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Turned Earth
You have no idea how many ways to kill you are lurking in the little laboratory of mass destruction known as your neighbor's garden.
Gardening is just a hobby for most – but for some, it’s a matter of life and death.
Who keeps killing soil scientists and agriculture industry executives around the world? If you dare to ask, you may end up as the next corpse to disappear into the Earth as compost. When gardener Jack Broccoli and his boss are targeted by a radical farming cult, Jack’s entire life is turned upside-down as he’s forced into a terrifying world of international agro-industrial intrigue.
TURNED EARTH is a frighteningly funny novel by master gardener David The Good and the first in the Jack Broccoli series of gardening thrillers.
Gardening is just a hobby for most – but for some, it’s a matter of life and death.
Who keeps killing soil scientists and agriculture industry executives around the world? If you dare to ask, you may end up as the next corpse to disappear into the Earth as compost. When gardener Jack Broccoli and his boss are targeted by a radical farming cult, Jack’s entire life is turned upside-down as he’s forced into a terrifying world of international agro-industrial intrigue.
TURNED EARTH is a frighteningly funny novel by master gardener David The Good and the first in the Jack Broccoli series of gardening thrillers.
- GenresFiction
207 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2018
22 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 24, 2019
Well, THAT was different.
Here's a real treat if you like gardening, plants, James Bond, humor, action movies, light sci-fi, and easy, fun reading. David T. Good, known to green-thumbs as 'David the Good,' is a well-known gardening author and speaker, popular YouTuber, and an evangelist for un-orthodox-but-sustainable gardening philosophies. Having written several successful how-to growing guides, this fictional work breaks the mold (heh).
I read a lot of espionage, historical fiction and action-style novels. I read classic literature and not-so classic stuff. I am somewhat of a book snob. If I had not been a gardener who considers Mr. the Good as a virtual mentor, I would never have picked up this book. However, having read three or four of his "Good Guides," I had to see how his fiction panned out. I do not regret it, and read the book in a matter of days. (Some light spoilers may lie ahead)
The plot follows young soil-lab employee Jack Broccoli and his no-dig gardening Chinese neighbor Pak Choi, as they find themselves wrapped up in the deadly world of international agricultural thuggery (who knew Agriculture had an 'underground? Pak knew.) Someone is out to kill all the key players in the world of Ag, and Jack finds himself wrapped up in a web of mycelium, with apparently nothing to rely upon but his senses and a voice in his head. The tale takes us from the garden to the lab, to the dumpsters behind a Korean restaurant, to rental cars in the desert, to an Agriculture conference in Arizona, and finally to the heart of evil, somewhere in a Korean national park. Along the way we meet with a number of colorful characters, good, bad, ugly, many of whom have ridiculously funny names. Jack, being young and not yet confident in his future, finds fate beckoning, sometimes oddly, as if fate resided in naturally occurring, accidentally ingested hallucinogens. The action is enjoyable, the humor is witty and at times subtle, the dialog light and comic. Others have compared the humor to Douglas Adams. In my vast reading, I've not read Adams, nor have I, like the lovely cat-toting Penny in the book, only seen the movie. But there's a comparison for you.
This is not a book to read if you are expecting an immersive Alan Furst-style spy tome, or an Eric Ambler-like thinking thriller. Its just funny, witty, and quick action that doesn't leave the reader languishing in dense, explanatory monologues. Mr. Good is also not shy about the humor found in light stereotypes or the awkwardness of language barriers. The use of dialect and linguistic puns is satisfying. And you could learn some things, especially about Jojoba hand lotion. Who knew? Jack Broccoli knew.
I laughed out loud from time to time, I enjoyed the book, I looked forward to my reading time. The novel does no take itself too seriously, but delivers a fast paced action tale that might even make a pretty good film. One look at the cover art tells you what to expect. A recommended light read.
Here's a real treat if you like gardening, plants, James Bond, humor, action movies, light sci-fi, and easy, fun reading. David T. Good, known to green-thumbs as 'David the Good,' is a well-known gardening author and speaker, popular YouTuber, and an evangelist for un-orthodox-but-sustainable gardening philosophies. Having written several successful how-to growing guides, this fictional work breaks the mold (heh).
I read a lot of espionage, historical fiction and action-style novels. I read classic literature and not-so classic stuff. I am somewhat of a book snob. If I had not been a gardener who considers Mr. the Good as a virtual mentor, I would never have picked up this book. However, having read three or four of his "Good Guides," I had to see how his fiction panned out. I do not regret it, and read the book in a matter of days. (Some light spoilers may lie ahead)
The plot follows young soil-lab employee Jack Broccoli and his no-dig gardening Chinese neighbor Pak Choi, as they find themselves wrapped up in the deadly world of international agricultural thuggery (who knew Agriculture had an 'underground? Pak knew.) Someone is out to kill all the key players in the world of Ag, and Jack finds himself wrapped up in a web of mycelium, with apparently nothing to rely upon but his senses and a voice in his head. The tale takes us from the garden to the lab, to the dumpsters behind a Korean restaurant, to rental cars in the desert, to an Agriculture conference in Arizona, and finally to the heart of evil, somewhere in a Korean national park. Along the way we meet with a number of colorful characters, good, bad, ugly, many of whom have ridiculously funny names. Jack, being young and not yet confident in his future, finds fate beckoning, sometimes oddly, as if fate resided in naturally occurring, accidentally ingested hallucinogens. The action is enjoyable, the humor is witty and at times subtle, the dialog light and comic. Others have compared the humor to Douglas Adams. In my vast reading, I've not read Adams, nor have I, like the lovely cat-toting Penny in the book, only seen the movie. But there's a comparison for you.
This is not a book to read if you are expecting an immersive Alan Furst-style spy tome, or an Eric Ambler-like thinking thriller. Its just funny, witty, and quick action that doesn't leave the reader languishing in dense, explanatory monologues. Mr. Good is also not shy about the humor found in light stereotypes or the awkwardness of language barriers. The use of dialect and linguistic puns is satisfying. And you could learn some things, especially about Jojoba hand lotion. Who knew? Jack Broccoli knew.
I laughed out loud from time to time, I enjoyed the book, I looked forward to my reading time. The novel does no take itself too seriously, but delivers a fast paced action tale that might even make a pretty good film. One look at the cover art tells you what to expect. A recommended light read.
June 27, 2022
This book has touches of many things: silliness, irony, touches of surrealism, romance, eco-terrorism, plants and gardening, and even suspense about the outcomes at the end. There is a lot of creativity including a drug-sniffing cat, rapid-growth mycelium which can destroy substances. It is a fun book which is easy to read and suspense at the end that keeps you reading it.
May 30, 2018
So wierd, so good.
How can you describe a book that blends gardening, martial arts, secret societies and cults, international espionage, and the supernatural?
I won't even try. I just know I want to read more. :)
How can you describe a book that blends gardening, martial arts, secret societies and cults, international espionage, and the supernatural?
I won't even try. I just know I want to read more. :)
July 21, 2019
If you aren't really into gardening you will misinterpret most of the book, seriously you wont get it,
for those of you who are gardeners, 2 things,
1. David the Good has a Seriously Wicked sense of humor
and
2. Compost your enemies
for those of you who are gardeners, 2 things,
1. David the Good has a Seriously Wicked sense of humor
and
2. Compost your enemies
May 29, 2018
Interesting, albeit tedious with the gardening references at times. He makes gardening interesting, I’ll give you that, but the pacing isn’t the best and the writing needs refinement.
August 7, 2018
Great book
This book is a fantastic blend of action, mystery, suspense, romance, sarcasm and comedy. You might even learn something about gardening. Highly recommended!
This book is a fantastic blend of action, mystery, suspense, romance, sarcasm and comedy. You might even learn something about gardening. Highly recommended!
November 21, 2018
Book Review “Turned Earth – A Jack Broccoli Novel” by David The Good
Marjory WIldcraft from The Grow Network
I am more than a little envious that David The Good has created a while new genre of writing: the garden thriller. We definitely need more stories like this! And if you only need one reason to read this book - the tale did make me feel proud to be a gardener.
The story focuses around an unlikely hero, Jack Brocolli, who is a single young man working at a soil testing lab. There has been a string of very bizarre deaths of prominent soil scientists and agriculture industry executives around the world. Jack unwittingly stumbles (and often fumbles) his way into a web of International intrigue when he and his boss are targeted by a radical farming cult
Who keeps killing soil scientists? If you dare to ask, you may end up as the next corpse to disappear into the Earth as compost. Jack’s entire life is turned upside-down as he’s forced into a terrifying world of international agro-industrial intrigue.
David, the author did an excellent job in development of Jack’s character in the book. I appreciated how much Jack’s love of growing things came shining through even with all the other things a young man is interested in such as fighting, and girls. Like many of us at The Grow Network, Jack is also bit of a botany freak and I really appreciated those small botanical tangents the book took us on.
At times, the story got a little too fantastical for my tastes. I mean why not simply use a Glok 19 to do the killing instead of a soil sampling tool? But hey, I get it, this is a agricultural themed book. I also felt Jack abandoned his turnip patch a shade too easily… but I am quibbling here.
You may already be familiar with David the Good’s humorous style and there were more than a few places when I laughed out loud while reading the book. I know you will get more than a few good chuckles simply from the names David chose for his characters.
Overall it was a really fun story to read and made me feel proud to be a gardener.
I hear that David the Good is finishing up the sequel to this novel and there could possibly be a third in the series. I highly recommend picking up a copy of “Turned Earth” and I am very excited to read the next adventure that Jack gets involved in.
Marjory WIldcraft from The Grow Network
I am more than a little envious that David The Good has created a while new genre of writing: the garden thriller. We definitely need more stories like this! And if you only need one reason to read this book - the tale did make me feel proud to be a gardener.
The story focuses around an unlikely hero, Jack Brocolli, who is a single young man working at a soil testing lab. There has been a string of very bizarre deaths of prominent soil scientists and agriculture industry executives around the world. Jack unwittingly stumbles (and often fumbles) his way into a web of International intrigue when he and his boss are targeted by a radical farming cult
Who keeps killing soil scientists? If you dare to ask, you may end up as the next corpse to disappear into the Earth as compost. Jack’s entire life is turned upside-down as he’s forced into a terrifying world of international agro-industrial intrigue.
David, the author did an excellent job in development of Jack’s character in the book. I appreciated how much Jack’s love of growing things came shining through even with all the other things a young man is interested in such as fighting, and girls. Like many of us at The Grow Network, Jack is also bit of a botany freak and I really appreciated those small botanical tangents the book took us on.
At times, the story got a little too fantastical for my tastes. I mean why not simply use a Glok 19 to do the killing instead of a soil sampling tool? But hey, I get it, this is a agricultural themed book. I also felt Jack abandoned his turnip patch a shade too easily… but I am quibbling here.
You may already be familiar with David the Good’s humorous style and there were more than a few places when I laughed out loud while reading the book. I know you will get more than a few good chuckles simply from the names David chose for his characters.
Overall it was a really fun story to read and made me feel proud to be a gardener.
I hear that David the Good is finishing up the sequel to this novel and there could possibly be a third in the series. I highly recommend picking up a copy of “Turned Earth” and I am very excited to read the next adventure that Jack gets involved in.
August 29, 2018
This might the world's first garden thriller ever to be published. Imagine Mel Bartholomew meets Liam Neeson as written by a graft of Douglas Adams and Dave Barry, and lyrics by David Byrne, if it had lyrics.
You aren't going to read the secrets of Life, the Universe, and Everything, but you will be asking yourself "How did I get here?" and "That's not my house" which is more of a statement than question.
Jack is what ever action thriller hero should be, if that hero was serious about gardening and saving the world in equal measures. Ever wanted to know what the hero really is thinking around his action love interest? Be careful of what you ask for because you may just receive it, good and plenty.
Jack isn't a static hero, either. He experiences some real growth during the story, and cuts his way through dilemmas with his quick thinking, skills, and the most important aspect, dumb luck, which Jack has in spades. These are all properly balanced to promote healthy side plots and a strong root system. The world building is fertile and rich with loamy imagination, perfect to really plant yourself into for a quick-paced action adventure that doesn't leave you wilting away from boredom.
Occasionally Mr. the Good resorts to bad puns and cheesy dialogue, but fortunately there's at least four or five pages where he doesn't. I did my best to make up for that oversight.
You aren't going to read the secrets of Life, the Universe, and Everything, but you will be asking yourself "How did I get here?" and "That's not my house" which is more of a statement than question.
Jack is what ever action thriller hero should be, if that hero was serious about gardening and saving the world in equal measures. Ever wanted to know what the hero really is thinking around his action love interest? Be careful of what you ask for because you may just receive it, good and plenty.
Jack isn't a static hero, either. He experiences some real growth during the story, and cuts his way through dilemmas with his quick thinking, skills, and the most important aspect, dumb luck, which Jack has in spades. These are all properly balanced to promote healthy side plots and a strong root system. The world building is fertile and rich with loamy imagination, perfect to really plant yourself into for a quick-paced action adventure that doesn't leave you wilting away from boredom.
Occasionally Mr. the Good resorts to bad puns and cheesy dialogue, but fortunately there's at least four or five pages where he doesn't. I did my best to make up for that oversight.
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