What do you think?
Abe Investigates #1
The Body in the Backyard
Clarence Collin is pushing up daisies—in Abe's bed of zinnias!
When the caustic critic of a TV gardening show winds up murdered in Abe's well-groomed backyard, both Abe and his hunky-but-irritating neighbor Gregory might be on the suspect list.
Abe starts amateur sleuthing in self-defense...and to spend time with Gregory. When the two green thumbs look into their neighborhood's dirty little secrets, who knows what they'll dig up?
A cozy gay mystery
51,000 words
When the caustic critic of a TV gardening show winds up murdered in Abe's well-groomed backyard, both Abe and his hunky-but-irritating neighbor Gregory might be on the suspect list.
Abe starts amateur sleuthing in self-defense...and to spend time with Gregory. When the two green thumbs look into their neighborhood's dirty little secrets, who knows what they'll dig up?
A cozy gay mystery
51,000 words
146 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 25, 2017
Just like Abe's cooking, Mary's baking, and the garden club members and neighbourhood characters all being alliterations, this book is delightfully delicious.
It was also a breath of fresh air, with older MCs, bits of gardening, some feelings, mostly nice (all older) secondary characters, aspects that you can relate to in regards to people, the burbs, relationships, clubs, and a murder mystery that keeps you pretty much guessing until the end.
Blog review-
It was also a breath of fresh air, with older MCs, bits of gardening, some feelings, mostly nice (all older) secondary characters, aspects that you can relate to in regards to people, the burbs, relationships, clubs, and a murder mystery that keeps you pretty much guessing until the end.
Blog review-
October 10, 2017
I really enjoyed this cozy murder mystery with a dead body in the zinnias - nice to have a gay lead character who doubles as a gardener and an amateur detective!
October 2, 2017
4.25 stars
A cozy mystery with a very sweet romance between two older men.
A cozy mystery with a very sweet romance between two older men.
May 25, 2026
Something just didn't click for me in this one.
Murder mystery was OK, definitely had Midsomer vibes.
But Abe and Gregory were harder to enjoy. Mostly because I had no idea if this was an old couple a middle aged couple or a young couple.
While Abe was kinda sweet at times Gregory was just kinda meh.
While I might give the next book a try it wont be just yet.
Murder mystery was OK, definitely had Midsomer vibes.
But Abe and Gregory were harder to enjoy. Mostly because I had no idea if this was an old couple a middle aged couple or a young couple.
While Abe was kinda sweet at times Gregory was just kinda meh.
While I might give the next book a try it wont be just yet.
October 14, 2017
I was in the mood for a cosy mystery and this was just what I wanted. Great protagonists, a tight knit community with lots of gossip, touches of humor, and enough worry and personal issues to make the characters sympathetic. I really hope Hollis Shiloh is planning more of these.
September 21, 2017
This was a mystery that kept me quessing until the very end. Abe is a small, fussy, broken-hearted man who moved to suburbs to recover his life after a divorce from a cheating ex. He has gotten to know his neighbors through his gardening club and has taken great pride with is Zinnias. He is a little distressed with his new neighbor, Gregory when he digs up his yard in pursuit of his permaculture ideals. One cruel and snobby television gardening expert, s stunned and hurt gardening club, and one murdered gardening expert later Abe and Gregory's lives are turned upside down. Drawn together, they go on the hunt for the murderer who dumped the body in Abe's Zinnias. These two men are drawn closer together as they gather clues and try to decide who would have a motive for killing off this mean hearted, cruel man...other than everyone that is. As the reader tries to figure out who the murderer is by the clues that the two gather, one gets drawn into a world of treachery, flowers and "good neighbors." Excellent read.
July 9, 2026
Cute but the 2 MCs are kind of annoying
Note: Zero heat. One singular kiss at the very end of the entire story. Literally the last page.
Abe starts out as a stuffy, judgmental, middle aged man - his age was never given but he was considered young by his neighbors & the gardening club, who were all in their 60s and 70s - who moved to the suburbs and took up gardening as a hobby after his divorce. His next door neighbor, Gregory, is a permaculture, Save the Earth nut who’s determined to get everyone to see things like he does and “garden” the way he does. Which is annoying, both to me and to Abe. Abe idiotically decided that he and Gregory were meant to be enemies simply because of Gregory’s choices on what he plants in his yard.
There’s a bully who used to live in the neighborhood, Clarence, who comes as a minor celebrity judge for the annual gardening competition. After he verbally eviscerates everyone, he’s found dead the next day in Abe’s backyard. It seems as though Gregory (he’s never just Greg) already had a crush on Abe because he keeps wiggling his way into Abe’s space by getting Abe to cook for him. It’s actually cute.
Everyone talks like they’re 100+ years old, and Abe is grossly naive, but he and Gregory take it upon themselves to investigate because whoever the killer is has been trying to frame them. It’s a cute story but Abe’s naïveté may be enough to keep me from reading Book 2.
Note: Zero heat. One singular kiss at the very end of the entire story. Literally the last page.
Abe starts out as a stuffy, judgmental, middle aged man - his age was never given but he was considered young by his neighbors & the gardening club, who were all in their 60s and 70s - who moved to the suburbs and took up gardening as a hobby after his divorce. His next door neighbor, Gregory, is a permaculture, Save the Earth nut who’s determined to get everyone to see things like he does and “garden” the way he does. Which is annoying, both to me and to Abe. Abe idiotically decided that he and Gregory were meant to be enemies simply because of Gregory’s choices on what he plants in his yard.
There’s a bully who used to live in the neighborhood, Clarence, who comes as a minor celebrity judge for the annual gardening competition. After he verbally eviscerates everyone, he’s found dead the next day in Abe’s backyard. It seems as though Gregory (he’s never just Greg) already had a crush on Abe because he keeps wiggling his way into Abe’s space by getting Abe to cook for him. It’s actually cute.
Everyone talks like they’re 100+ years old, and Abe is grossly naive, but he and Gregory take it upon themselves to investigate because whoever the killer is has been trying to frame them. It’s a cute story but Abe’s naïveté may be enough to keep me from reading Book 2.
October 27, 2017
I've enjoyed Hollis Shiloh's books and this one was no exception.
I found this one to be different from what I thought it would be but still enjoyed it. A quick murder mystery with a hint of romance between Abe and Gregory. I love the building romance between the two and the reluctance at first from Abe because of how 'rough' and different Gregory appears. But, as is said in the book, first impressions can be wrong.
The good old gossip mill of a neighbourhood is what keeps these characters going and an eclectic bunch of neighbours they are, too. They helped to fill out the story and embellished the mystery of 'who done it?'.
I personally found this a bit hard to get through, a bit slow moving for me but think that it's still a well written book. This is my first foray into this style/genre so will have to try another before deciding if it's for me.
I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
I found this one to be different from what I thought it would be but still enjoyed it. A quick murder mystery with a hint of romance between Abe and Gregory. I love the building romance between the two and the reluctance at first from Abe because of how 'rough' and different Gregory appears. But, as is said in the book, first impressions can be wrong.
The good old gossip mill of a neighbourhood is what keeps these characters going and an eclectic bunch of neighbours they are, too. They helped to fill out the story and embellished the mystery of 'who done it?'.
I personally found this a bit hard to get through, a bit slow moving for me but think that it's still a well written book. This is my first foray into this style/genre so will have to try another before deciding if it's for me.
I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
October 17, 2017
Abe is adorable!
The story is fabulously adorable, told from the single perspective of Abe, who discovers a dead body in his zinnias. From there he does some very level headed detecting with his messy but cute neighbor, Gregory. It is a good book, where the two play by the book and use their brains, gossip and a little investigating to figure out the whodunits. It is a good laid back murder mystery with a good dash of flirting feel goods thrown in. The one disappointment is the two main characters don't kiss until the last line (a toss away and months into their relationship) and we don't even get to witness the first kiss, which is a real shame. Everything else was perfect but that one unsatisfying tidbit.
The story is fabulously adorable, told from the single perspective of Abe, who discovers a dead body in his zinnias. From there he does some very level headed detecting with his messy but cute neighbor, Gregory. It is a good book, where the two play by the book and use their brains, gossip and a little investigating to figure out the whodunits. It is a good laid back murder mystery with a good dash of flirting feel goods thrown in. The one disappointment is the two main characters don't kiss until the last line (a toss away and months into their relationship) and we don't even get to witness the first kiss, which is a real shame. Everything else was perfect but that one unsatisfying tidbit.
February 18, 2019
Plodding murder mystery and slow-building mm romance. We hear every scattered thought of an insecure, neurotic, divorced gay man living in the suburbs. He's eager for his zinnias to score well in the neighborhood competition, but instead finds a dead body in his yard. He lusts after his messy neighbor and also a local gardener. He and a neighbor investigate the murder in order to clear their names and rule out any of the people they like. This leads to a friendship and possibly more, as well as solving the case.
September 22, 2017
Keep writing more mysteries!!
I really enjoyed this sweet & cozy mystery! I hope the author continues to write more mysteries...they are my favourite subjects, next to Shifters & Steampunk. Well done!
I really enjoyed this sweet & cozy mystery! I hope the author continues to write more mysteries...they are my favourite subjects, next to Shifters & Steampunk. Well done!
March 15, 2022
It was an ok story, what i will remember the most though is the protagonist saying “oh dear” on repeat or decrying his old age and how he is not as pretty as he used to be… c’mon the “old” theme got OLD after the 30th time he said it
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews