, to give her some leeway, this is her first 'case'. Hopefully she will improve in future books. I also hope that her personal problems become less prominent. The story did suffer from errors such as incorrect word usage and repetition, which pulled me out of the story a couple of times. I already own the second and looking forward to continuing the adventure.
May 20, 2022
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this first entry to the series. It was fun reading a book set in my backyard. I liked Nina and look forward to seeing what happens to her. The mystery definitely had me fooled.
November 6, 2017
When I first picked this book up I wasn't sure I was going to like it because the main character was married with a child. That is my problem not the writer. But I really enjoyed this book. Nina is going through a divorce from a cheating husband who is a cop, her landscaping business is busier than ever and her stepson Riley wants to live with her which she is okay. Then a friend ask her to check on the murder of her father-in-law. Turns out a couple of devlopers want the farm land that is owned by her in-laws and they are willing to do anything to get it including murder. The book has everything, a great story, crazy characters especially neighbors and a surprise ending. Very well thought out mystery that keeos you on your toes. Everytime you thought you had it figured out you find out you were wrong. I will definitely read the next book. A great new series for me.
January 19, 2020
My first thought was "How interesting could a book about a landscaper be?" Silly me, since I love gardening! Nina Quinn has a lot going on in her life, but still finds time to help out her old friend with trying to figure out what happened to her father-in-law. Nina does her best and I liked the fact that she wasn't calm through the entire thing. She had emotions - she laughed, cried, screamed, pretty much said "WTF?!" I liked her cousin Ana, a lot, and Tam, her employee was a hoot. Even Riley, the teenage stepson, was likable. I may have to head to the library for the next book in the series!
Want to read
March 12, 2020 Review Coming Soon
September 21, 2022
I really enjoyed this new to me author and this new series. Nina catches her husband cheating and throws him out. When an old friend calls and asks if she can do lunch Nina accepts but is shocked that the man who gave her love of gardening was murdered. She offers for some unknown reason to help look into it when her friend says the police are corrupt and can't help.
I really liked the story line and all the twists and turns. I hadn't guessed the murderer until it was revealed. The reason for Nina getting involved in the case is weak and it appears it is more to rub it in the nose of her cheating husband who is a cop than to actually help her friend.
I like Nina as a MC and I love her cousin Ana who is a willing side kick. I also like the fact that Nina doesn't have the perfect step- mother relationship that seems to happen in a lot of cozies. Riley her step son seems the typical teen but he does seem to have a good heart under his surly behavior. I like the fact that each character seems to have good and bad traits. No one is just one or the other even Nina's cheating husband has a good side.
A really good read and a series I am looking forward to reading more about. I am hoping that there will be a really nice good guy for Nina in the future.
I really liked the story line and all the twists and turns. I hadn't guessed the murderer until it was revealed. The reason for Nina getting involved in the case is weak and it appears it is more to rub it in the nose of her cheating husband who is a cop than to actually help her friend.
I like Nina as a MC and I love her cousin Ana who is a willing side kick. I also like the fact that Nina doesn't have the perfect step- mother relationship that seems to happen in a lot of cozies. Riley her step son seems the typical teen but he does seem to have a good heart under his surly behavior. I like the fact that each character seems to have good and bad traits. No one is just one or the other even Nina's cheating husband has a good side.
A really good read and a series I am looking forward to reading more about. I am hoping that there will be a really nice good guy for Nina in the future.
December 30, 2014
‘A Hoe Lot of Trouble’ is the first book in the ‘Nina Quinn’ cozy mystery series by Heather Webber.
The books opens with 29-year-old Nina Quinn stuffing photos of her cheating cop husband down the garbage disposal. Nina and Kevin have been married for eight years, he an older widower came into the marriage with then seven-year-old son, Riley – but after an incident with lipstick on his boxers, Kevin came clean to cheating on Nina with his new partner. Now Nina is living with Riley while Kevin shacks up with his new squeeze … at the same time Riley’s pet snake is MIA, and gardening tools from Nina’s thriving ‘Taken By Surprise’ landscaping business are missing. To top it all off, one of Nina’s close childhood friends has just been devastated by the sudden death of her father-in-law, and reaches out to Nina to offer her (and Kevin’s) guidance when the family suspects foul play.
I love me a good cozy-mystery. It’s a sub-genre I fell I love with after ploughing through Charlaine Harris’s ‘Aurora Teagarden’ and ‘Lily Bard’ backlist, but I haven’t really had much luck in finding a cozy series I love as much as either of those since. If you don’t know what a ‘cozy’ is, check out cozy-mystery.com for some guidance – but in a nutshell there’s usually a punny title, small town mystery, unlikely armchair sleuth and I personally have a preference for some romance to balance-out the murder rate. Webber’s ‘Nina Quinn’ ticks all these boxes, but still didn’t manage to sucker me in as wholeheartedly as Charlaine Harris did in her cozy hey-day.
Nina’s tentative connection to the investigation in her friend’s father-in-law’s death is that she has the ‘inside-scoop’ with her husband as the local cop. Little does Nina’s friend know that Nina and Kevin are splitsville, but Nina is still intrigued enough by the oddities in the man’s death to stick her nose in. This isn’t unusual for a cozy, when an average Joe thinks they can bring something to an unsolved case that the police can’t – it’s kinda the whole suspend disbelief catalyst behind every cozy. But normally the person’s average Joe job compliments their sleuthing in some way – Aurora Teagarden was a librarian, and all walks of life came through her stacks. Lily Bard was a cleaner, and literally had access to the skeletons in people’s closets. Nina’s being a landscape gardener really has no impact on the case (a side-story about Nina’s tools going missing ends up nowhere near the actual murder) and for that reason the entire series feels like it’s starting out on uneven ground … especially because Nina’s having a cop-husband is definitely not going to last, if the events in this book are anything to go by.
On the topic of Nina and Kevin – I really wasn’t put off by a cheating spouse storyline. Truth be told, I more often than not enjoy a good infidelity storyline – it aligns me with the wronged partner protagonist straight away, and there’s just something bruise-pokingly good about reading infidelities.
He cleared his throat. What was left of his dark hair blew in the breeze. Finally he looked at me, his green eyes troubles. “I’m sorry about Kevin, Nina.”
Ahh. News travelled fast in the Ceceri household. My mother must have gotten to him while I talked to Riley.
“It’s okay, Dad.”
“I know what your mother thought of him, but I always thought him honourable.”
“I think he still is, in some ways.” Man, that was hard to say.
“Not in the ways that count.”
I bit my lip. “I suppose you’re right.”
Furthermore, one of my all-time favourite crime thriller series started out with the protagonists being divorced after his cheating (Karin Slaughter’s ‘Grant County’). But the Kevin/Nina story in ‘A Hoe Lot of Trouble’ feels frustratingly underdeveloped – I think it’s a real cop out that Kevin has moved out of home when the story starts, so is out-of-sight-out-of-mind for most of the book. A very tentative alternate romance is hinted at with Riley’s vice-principal, but it’s so far off in the distance I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t even a major plot in book #2.
The lack of Kevin and the development of their fractured marriage was indicative of another issue I had with this first book – all the secondary characters! There were so many, I lost track of who was actually involved in Nina’s amateur sleuthing, who worked for her in landscaping, who was on the police force, and who was associated with Riley’s school – Nina’s inner-circle was so underdeveloped that she felt lonely in this book. Even her step-son is underdeveloped, even as he’s living under her roof; and while she speaks of affection for him, his sullen typical teenager cliché character left me feeling doubly-wounded on Nina’s behalf, that her ex has lumped her with his ungrateful son.
But there were bright spots in this book. Nina is a genuinely likeable character, trudging on and committing to helping her friend even amidst her own heartbreak. She also doesn’t break down with the loss of her husband, but gets angry and starts to get even – an admirable turnover. The mystery is intriguing, and kept me turning pages even while the lacking relationships bought some of the book’s momentum down.
I will read more in this series, if only because I’m intrigued to see where the odd family dynamic of Kevin/Nina and Riley goes. But I do hope that Webber gets better at establishing Nina’s inner-circle, and lets this feisty protagonist confront her husband rather than quietly rallying away from him.
The books opens with 29-year-old Nina Quinn stuffing photos of her cheating cop husband down the garbage disposal. Nina and Kevin have been married for eight years, he an older widower came into the marriage with then seven-year-old son, Riley – but after an incident with lipstick on his boxers, Kevin came clean to cheating on Nina with his new partner. Now Nina is living with Riley while Kevin shacks up with his new squeeze … at the same time Riley’s pet snake is MIA, and gardening tools from Nina’s thriving ‘Taken By Surprise’ landscaping business are missing. To top it all off, one of Nina’s close childhood friends has just been devastated by the sudden death of her father-in-law, and reaches out to Nina to offer her (and Kevin’s) guidance when the family suspects foul play.
I love me a good cozy-mystery. It’s a sub-genre I fell I love with after ploughing through Charlaine Harris’s ‘Aurora Teagarden’ and ‘Lily Bard’ backlist, but I haven’t really had much luck in finding a cozy series I love as much as either of those since. If you don’t know what a ‘cozy’ is, check out cozy-mystery.com for some guidance – but in a nutshell there’s usually a punny title, small town mystery, unlikely armchair sleuth and I personally have a preference for some romance to balance-out the murder rate. Webber’s ‘Nina Quinn’ ticks all these boxes, but still didn’t manage to sucker me in as wholeheartedly as Charlaine Harris did in her cozy hey-day.
Nina’s tentative connection to the investigation in her friend’s father-in-law’s death is that she has the ‘inside-scoop’ with her husband as the local cop. Little does Nina’s friend know that Nina and Kevin are splitsville, but Nina is still intrigued enough by the oddities in the man’s death to stick her nose in. This isn’t unusual for a cozy, when an average Joe thinks they can bring something to an unsolved case that the police can’t – it’s kinda the whole suspend disbelief catalyst behind every cozy. But normally the person’s average Joe job compliments their sleuthing in some way – Aurora Teagarden was a librarian, and all walks of life came through her stacks. Lily Bard was a cleaner, and literally had access to the skeletons in people’s closets. Nina’s being a landscape gardener really has no impact on the case (a side-story about Nina’s tools going missing ends up nowhere near the actual murder) and for that reason the entire series feels like it’s starting out on uneven ground … especially because Nina’s having a cop-husband is definitely not going to last, if the events in this book are anything to go by.
On the topic of Nina and Kevin – I really wasn’t put off by a cheating spouse storyline. Truth be told, I more often than not enjoy a good infidelity storyline – it aligns me with the wronged partner protagonist straight away, and there’s just something bruise-pokingly good about reading infidelities.
He cleared his throat. What was left of his dark hair blew in the breeze. Finally he looked at me, his green eyes troubles. “I’m sorry about Kevin, Nina.”
Ahh. News travelled fast in the Ceceri household. My mother must have gotten to him while I talked to Riley.
“It’s okay, Dad.”
“I know what your mother thought of him, but I always thought him honourable.”
“I think he still is, in some ways.” Man, that was hard to say.
“Not in the ways that count.”
I bit my lip. “I suppose you’re right.”
Furthermore, one of my all-time favourite crime thriller series started out with the protagonists being divorced after his cheating (Karin Slaughter’s ‘Grant County’). But the Kevin/Nina story in ‘A Hoe Lot of Trouble’ feels frustratingly underdeveloped – I think it’s a real cop out that Kevin has moved out of home when the story starts, so is out-of-sight-out-of-mind for most of the book. A very tentative alternate romance is hinted at with Riley’s vice-principal, but it’s so far off in the distance I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t even a major plot in book #2.
The lack of Kevin and the development of their fractured marriage was indicative of another issue I had with this first book – all the secondary characters! There were so many, I lost track of who was actually involved in Nina’s amateur sleuthing, who worked for her in landscaping, who was on the police force, and who was associated with Riley’s school – Nina’s inner-circle was so underdeveloped that she felt lonely in this book. Even her step-son is underdeveloped, even as he’s living under her roof; and while she speaks of affection for him, his sullen typical teenager cliché character left me feeling doubly-wounded on Nina’s behalf, that her ex has lumped her with his ungrateful son.
But there were bright spots in this book. Nina is a genuinely likeable character, trudging on and committing to helping her friend even amidst her own heartbreak. She also doesn’t break down with the loss of her husband, but gets angry and starts to get even – an admirable turnover. The mystery is intriguing, and kept me turning pages even while the lacking relationships bought some of the book’s momentum down.
I will read more in this series, if only because I’m intrigued to see where the odd family dynamic of Kevin/Nina and Riley goes. But I do hope that Webber gets better at establishing Nina’s inner-circle, and lets this feisty protagonist confront her husband rather than quietly rallying away from him.
October 30, 2013
I've come to realize that I really like cozy mysteries. I read a lot of heavy books (pagewise not content) and these little goofy mysteries are a nice change. They are quick and easy to read with a satisfying mystery disentangled by an obviously naive protagonist.
Nina Quinn is a great character and she has an interesting cast of family and friends. I look forward to future encounters with Riley (and Xena) as he's a character who can become someone really interesting if given the chance. Though I couldn't figure out Nina's fear of his pet snake, Xena. She designs gardens for pete sake! I'm sure she sees snakes and all kinds of critters on a daily basis so it just didn't ring true. The other thing that bothered me was that the book took place over a weeks time but two or three times, it was said that it was her day off. How many days off could the owner of the Taken By Surprise, Garden Designs realistically have?
In this series starter Nina's inspiration for a life of gardening was murdered and she is asked by her childhood friend to investigate the strange goings-on at her friends in-laws farm. Of course when a developer wants your property badly enough, things are going to heat up and they certainly do in this one. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending as I had a totally different character in mind as the villain. I love to be surprised by these cozies because it happens so infrequently. I will definitely be hunting up more books in this series.
Nina Quinn is a great character and she has an interesting cast of family and friends. I look forward to future encounters with Riley (and Xena) as he's a character who can become someone really interesting if given the chance. Though I couldn't figure out Nina's fear of his pet snake, Xena. She designs gardens for pete sake! I'm sure she sees snakes and all kinds of critters on a daily basis so it just didn't ring true. The other thing that bothered me was that the book took place over a weeks time but two or three times, it was said that it was her day off. How many days off could the owner of the Taken By Surprise, Garden Designs realistically have?
In this series starter Nina's inspiration for a life of gardening was murdered and she is asked by her childhood friend to investigate the strange goings-on at her friends in-laws farm. Of course when a developer wants your property badly enough, things are going to heat up and they certainly do in this one. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending as I had a totally different character in mind as the villain. I love to be surprised by these cozies because it happens so infrequently. I will definitely be hunting up more books in this series.
September 9, 2021
My curse is that I can almost never give up on a book. Thankfully, this was not much of an investment, because it's not worth the time I put into it. I didn't like Nina, the protagonist, and so many characters made ridiculous decisions, not the least of which was Nina. It made no sense that her friend asked her to investigate the murder. What in the world does a landscape artist know about murder?! And what was with the crazy subplot of the missing garden tools?! I was supposed to care about that?! That Nina is 29-years old and parenting her teenage stepson after she kicks his father out is another nonsensical plot thread. And then there's the missing snake...Dear god, the plot was a mess, and way too much time was spent with Nina and her horny cousin doing stupid things and engaging in equally stupid banter. Nina also has an idiotic monologue constantly playing in her head that made me want to slap her.
All this being said, I can't bring myself to give up on Heather Webber. This book is the first in a series that was published early in her career. I read Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe, and found it lovely, smart, and touching. I know she can do better than this, so I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt that she was making rookie mistakes. Maybe her Nina Quinn books get better, not that I'm willing to try.
All this being said, I can't bring myself to give up on Heather Webber. This book is the first in a series that was published early in her career. I read Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe, and found it lovely, smart, and touching. I know she can do better than this, so I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt that she was making rookie mistakes. Maybe her Nina Quinn books get better, not that I'm willing to try.
July 20, 2016
Thou shall not stuff pictures of thy husband down the garbage disposal.
Nina Quinn is still in shock a couple of days after throwing her cheating husband out of the house when her old friend Bridget calls about her father in law's sudden death. Farmer Joe Sandowski was instrumental in Nina's choice to study horticulture and landscaping. Her business is booming and she is sadden by his death. Bridget reveals that Joe was murdered and Nina begins her own investigation into the death. Politicians and land developers become primary suspects and Nina is quickly placing herself in danger. As a side investigation, Nina is trying to discover who is stealing from her business and what is going on with her stepson's new group of friends.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters seemed well thought out and I felt like I knew each of them. Having a surly 15 year old in the house is a challenge in itself before adding the various cast that envelopes Nina's life. Throw in a missing boa constrictor and life can't get more complicated.
I truly did not see who the killer was until Nina did. I was travelling down the same trail she was following for suspects. I love her cousin Ana and look forward to more hijinks in the next book.
A quick easy read!
Nina Quinn is still in shock a couple of days after throwing her cheating husband out of the house when her old friend Bridget calls about her father in law's sudden death. Farmer Joe Sandowski was instrumental in Nina's choice to study horticulture and landscaping. Her business is booming and she is sadden by his death. Bridget reveals that Joe was murdered and Nina begins her own investigation into the death. Politicians and land developers become primary suspects and Nina is quickly placing herself in danger. As a side investigation, Nina is trying to discover who is stealing from her business and what is going on with her stepson's new group of friends.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters seemed well thought out and I felt like I knew each of them. Having a surly 15 year old in the house is a challenge in itself before adding the various cast that envelopes Nina's life. Throw in a missing boa constrictor and life can't get more complicated.
I truly did not see who the killer was until Nina did. I was travelling down the same trail she was following for suspects. I love her cousin Ana and look forward to more hijinks in the next book.
A quick easy read!
January 22, 2012
I already love reading Heather Webber's Lucy Valentine series and I am eagerly looking forward to reading IT TAKES A WITCH: A Wishcraft Mystery she writes as Heather Blake.
If I were to have a landscaping business, it would be like Nina's 'Taken By Surprise'. It's a way cool concept of creating a project in one day and surprising the client. I adore gardening and surprises.
And I adore a well written mystery. And this one fits that profile. It's a mystery that has me very happy to have a Nook so I can read books that are no longer in print except at a used bookstore if you're lucky.
Visit Heather over at the Cozy Chicks: http://www.cozychicksblog.com/
and her website:http://heatherwebber.com/
Five blooming mystery beans....
If I were to have a landscaping business, it would be like Nina's 'Taken By Surprise'. It's a way cool concept of creating a project in one day and surprising the client. I adore gardening and surprises.
And I adore a well written mystery. And this one fits that profile. It's a mystery that has me very happy to have a Nook so I can read books that are no longer in print except at a used bookstore if you're lucky.
Visit Heather over at the Cozy Chicks: http://www.cozychicksblog.com/
and her website:http://heatherwebber.com/
Five blooming mystery beans....
August 15, 2023
I really liked the characters in this book. So often cozies try too hard to be amusing or clever, but I think Webber's humor and delight in her characters came across naturally and enjoyably. Nina is funny without being sarcastic or tough, and I liked her sensitivity to stepson Riley and her friendship with her TBS employees. She's obviously a talented and professional woman, but she's not afraid to show her doubts and foibles. The solution to the mystery was a surprise to me until close to the end, and the other little sub-stories going on (her marital issues, Riley's school problems, her friendship with Ana) kept my interest throughout. I'd rate this 4.5 stars--I will definitely be reading more in the series and other series by this author. Excellent book.
September 3, 2020
Loved, Loved this book. The escapades of Nina had me laughing out loud, her inner monologue is genius and keeps you turning the pages. It has all the check marks of a great cozy: main character in conflict and turmoil, ohh yes, check. A great cast of characters, yep, I want to know these people, (I think I already know a few), check.
A murder off scene that directly affects main character, check. Another murder, again off scene, check.
The villain of the piece not who you thought it would be, absolutely check. If you’re looking for a light, but worthy read, you can’t go wrong with this one. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
A murder off scene that directly affects main character, check. Another murder, again off scene, check.
The villain of the piece not who you thought it would be, absolutely check. If you’re looking for a light, but worthy read, you can’t go wrong with this one. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
July 1, 2016
Loved it. A new favorite series, and a new favorite character in Nina!
December 31, 2011
Never suspected the killer. Great twist at the end.
October 17, 2013
Have you ever been disappointed about a book and then said, "It isn't you, it's me."
September 11, 2021
I’ve owned this series for years and years. I have read most of the other books by Heather Webber (Blake Webber) and loved them all. A Hoe Lot of Trouble just kept getting shuffled back in my ever growing list of TBR books. Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe is in my top 5 books I’ve read this year (2021).
A Hoe Lot of Trouble is not a disappointment! I loved it! I was laughing out loud at Nina’s antics and her “inner voice” from the first page. Nina Quinn is a 29 year old, soon to be divorced, step mother of a 15-year old boy, and owns her own landscaping design company. Chaotic, enough said! Not a spoiler since it is revealed on page one but, 2 days ago Nina discovered her Detective husband of 10 years was having an affair with his female partner. She’s got a wonderfully nosy older neighbor, Mr. Cabrera, a loving but overbearing mother and her best friend/sidekick cousin Ana. They make the story fun and well rounded, especially if you have first hand knowledge of how a wacky dysfunctional family is. The father-in-law of her childhood best friend has been murdered and there seems to be a cover-up. Nina vows to get answers and has promised herself she will not ask for help from her very sexy, cheating husband. She gets herself and, quite often her parole officer cousin in many sticky situation before the story come to a dramatic ending. Through it all she has to watch out for Riley’s, 4 foot long, boa constrictor after she, Xena the snake, has escaped from her aquarium.
I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys cozy mysteries with a bit of humor too boot.
Definitely 5 stars.
A Hoe Lot of Trouble is not a disappointment! I loved it! I was laughing out loud at Nina’s antics and her “inner voice” from the first page. Nina Quinn is a 29 year old, soon to be divorced, step mother of a 15-year old boy, and owns her own landscaping design company. Chaotic, enough said! Not a spoiler since it is revealed on page one but, 2 days ago Nina discovered her Detective husband of 10 years was having an affair with his female partner. She’s got a wonderfully nosy older neighbor, Mr. Cabrera, a loving but overbearing mother and her best friend/sidekick cousin Ana. They make the story fun and well rounded, especially if you have first hand knowledge of how a wacky dysfunctional family is. The father-in-law of her childhood best friend has been murdered and there seems to be a cover-up. Nina vows to get answers and has promised herself she will not ask for help from her very sexy, cheating husband. She gets herself and, quite often her parole officer cousin in many sticky situation before the story come to a dramatic ending. Through it all she has to watch out for Riley’s, 4 foot long, boa constrictor after she, Xena the snake, has escaped from her aquarium.
I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys cozy mysteries with a bit of humor too boot.
Definitely 5 stars.
April 12, 2018
A murder that isn't really a mystery and a conclusion that solves none of the novel's problems. A flurry of subplots that are included for establishing background, but really add nothing to the novel. The "hoe" subplot for which the novel is named is entirely disposable, and is so pointless that Webber doesn't even try to make it sensible: Webber has Nina (the narrator) incompetently spy on her employees, then climb into the trunk of a car because...?, and then uses exposition to explain away the situation with what is supposed to be a 'ha-ha' moment. This could be forgiven if this wasn't Webber's approach to every angle of this novel, where her semi-ditzy protagonist blunders through every situation with what is obviously supposed to be quirky good humor and charm, but is boring when it is not embarrassing. Nina is a stupidly well-meaning character who is weirdly invested in this investigation, and her thoughts on the case are nothing more than guesses and she constantly ending up in low-stakes peril. Her (ha-ha) addiction to cookie dough, her sliding down stairs on her butt while bullets fly overhead, the extremely unlikely circumstances of her multiple rescues, this all just exhausted my patience. The dunderheaded step-son subplot, the crush on the vice-principal, her success with a business that she knows nothing about, these just annoyed me to death. Also, in a case where only five people are introduced who are connected to the murder, and two are OBVIOUS red herrings and the other two a barely described, it is super easy to spot the killer.
August 17, 2017
Just a simple little mystery, with a few references to earlier characters in the same series (and the book has no listing of those earlier books she wrote). You get a good picture of the small fictional town she writes about, which seems very likable. It's a gardening mystery, but there isn't much mention of gardening other than a token couple pages about poison ivy at the very end.
Nina Quinn is the owner of a business called Taken By Surprise, which does one-day garden makeovers as surprises for property owners. Equipment is disappearing, and she hopes that is isn't caused by the men she has hired to do the labor. Things really get upsetting when the father of her childhood friend, Joe Sandowski, is found murdered on his farm after an incident where his sheep had been poisoned. As Nina begins to investigate, she suspects a congressman and a contractor who want to expand a subdivision, and the Sandowski farm is right in the way. When the contractor turns up dead just after Nina has had a late-night visit to his construction site, she has to answer questions to her policeman husband from whom she is currently separated. Add to that her husband's son who lives with her but seems to be getting in with the wrong crowd at high school. Can Nina discover who the murderer is, and keep her beloved stepson out of trouble at school?
Nina Quinn is the owner of a business called Taken By Surprise, which does one-day garden makeovers as surprises for property owners. Equipment is disappearing, and she hopes that is isn't caused by the men she has hired to do the labor. Things really get upsetting when the father of her childhood friend, Joe Sandowski, is found murdered on his farm after an incident where his sheep had been poisoned. As Nina begins to investigate, she suspects a congressman and a contractor who want to expand a subdivision, and the Sandowski farm is right in the way. When the contractor turns up dead just after Nina has had a late-night visit to his construction site, she has to answer questions to her policeman husband from whom she is currently separated. Add to that her husband's son who lives with her but seems to be getting in with the wrong crowd at high school. Can Nina discover who the murderer is, and keep her beloved stepson out of trouble at school?
abandoned
August 31, 2023A Hoe Lot of Trouble by Heather Webber
Nina Quinn #1
325-page Kindle Ebook
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Featuring: Gardening & Landscaping, Marital Issues, Teen Angst, Ohio, Gossiping, Detectives
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for adult situations
My rating: ⛏️ DNF @ page 41 Ch. 3
My thoughts: 🔖Page 20 of 325 Ch. 1 - I think it's off to a slow start but did a very good job with pacing the introduction of several characters in the first chapter. I'm not sure why I didn't finish this book in 2017 but it's good so far.
🔖41 Ch. 3 - Now I remember why I quit before and I think it's gonna happen again.
Why I quit: This story is too drawn out for me. MC is in the same place in Ch. 4 that she was in while in Ch. 1, the minor problems presented in Chapter One still haven't been resolved or fully addressed, and we've gotten little information on the case. I'm not into books that go in circles, the scene has been set, and there's no reason to go over it 50 times. Since they are moving on I am.
Recommend to others: I don't know, I'm sure someone loved it or there wouldn't be so many.
Nina Quinn
1. A Hoe Lot of Trouble (2004)
2. Trouble in Spades (2005)
3. Digging Up Trouble (2006)
4. Trouble in Bloom (2007)
5. Weeding Out Trouble (2008)
6. Trouble Under the Tree (2011)
7. The Root of All Trouble (2013)
Nina Quinn #1
325-page Kindle Ebook
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Featuring: Gardening & Landscaping, Marital Issues, Teen Angst, Ohio, Gossiping, Detectives
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for adult situations
My rating: ⛏️ DNF @ page 41 Ch. 3
My thoughts: 🔖Page 20 of 325 Ch. 1 - I think it's off to a slow start but did a very good job with pacing the introduction of several characters in the first chapter. I'm not sure why I didn't finish this book in 2017 but it's good so far.
🔖41 Ch. 3 - Now I remember why I quit before and I think it's gonna happen again.
Why I quit: This story is too drawn out for me. MC is in the same place in Ch. 4 that she was in while in Ch. 1, the minor problems presented in Chapter One still haven't been resolved or fully addressed, and we've gotten little information on the case. I'm not into books that go in circles, the scene has been set, and there's no reason to go over it 50 times. Since they are moving on I am.
Recommend to others: I don't know, I'm sure someone loved it or there wouldn't be so many.
Nina Quinn
1. A Hoe Lot of Trouble (2004)
2. Trouble in Spades (2005)
3. Digging Up Trouble (2006)
4. Trouble in Bloom (2007)
5. Weeding Out Trouble (2008)
6. Trouble Under the Tree (2011)
7. The Root of All Trouble (2013)
November 6, 2017
When Nina Quinn suspects her husband of cheating on her she kicks him out and is left with her stepson, Riley. Riley is an angry 15 year old who starts skipping classes, hanging out with the wrong crowd, and lets loose his boa "by accident"! Nina is always sitting on the counter tops our walking around her house with a hockey stick. Creates very funny images in my head!
When she learns that her long time friend and the reason she became a gardener, dies she is drawn back into his family. When foul play is suspected and Nina’s best friend from childhood asks her to help, she volunteers to be the ears for the family. Nina has another mystery to solve within her own landscaping/garden makeover business, Taken By Surprise, as tools begin to vanish so does her patience!
I liked the characters and how the many spokes in the wheel of this story come together in great fashion. The murder of her mentor puts Nina on the trail cover-ups and betrayal. There are so many suspects. Great twists and turns. Kept me guessing until the end!
April 23, 2024
I've read so many books over the years that it is not unusual to find myself halfway through a novel before the penny drops that I've read it before.
“A Hoe Lot of Trouble” had me experiencing deja vu almost from the start, largely because the opening chapters are generic cosy material – a recent breakup with a cheating husband, a troublesome teen male, an interesting job as a landscaping contractor, and a friend in need.
But, the more I read the more Nina Quinn, landscape artist, came into her own. Still smarting after the breakup with her cop husband, Kevin, she's spending time with friends, one of whom is having problems at her farm.
A contractor wants to buy it and there have been a series of escalating events, anonymous letters and phone calls, a poisoned well, and a murder.
For some reason the police don't seem to be taking it seriously so Nina, relying on her years as a cops wife, decides to investigate.
The further I read the better it got and the solution came as a complete surprise.
4 Stars.
“A Hoe Lot of Trouble” had me experiencing deja vu almost from the start, largely because the opening chapters are generic cosy material – a recent breakup with a cheating husband, a troublesome teen male, an interesting job as a landscaping contractor, and a friend in need.
But, the more I read the more Nina Quinn, landscape artist, came into her own. Still smarting after the breakup with her cop husband, Kevin, she's spending time with friends, one of whom is having problems at her farm.
A contractor wants to buy it and there have been a series of escalating events, anonymous letters and phone calls, a poisoned well, and a murder.
For some reason the police don't seem to be taking it seriously so Nina, relying on her years as a cops wife, decides to investigate.
The further I read the better it got and the solution came as a complete surprise.
4 Stars.
April 17, 2021
Perfectly readable cosy mystery. Problem was I guessed the murderer and their reasonings from the moment they were introduced and couldn't work out why no one else could twig. Also couldn't work out why Brigit calls to connect at all. They haven't spoken in years. The family don't want anyone to interfere. Yet the moment Brigit mentions the issues Nina is determined to stick her amateur nose in and solve the problem. Though how she often goes about it is ditsy, muddies the water and too often she ruins the evidence she finds - so, why the heck is she keeping on going forward?
There were 3 or 5 sub stories going on that whilst interesting were a little lacking and useless and the whole trouble with the stepson? That seemed beyond believable, especially with guns in the mix.
Oh, and another annoying thing, the moment the pet snake went missing you knew it would reappear at a later date just when Nina most needed it to.
There were 3 or 5 sub stories going on that whilst interesting were a little lacking and useless and the whole trouble with the stepson? That seemed beyond believable, especially with guns in the mix.
Oh, and another annoying thing, the moment the pet snake went missing you knew it would reappear at a later date just when Nina most needed it to.
November 23, 2021
I'm a cozy mystery addict. I know they can be silly, and you have to suspend disbelief, and you have to put up with a lot of things that I find annoying. But... they're brain candy and I love them in between heavier books.
I decided to give this one a try because I had just finished another of Heather Webber's books, and I enjoyed it. Well, her Nina Quinn series is apparently not in the same class, and I don't plan to read more of these.
If nothing else, a writer (or her editor) should be in better command of grammar than to use "between her and I". This is one of my pet peeves, and I just don't understand how it can get into print!
The story itself could have been so much better. It had potential. I was sad that it wasn't as well-written as it could have been.
I decided to give this one a try because I had just finished another of Heather Webber's books, and I enjoyed it. Well, her Nina Quinn series is apparently not in the same class, and I don't plan to read more of these.
If nothing else, a writer (or her editor) should be in better command of grammar than to use "between her and I". This is one of my pet peeves, and I just don't understand how it can get into print!
The story itself could have been so much better. It had potential. I was sad that it wasn't as well-written as it could have been.
October 24, 2023
This is clearly an early book by Heather Webber but still an enjoyable read. Nina is a owns a landscaping business and is currently separated from her husband while still caring for her teenage stepson. A friend's father dies and Nina tries to help her figure out what is going on. The plot is a bit ridiculous and silly but Nina is still a plucky, likeable character. I read it on a plane ride so it's mercifully short and the plot moves along quickly. I'm a big fan of Heather Webber's most recent books which have a lot more depth and suspect that this series of books came out as she was perfecting her skills and for that I appreciate the effort and glad she's evolved as a writer.
June 17, 2021
After I enjoyed South of the Buttonwood Tree and Midnight at the Blackbird Café, I decided to dig into Webber's backlist. This was a cutesy mystery, but lacked the charm and atmosphere of her two newer books.
August 23, 2023
I am a fan of the recent Heather Webber novels but wasn’t aware until recently that her career began with a cozy mystery series. Landscaper Nina Quinn finds herself overcome with a failed marriage, a rebellious step-son, and two mysteries. As she juggles personal life with her landscaping business, she dives into solving the strange theft of her gardening tools and the much greater crime of murder. A Hoe Lot of Trouble is a typical cozy mystery with some unusual characters and a little humor as well.
September 1, 2022
This was a new author for me and I really liked her writing style. She writes lots of dialogue, very little description, and it's non-stop action from beginning to end, which made this book a quick read and very hard to put down. Throughout I had some ideas of who the killer was but I was surprised at the end because of some really clever red herrings. Great book and I definitely plan to continue this series and others by the same author.
July 7, 2019
Enjoyed
A good 1st in series. Liked the main character although her decision making was a stretch at times. The mystery wasn’t too hard to solve but interesting. The relationship between Nina and her step son interesting and shows a story line that can be continued in future books
A good 1st in series. Liked the main character although her decision making was a stretch at times. The mystery wasn’t too hard to solve but interesting. The relationship between Nina and her step son interesting and shows a story line that can be continued in future books
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