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Grasmere Cottage Mystery #1
Dead in the Garden
A Romantic Cosy Mystery.
Join bestselling author Dahlia Donovan on a cosy mystery adventure in Grasmere Cottage Mystery book one. With love, wit, and a murder to solve, life for Valor and Bishan is about to get bloomin' complicated in this sweet gay romance.
Dead body in the garden? Check.
Mystery to solve? Check.
Police focused on the wrong person? Not good.
All grown up and graduated, Valor Tarquin Scott, son to Earl and Countess Scott, owns The Ginger’s Bread, a biscuit shop, in Grasmere in the Lake District. The love of his life, Bishan Tamboli, has turned his music studies into a successful career playing with the London Symphony Orchestra. It’s a perfect life with their cat, spending evenings watching Poirot on the television.
The nightmare begins with one dead former schoolmate, leading police to believe Bishan is responsible.
Valor struggles to solve the cryptic puzzles left behind in a race to prove Bishan’s innocence.
He can’t help wondering how far the body count will rise before they manage to stop the killer.
Join bestselling author Dahlia Donovan on a cosy mystery adventure in Grasmere Cottage Mystery book one. With love, wit, and a murder to solve, life for Valor and Bishan is about to get bloomin' complicated in this sweet gay romance.
Dead body in the garden? Check.
Mystery to solve? Check.
Police focused on the wrong person? Not good.
All grown up and graduated, Valor Tarquin Scott, son to Earl and Countess Scott, owns The Ginger’s Bread, a biscuit shop, in Grasmere in the Lake District. The love of his life, Bishan Tamboli, has turned his music studies into a successful career playing with the London Symphony Orchestra. It’s a perfect life with their cat, spending evenings watching Poirot on the television.
The nightmare begins with one dead former schoolmate, leading police to believe Bishan is responsible.
Valor struggles to solve the cryptic puzzles left behind in a race to prove Bishan’s innocence.
He can’t help wondering how far the body count will rise before they manage to stop the killer.
116 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2018
106 people are currently reading
918 people want to read
About the author
Dahlia Donovan
49 books778 followersDahlia Donovan wrote her first romance series after a crazy dream about shifters and damsels in distress. She prefers irreverent humour and unconventional characters. An autistic and occasional hermit, her life wouldn’t be complete without her husband and her massive collection of books and video games.
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March 4, 2019!!! NOT A COMPLETE STORY !!!
See review on volume 3 for my thoughts on the completed story: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
+5 for autistic partner
-2 for that partner being off page most of the "book"
+4 for good supporting cast
-1 for being too twee, especially in the beginning.
-2 for Valor's family issues
-2 for a cat
-5 for bullshit marketing
-10 for not actually being a complete book.
First off 2 items regarding the marketing copy for this "book":
1) Right in the first paragraph: "sweet gay romance"
This is not a romance. We have an established couple. LONG established. There is no change in relationship status, and not even any hint of coupling among secondary or tertiary characters. Not! A! Romance!
But that is not the only way in which the author or marketing people have failed to understand genre requirements, which brings us to #2.
2) No where in the marketing copy does it indicate this is only part 1 of 3.
There are a lot of unwritten requirements for mystery novels. But the two most fundamental would seem to be a. some crime is committed. (generally murder) and b. the crime is solved. We got a here, but no b. Now mystery series sometimes have a foreground crime and a background crime, the latter of which may be stretched out over multiple books, but if you don't at least solve the foreground crime, I don't know what you've written, but it's not a fucking mystery novel.
Bodies pile up here, and NOT ONE SINGLE MURDER is solved.
You don't take a single mystery, chop it up into 3 books and call it a trilogy. That's not a thing in the mystery genre. It's sure as hell not a thing when each of the 3 books is less than 130 pages.
You want to pull that, then you should call it a damn serial, not a trilogy, and make damn sure that's conveyed in the marketing copy for the first installment.
So, I generally liked this and am going to keep going, but OMG am I pissed off about it.
See review on volume 3 for my thoughts on the completed story: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
+5 for autistic partner
-2 for that partner being off page most of the "book"
+4 for good supporting cast
-1 for being too twee, especially in the beginning.
-2 for Valor's family issues
-2 for a cat
-5 for bullshit marketing
-10 for not actually being a complete book.
First off 2 items regarding the marketing copy for this "book":
1) Right in the first paragraph: "sweet gay romance"
This is not a romance. We have an established couple. LONG established. There is no change in relationship status, and not even any hint of coupling among secondary or tertiary characters. Not! A! Romance!
But that is not the only way in which the author or marketing people have failed to understand genre requirements, which brings us to #2.
2) No where in the marketing copy does it indicate this is only part 1 of 3.
There are a lot of unwritten requirements for mystery novels. But the two most fundamental would seem to be a. some crime is committed. (generally murder) and b. the crime is solved. We got a here, but no b. Now mystery series sometimes have a foreground crime and a background crime, the latter of which may be stretched out over multiple books, but if you don't at least solve the foreground crime, I don't know what you've written, but it's not a fucking mystery novel.
Bodies pile up here, and NOT ONE SINGLE MURDER is solved.
You don't take a single mystery, chop it up into 3 books and call it a trilogy. That's not a thing in the mystery genre. It's sure as hell not a thing when each of the 3 books is less than 130 pages.
You want to pull that, then you should call it a damn serial, not a trilogy, and make damn sure that's conveyed in the marketing copy for the first installment.
So, I generally liked this and am going to keep going, but OMG am I pissed off about it.
Want to read
November 13, 2020Kindle freebie 11/13/20
November 12, 2018
This cozy mystery was awesome! I love the characters! Just be sure to have the second one queued up when this one ends!
November 3, 2018
I got totally lost in this sweet murder mystery. I love the way the characters interacted with each other. Be warned though that the murder is carried over into book two so buy the series. You will not want to wait. No sex in the book which was fine as it was a character driven story with no need for fluff.
October 15, 2019
Valor and Bishan, who is autistic.... and did we mention he's autistic... and just in case you forgot, don't worry, the author will remind you time and time again that Bish is autistic. Not always by coming right out and saying that he is autistic (though it does plenty enough), but it is constantly mentioned that Bish has tendencies that just make him super unique. And it's hard to have any feelings for Bish because he spends most of the book in jail, so all he really comes off as is a sum of his traits characteristically attributed to autism. So, there's that.
And then there is Valor's musings that they are just opposites. The prince and the pauper. I am curious who Valor considers the pauper. While he is the son of a wealthy earl, he has been disowned and cut off. Bishan's parents are a doctor and an accountant... and while those jobs probably don't make them silly rich, they would hardly classify them as paupers.
Then there is the whole mystery.
1. It isn't solved in this book. It's not as though the book is so long that it was necessary to divide it into 3 volumes. It could have been just one full length novel, so I can only assume it was divided into 3 books in hopes of higher profits(?)
2. The pool of suspects are characters that either a) don't make an appearance in the book or b) so fleeting if you blinked you would miss it. Consider most of the suspects are from Valor's Harrow days, which are a decade in the past and we have no idea of what transpired there, it makes it a little dull. You can't try to figure out the 'who' and the 'why' when we are given no information on either.
3. Valor sucks as an amateur sleuth. Considering that his boyfriend is in jail for weeks, he doesn't so a whole lot to try to get to the bottom of things. Lottie volunteers a lot of gossip, so maybe she is more cut out for sleuthing than Valor.
4. It doesn't make sense to try and frame someone for murder but then commit two acts of vandalism and two acts of murder while that person is in jail, as they'd have a pretty solid alibi.
5. Was Bish actually charged with murder? Because I may not be British, but I'm pretty sure the policed there can't hold someone for weeks without pressing charges. It never is clearly stated if they had charged him or not. Either way it doesn't make sense because if he wasn't charged, he shouldn't have spent so long in jail and if he was charged why would the police still be investigating the murder if they had charged him with the murder?
6. That stupid anagram. Why would a killer leave an anagram (for Valor, I assume), that was of a level of difficulty that Valor had to enlist his friend Nina, who had to enlist her cousin or someone to use a computer program to run through possibilities, of which there are over 70, 000. That makes no sense. Why deliver a menacing anagram if no one can figure out the message without the aide of a friend of a friend's computer program?
My last complaint is that there were far too many characters, most of little to no consequence. If you want to put 100 characters into your book, fine, but give them meaning. There are so many random friends and acquaintances from Harrow mentioned that serve no purpose as far as I can tell.
I slogged my way though this book. There was no intrigue for me. I've formed no attachment to the characters or the plot, so I shall not be finishing this series.
And then there is Valor's musings that they are just opposites. The prince and the pauper. I am curious who Valor considers the pauper. While he is the son of a wealthy earl, he has been disowned and cut off. Bishan's parents are a doctor and an accountant... and while those jobs probably don't make them silly rich, they would hardly classify them as paupers.
Then there is the whole mystery.
1. It isn't solved in this book. It's not as though the book is so long that it was necessary to divide it into 3 volumes. It could have been just one full length novel, so I can only assume it was divided into 3 books in hopes of higher profits(?)
2. The pool of suspects are characters that either a) don't make an appearance in the book or b) so fleeting if you blinked you would miss it. Consider most of the suspects are from Valor's Harrow days, which are a decade in the past and we have no idea of what transpired there, it makes it a little dull. You can't try to figure out the 'who' and the 'why' when we are given no information on either.
3. Valor sucks as an amateur sleuth. Considering that his boyfriend is in jail for weeks, he doesn't so a whole lot to try to get to the bottom of things. Lottie volunteers a lot of gossip, so maybe she is more cut out for sleuthing than Valor.
4. It doesn't make sense to try and frame someone for murder but then commit two acts of vandalism and two acts of murder while that person is in jail, as they'd have a pretty solid alibi.
5. Was Bish actually charged with murder? Because I may not be British, but I'm pretty sure the policed there can't hold someone for weeks without pressing charges. It never is clearly stated if they had charged him or not. Either way it doesn't make sense because if he wasn't charged, he shouldn't have spent so long in jail and if he was charged why would the police still be investigating the murder if they had charged him with the murder?
6. That stupid anagram. Why would a killer leave an anagram (for Valor, I assume), that was of a level of difficulty that Valor had to enlist his friend Nina, who had to enlist her cousin or someone to use a computer program to run through possibilities, of which there are over 70, 000. That makes no sense. Why deliver a menacing anagram if no one can figure out the message without the aide of a friend of a friend's computer program?
My last complaint is that there were far too many characters, most of little to no consequence. If you want to put 100 characters into your book, fine, but give them meaning. There are so many random friends and acquaintances from Harrow mentioned that serve no purpose as far as I can tell.
I slogged my way though this book. There was no intrigue for me. I've formed no attachment to the characters or the plot, so I shall not be finishing this series.
January 31, 2019
3.5 Stars
No heat, and the mystery isn't solved in this installment. But it was interesting and I'm going to give the second one a try - if for no other reason than to figure out the culprit! (Also, I kinda love Bish.)
(Never read a "Cozy Mystery" before...looks like a good one to cut my teeth on.) <--- It was!
No heat, and the mystery isn't solved in this installment. But it was interesting and I'm going to give the second one a try - if for no other reason than to figure out the culprit! (Also, I kinda love Bish.)
(Never read a "Cozy Mystery" before...looks like a good one to cut my teeth on.) <--- It was!
Want to read
December 5, 2021Thanks to the person from the Elfster exchange for the gift!
own-but-not-read-yet
April 25, 20194-25-19: Currently FREE on Amazon US - this sounds super cute and good ratings. I think I will try to squeeze this one in soon. :)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
October 5, 2018
This cozy little mystery was exactly what I needed. I was in a reading slump and this picked me right back out of it.
I absolutely love Valor and Bishan. They are such a cute couple! I love that they met at boarding school and found themselves in a long-term relationship. I also love that Bishan is a functioning adult with autism. It shows a different side to the spectrum that is not portrayed very often. All of this mixed together with family complications and amazing friends creates a cozy plot line.
Add in a little "Who Done It?" mystery and this book turns into a complete page-turner! I couldn't put this down once I started it. It sucked me in and had me guessing at every new development.
This is my first book by Ms. Donovan and I cannot wait to start the next!
Reviewed by: Brianne M.
I absolutely love Valor and Bishan. They are such a cute couple! I love that they met at boarding school and found themselves in a long-term relationship. I also love that Bishan is a functioning adult with autism. It shows a different side to the spectrum that is not portrayed very often. All of this mixed together with family complications and amazing friends creates a cozy plot line.
Add in a little "Who Done It?" mystery and this book turns into a complete page-turner! I couldn't put this down once I started it. It sucked me in and had me guessing at every new development.
This is my first book by Ms. Donovan and I cannot wait to start the next!
Reviewed by: Brianne M.
October 8, 2018
Spunky N Sassy Rating: 4.0
~~~~~~~~~~Lindsey's ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review~~~~~~~~~~
This is the type of book that is easy to curl up with. I never knew what was going to happen next and I can’t wait for book two.
~~~~~~~~~~Lindsey's ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review~~~~~~~~~~
This is the type of book that is easy to curl up with. I never knew what was going to happen next and I can’t wait for book two.
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November 14, 2018A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
I feel compelled to mention that the Grasmere Triology feels less like three independent titles that string together one larger story arc and more like one story that’s been haphazardly cut up into three chunks. Yes, Valor narrates book 1 (he has to, Bishan spends virtually all of that book in jail and is given only a few token appearances) and Bishan takes up narration for book 2, but all the drama in all three books is driven by the same murderer. Book 1, for example, lacks all closure. If I hadn’t known in advance I had books 2 and 3, I likely would have given up on the series because I was so displeased with the lack of Bishan in book 1 and the complete non-progress on identifying anything about the murderer. Suffice to say, despite the shortcomings of book 1, all three books together as one unit make for a pretty satisfying read.
If you are looking for a super cozy murder mystery that doesn’t skimp on the murder or high drama (car crashes, homophobic relatives, police stings, explosions, kidnappings, death-by-cinnamon) then I’m sure you’ll love this book.
Read Camille’s review of the trilogy in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
I feel compelled to mention that the Grasmere Triology feels less like three independent titles that string together one larger story arc and more like one story that’s been haphazardly cut up into three chunks. Yes, Valor narrates book 1 (he has to, Bishan spends virtually all of that book in jail and is given only a few token appearances) and Bishan takes up narration for book 2, but all the drama in all three books is driven by the same murderer. Book 1, for example, lacks all closure. If I hadn’t known in advance I had books 2 and 3, I likely would have given up on the series because I was so displeased with the lack of Bishan in book 1 and the complete non-progress on identifying anything about the murderer. Suffice to say, despite the shortcomings of book 1, all three books together as one unit make for a pretty satisfying read.
If you are looking for a super cozy murder mystery that doesn’t skimp on the murder or high drama (car crashes, homophobic relatives, police stings, explosions, kidnappings, death-by-cinnamon) then I’m sure you’ll love this book.
Read Camille’s review of the trilogy in its entirety here.
January 24, 2021
This is a cinnamon roll of a cozy mystery and absolutely what I needed to read while ending 2020. It’s about a lovely couple, Valor and Bishan, in an English village who find a dead body in their garden. Naturally, one of them is the suspect (Bish)–especially, since the body ends up being a former schoolmate of the couple.
Now Valor needs to figure out who would put a dead body in their garden to frame Bish, while Bish sits in jail. Complicating matters–like it’s not already complicated–is that jail is even more difficult for Bish who is autistic, and Valor comes with all the family drama, being the son of a Countess and Earl. Valor even suspects that one of the family members he no longer speaks with is involved. Oh, and add in a zany neighbor with a billion frogs and Bish’s sweet family for this entertaining and gentle mystery. If you’ve been watching a lot of gentle reality shows lately, this will give you that same feeling.
It’s only 130-ish pages, a novella, that ends on a cliffhanger so have the sequel handy or do a mad muttering in the middle of the night as you quickly purchase the second, like me.
--from Book Riot's Unusual Suspects newsletter: https://link.bookriot.com/view/56a820...
Now Valor needs to figure out who would put a dead body in their garden to frame Bish, while Bish sits in jail. Complicating matters–like it’s not already complicated–is that jail is even more difficult for Bish who is autistic, and Valor comes with all the family drama, being the son of a Countess and Earl. Valor even suspects that one of the family members he no longer speaks with is involved. Oh, and add in a zany neighbor with a billion frogs and Bish’s sweet family for this entertaining and gentle mystery. If you’ve been watching a lot of gentle reality shows lately, this will give you that same feeling.
It’s only 130-ish pages, a novella, that ends on a cliffhanger so have the sequel handy or do a mad muttering in the middle of the night as you quickly purchase the second, like me.
--from Book Riot's Unusual Suspects newsletter: https://link.bookriot.com/view/56a820...
October 20, 2018
An interesting mystery with a great cast of characters. I’m enjoying the beginning of this series. Valor and his friends are wonderful and I’m loving the relationship between him and Bishan.
Donovan is setting the stage, dropping some clues and getting us invested in the outcome. The more we read, the more serious this mystery becomes. It is clear Valor and Bishan are smack dab in the middle of things and I’m eager to see how everything will play out.
I read cozy mysteries quite often but this one was a bit different for me. I’ve never read one where the mystery isn’t solved. Usually they solve the mystery and go on to another story featuring the same main character having to solve another crime but this was a full on cliffhanger. With it being only 128 pages, I think that Donovan could have combined the books into one rather than splitting it up like this but it definitely amps up my excitement for the next book! I am dying to know who is behind all of this. I’m ready to dive into Dead in the Pond.
December 3, 2024
This is my first time reading this author. I'm not sure I'm a fan for a couple of reasons.
I hate it when authors feel like they have to remind you over and over of a disability or quirk that a character has. Bish has autism. The author will continuously remind you, whether it's by saying it out right, or talking about all of his unique quirks or tendencies.
Next is the money grab. This book is 116 pgs. Why on earth, can't we solve the mystery. Why does it take 3 books? I'll never understand why this seems to be so normal these days because this easily could've been a full length book that we pay for.
Either way, I won't be reading the series anymore and I'm not sure this author is for me.
I hate it when authors feel like they have to remind you over and over of a disability or quirk that a character has. Bish has autism. The author will continuously remind you, whether it's by saying it out right, or talking about all of his unique quirks or tendencies.
Next is the money grab. This book is 116 pgs. Why on earth, can't we solve the mystery. Why does it take 3 books? I'll never understand why this seems to be so normal these days because this easily could've been a full length book that we pay for.
Either way, I won't be reading the series anymore and I'm not sure this author is for me.
December 14, 2020
I got such a homey feel reading this great mystery. I loved Valor and Bishan and the way they adapted their relationship to fit Bish's autism is amazing. Would of liked some sexy times, but it doesn't really fit here so I understand (**pouting**).
Some resolution but we still don't know who the killer is...
Some resolution but we still don't know who the killer is...
September 1, 2021
Actual rating: 3.5 stars. I read all three of these short novels by the pool on a short mini-vacation two hours away from home. With the cliffhangers on books one and two, you might as well make sure you have all three queued up because if you like it even a little, you have to keep reading. This is basically one book split into three parts, which is probably all due to marketing and fairly common on Amazon, honestly. It’s a sweet, inclusive, gay cozy mystery with maybe more Murder and Stress than most cozies. Once I’m not typing on my phone poolside I’ll try to add more thoughts.
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January 17, 20213.5 Stars
October 25, 2018
This was an enjoyable cozy mystery with two lovable characters. Valor and Bishan have been together for years, and are now being targeted as someone is framing Bish for murder. Bish has autism, so the struggles he faces as he is arrested causes disruption to his routine and is very concerning for Valor, who is Bish's #1 fan. Bish comes from an amazingly supportive family. Valor, on the other hand, has a horrible family unit. They get through the first book proving that Bish is innocent, but the killer is increasing his number of victims, and they all still seem to be related somehow to Valor and Bish.
This book ended up as a cliffhanger in that we don't find out who the killer it. Luckily, like I mentioned, we do see Bish released and found innocent, but there is still a lot unknown. Luckily the other 2 books in this series have also been released and can be read back to back. I would recommend continuing onto Book 2 to see what comes next.
I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC provided by LesCourt Author Services
This book ended up as a cliffhanger in that we don't find out who the killer it. Luckily, like I mentioned, we do see Bish released and found innocent, but there is still a lot unknown. Luckily the other 2 books in this series have also been released and can be read back to back. I would recommend continuing onto Book 2 to see what comes next.
I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC provided by LesCourt Author Services
October 7, 2018
So if you want to write a cozy mystery about Harrow? 1) you have to set it at Harrow, and 2) you have to have all the suspects around. That is how cozy mysteries work.
Also, it's nice that the author wanted to show a neurodiverse character in the MC's boyfriend, but omg, not every sentence about him needs to remind us in a horribly clunky way that he's autistic.
Note: the story ends on a cliff-hanger; there is no resolution.
Also, it's nice that the author wanted to show a neurodiverse character in the MC's boyfriend, but omg, not every sentence about him needs to remind us in a horribly clunky way that he's autistic.
Note: the story ends on a cliff-hanger; there is no resolution.
February 5, 2020
This book is SO awfully written, I almost can't believe I actually read it at all.
Not to mention that I actually read all three books, because I have to admit that the murder(s) and main characters were somewhat interesting, and I at least wanted to find out the ending. - I regret the time I lost reading them, though. I could have read a good book instead! (Not to speak of the money I spend on them!)
Not to mention that I actually read all three books, because I have to admit that the murder(s) and main characters were somewhat interesting, and I at least wanted to find out the ending. - I regret the time I lost reading them, though. I could have read a good book instead! (Not to speak of the money I spend on them!)
October 20, 2018
I liked this book. Its the first in a teilogy and really as I think books one and two end on a bit of a cliffhanger, you need all three books so you can binge read them.
Val and Bish live a quiet life i Grasmere when Bish is accused of murder.
Val the turns into something of a Poirot. A great cast of secondary characters really bring this book to life.
Val and Bish live a quiet life i Grasmere when Bish is accused of murder.
Val the turns into something of a Poirot. A great cast of secondary characters really bring this book to life.
October 19, 2018
When I saw this book and found out it was a cozy mystery with a gay couple as main characters I immediately knew I had to read this one. I am pretty sure this is the first cozy mystery I heard of with a gay couple and the story sounded pretty interesting too. I would categorize it more as a cozy mystery first and a romance second as the romance doesn't get as much focus due to certain events.
Dead in the Garden is a pretty unique cozy mystery. The set-up doesn't follow the common pattern of a cozy mystery and I kinda liked the different approach. I had read a few reviews before I started this one so I already knew the murder wouldn't be solved in book 1 and I think this helped adjust my expectations. The pacing of the mystery makes a lot more sense if you know there are two more books before things get resolved.
There isn't a clear pool of suspects that you get to know early in the book like with most cozy mystery. In fact the main suspects you only meet toward the end and even then you don't get to know that much about them and the motive isn't clear. But as the mystery isn't resolved yet I find it hard to say much more about it at this point. The progressing was different from most cozy mysteries, which I liked, but it did take some time before we got some suspects and it doesn't quite feel clear who is doing this and why.
It made sense how Valor got involved in the murder, but at times it didn't feel like they were progressing much or that he was doing much. The biggest clues and changes actually were because of what the murderer did. Part of the puzzles he had friends help solve, which was nice to see he had help, although the puzzle wasn't as interesting as it got basically solved off screen and you couldn't solve it yourself. There wasn't as much snooping or talking with people, but more research and thinking about who would be behind this and piecing some clues together.
I thought it was a bit weird how they arrest someone without much evidence and continue to keep him for 3 weeks, I think it was, while the evidence keeps building and it seems clear he isn't the culprit. It also was just sad how this affected all the parties involved. There were also parts where things seemed to move a bit slow and it didn't fully keep my attention at times. For the most part it was a fun read tough.
I am not sure if I like how the story is broken up into three parts, as now you can try out the first part for cheap, but at the same time the story doesn't feel quite complete. And I am not sure if I am curious enough to buy the other two parts.
I liked the romance. It's an already established romance, which works here. Valor and Bishan seemed like a great couple and I liked how much Valor cared about Bishan and also worked with his autism well. We don't get Bishan's point of view, but he seemed to care about Valor a lot too, even tough he doesn't quite articulate it in the same way other do. i thought his autism was handled well form what I can tell. It also was a nice touch how Bishan was Indian and there are some mentions of his close knit family. And it's actually Valor's family who don't like him being gay and now don't speak to him anymore. The focus isn't really on the romance tough, due to events in the book they aren't together as much, but even with them separated it was clear how much they cared about the other.
I liked Valor as a main character, although I would've liked to get a better feel of his personality. It was a bit hard to get a full idea of his personality. I did like how he had a bunch of people who helped him and supported him. There are a bunch of fun side characters, who come alive to varying degrees. I felt like some of the side characters could use a bit more depth as I had sometimes trouble remembering who as who at times.
To summarize: all in all this was a fun start to this cozy mystery series. I liked how it had a gay couple as I haven't seen many cozies with a gay couple before. The mystery and how it progresses doesn't fall in the traditional cozy mystery pattern, which I kinda liked for the most part. The story is split in 3 parts, do the mystery doesn't get resolved here. It also takes some time before we get some suspects, which we don't get to know too well and the motive is still unclear too. The story didn't fully grab me at times, but for the most part I had fun reading this one and I am curious how the mystery will progress. the romance was sweet and well done, but the couple is apart for most of the book, so there aren't as many scenes with them together. I did like them both and they seemed to care about each other. I would recommend this if you're looking for an unique cozy mystery.
Dead in the Garden is a pretty unique cozy mystery. The set-up doesn't follow the common pattern of a cozy mystery and I kinda liked the different approach. I had read a few reviews before I started this one so I already knew the murder wouldn't be solved in book 1 and I think this helped adjust my expectations. The pacing of the mystery makes a lot more sense if you know there are two more books before things get resolved.
There isn't a clear pool of suspects that you get to know early in the book like with most cozy mystery. In fact the main suspects you only meet toward the end and even then you don't get to know that much about them and the motive isn't clear. But as the mystery isn't resolved yet I find it hard to say much more about it at this point. The progressing was different from most cozy mysteries, which I liked, but it did take some time before we got some suspects and it doesn't quite feel clear who is doing this and why.
It made sense how Valor got involved in the murder, but at times it didn't feel like they were progressing much or that he was doing much. The biggest clues and changes actually were because of what the murderer did. Part of the puzzles he had friends help solve, which was nice to see he had help, although the puzzle wasn't as interesting as it got basically solved off screen and you couldn't solve it yourself. There wasn't as much snooping or talking with people, but more research and thinking about who would be behind this and piecing some clues together.
I thought it was a bit weird how they arrest someone without much evidence and continue to keep him for 3 weeks, I think it was, while the evidence keeps building and it seems clear he isn't the culprit. It also was just sad how this affected all the parties involved. There were also parts where things seemed to move a bit slow and it didn't fully keep my attention at times. For the most part it was a fun read tough.
I am not sure if I like how the story is broken up into three parts, as now you can try out the first part for cheap, but at the same time the story doesn't feel quite complete. And I am not sure if I am curious enough to buy the other two parts.
I liked the romance. It's an already established romance, which works here. Valor and Bishan seemed like a great couple and I liked how much Valor cared about Bishan and also worked with his autism well. We don't get Bishan's point of view, but he seemed to care about Valor a lot too, even tough he doesn't quite articulate it in the same way other do. i thought his autism was handled well form what I can tell. It also was a nice touch how Bishan was Indian and there are some mentions of his close knit family. And it's actually Valor's family who don't like him being gay and now don't speak to him anymore. The focus isn't really on the romance tough, due to events in the book they aren't together as much, but even with them separated it was clear how much they cared about the other.
I liked Valor as a main character, although I would've liked to get a better feel of his personality. It was a bit hard to get a full idea of his personality. I did like how he had a bunch of people who helped him and supported him. There are a bunch of fun side characters, who come alive to varying degrees. I felt like some of the side characters could use a bit more depth as I had sometimes trouble remembering who as who at times.
To summarize: all in all this was a fun start to this cozy mystery series. I liked how it had a gay couple as I haven't seen many cozies with a gay couple before. The mystery and how it progresses doesn't fall in the traditional cozy mystery pattern, which I kinda liked for the most part. The story is split in 3 parts, do the mystery doesn't get resolved here. It also takes some time before we get some suspects, which we don't get to know too well and the motive is still unclear too. The story didn't fully grab me at times, but for the most part I had fun reading this one and I am curious how the mystery will progress. the romance was sweet and well done, but the couple is apart for most of the book, so there aren't as many scenes with them together. I did like them both and they seemed to care about each other. I would recommend this if you're looking for an unique cozy mystery.
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September 9, 2023When Valor and Bishan find a corpse in their front garden, it triggers a series of events designed to frame Bishan as the murderer.
This is my third book by Donovan (one in each of 3 different series). As always, the writing is decent and the casual diversity and the sense of found family are top-notch.
Unfortunately, what keeps me from loving Donovan's books more than I do is the lack of authenticity. To someone who doesn't live in the UK, maybe they would be less inclined to notice the things that make me shake my head with disbelief.
The book is set in the Lake District. Yet characters repeatedly drive between Grasmere, where the couple lives, and either Manchester or London. They make this drive on a moment's notice, as if it were nothing. A few days after finishing this book, one of my neighbours (in London) mentioned he'd just returned from Grasmere. It should be a 6h drive but bad traffic made it a 10h drive. Even Manchester is at least 3h away.
And Valor's background… To anyone who's ever spent time with people from a wealthy background, nothing about Valor's family rings true. I mean, yes, they might disown a family member for behaving in a way they disapprove of. That's feasible. But for that sort of family to disown a beloved son merely for being gay? In the 2020s? Not likely. And everything else about the school and the family… It all just lacks a bit of realness.
I'm sure a few small, targeted changes could turn this into a knockout series. But then, I guess if the target audience isn't British, maybe it doesn't matter.
This is my third book by Donovan (one in each of 3 different series). As always, the writing is decent and the casual diversity and the sense of found family are top-notch.
Unfortunately, what keeps me from loving Donovan's books more than I do is the lack of authenticity. To someone who doesn't live in the UK, maybe they would be less inclined to notice the things that make me shake my head with disbelief.
The book is set in the Lake District. Yet characters repeatedly drive between Grasmere, where the couple lives, and either Manchester or London. They make this drive on a moment's notice, as if it were nothing. A few days after finishing this book, one of my neighbours (in London) mentioned he'd just returned from Grasmere. It should be a 6h drive but bad traffic made it a 10h drive. Even Manchester is at least 3h away.
And Valor's background… To anyone who's ever spent time with people from a wealthy background, nothing about Valor's family rings true. I mean, yes, they might disown a family member for behaving in a way they disapprove of. That's feasible. But for that sort of family to disown a beloved son merely for being gay? In the 2020s? Not likely. And everything else about the school and the family… It all just lacks a bit of realness.
I'm sure a few small, targeted changes could turn this into a knockout series. But then, I guess if the target audience isn't British, maybe it doesn't matter.
April 16, 2021
I'm so glad I finally got around to reading Dahlia Donovan's Grasmere Cottage mystery series! Her books have been on my TBR list for a while and the author offered Dead in the Garden as a promo freebie for a while. Dead in the Garden is Book 1 in a three part series which revolves around Bishan and Valor. They've been in a relationship since their uni days and now they're settled into their cozy cottage and with their established careers. Their tranquility and peaceful life is shattered one day when they discover a dead body in their backyard and Bishan is arrested! It turns out the dead body was a former childhood bully and Bishan's silence (as part of his autism) and personal background makes him the #1 suspect! Dead in the Garden is told in single POV by Valor and he puts on his sleuthing hat to find out who is trying to frame his boyfriend. This book ends on a cliffhanger so be sure to read the next book Dead in the Pond! For fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot, BBC mysteries Father Brown and Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, you'll love the Grasmere Cottage mystery series! The author is autistic and her books resonate with her true voice so it was very informative with humor, mystery, and romance.
October 6, 2018
**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie from Give Me Books Promotions for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**
Dead in the Garden is the first book in a trilogy by Dahlia Donovan. All three books are connected and continue the same story and mystery so I’d recommend that if you’re going to read this you have the other two books already. This book and book 2 both end with a cliffhanger, so you’ve been forewarned. I am one of those people who hate cliffhangers, and this series did not make me feel any differently about them. The murder mystery spread among the three books so you won’t find out until book 3 who is responsible and the reason for that.
This is the first I’ve read from this author and I thought the writing was really well-done. I especially love cozy mysteries and I thought this series fit well within that genre. The author has built a world full of interesting people. Valor and Bishan were easily likable characters full of personality. These two characters have a history together and you felt that in the reading of the story. There are a lot of characters in this story, with unusual names to me, so I at times struggled keeping characters straight. This was something I struggled with through the series, especially with the addition of so many students from their school days.
The mystery was written really well and I doubt anyone would figure out who the murderer is before the author wants you to figure it out. Something I didn’t expect was Bishan being autistic and how well written his and Valor’s life is together. Valor adjusts situations for Bishan all the time with little thought, it’s just natural. Seeing their relationship and the strengths of both men was a sweet and nice addition to this cozy mystery. This is definitely a book I would recommend, but again, make sure you have the other two books at the ready!
Rating: 4 stars!!
Dead in the Garden is the first book in a trilogy by Dahlia Donovan. All three books are connected and continue the same story and mystery so I’d recommend that if you’re going to read this you have the other two books already. This book and book 2 both end with a cliffhanger, so you’ve been forewarned. I am one of those people who hate cliffhangers, and this series did not make me feel any differently about them. The murder mystery spread among the three books so you won’t find out until book 3 who is responsible and the reason for that.
This is the first I’ve read from this author and I thought the writing was really well-done. I especially love cozy mysteries and I thought this series fit well within that genre. The author has built a world full of interesting people. Valor and Bishan were easily likable characters full of personality. These two characters have a history together and you felt that in the reading of the story. There are a lot of characters in this story, with unusual names to me, so I at times struggled keeping characters straight. This was something I struggled with through the series, especially with the addition of so many students from their school days.
The mystery was written really well and I doubt anyone would figure out who the murderer is before the author wants you to figure it out. Something I didn’t expect was Bishan being autistic and how well written his and Valor’s life is together. Valor adjusts situations for Bishan all the time with little thought, it’s just natural. Seeing their relationship and the strengths of both men was a sweet and nice addition to this cozy mystery. This is definitely a book I would recommend, but again, make sure you have the other two books at the ready!
Rating: 4 stars!!
December 15, 2020
This is light and fun. It is an established couple (Valor the son of an Earl and Bishan a British-Indian musician who is autistic) who discovers a body in their garden (this is not a spoiler but p1 of the book). The story is about the investigation, in that sense it is not a romance: the couple's future is not in question at any point. This is part of a series and cannot be read alone as the mystery is not solved at the end. The whole book is told through Valor's eyes. I really enjoyed his "obsession" with the Poirot TV show as I'm currently re-watching them. I'm not sure about the autistic rep but I'm not a own voice reviewer so I can't be sure. Maybe it will get better in the next one because it is told through Bishan's eyes. Onto the next one :)
February 20, 2021
An interesting mystery. Set in the Lake District and with interesting characters: a professional Musician who happens to be autistic and a disinherited Second son who has a ginger biscuit company live in Grasmere and one morning they look out the kitchen window to see a dead body that they don’t know and didn’t kill. It turns out to be an old school mate who brutally bullied them in their school days. So the musician gets arrested but when other bodies start appearing that they went to school with start appearing he is cleared. Then they find out an inheritance was stolen from one and the group of suspects grows to include family members. I like how real the characters are and the puzzles that accompany the murders. What I don’t like is that the story seems to be spread out over 3 books. I have just started the second one.
June 22, 2020
A very well written and entertaining story.
I loved Valour, and I'm sure I'm going to love Bish once I really get to know him. The rest of the cast all seem very real and at the same time entertaining.
It's kind of funny that this was for me a lovely romance when the two main characters spent so much of the book apart. Yet the emotions were very real for me and I loved how Val made me aware of his love.
I failed to notice going in that this was not just a series but a single story told in 3 parts. I really wish that is noted in the blurb as I hate feeling I'm being blackmailed into buying more books, but that said I'm glad I started and will happily continue to the end.
I loved Valour, and I'm sure I'm going to love Bish once I really get to know him. The rest of the cast all seem very real and at the same time entertaining.
It's kind of funny that this was for me a lovely romance when the two main characters spent so much of the book apart. Yet the emotions were very real for me and I loved how Val made me aware of his love.
I failed to notice going in that this was not just a series but a single story told in 3 parts. I really wish that is noted in the blurb as I hate feeling I'm being blackmailed into buying more books, but that said I'm glad I started and will happily continue to the end.
May 1, 2023
Delightful little read; I'm excited to dive into parts two and three. I wish the character's personalities had been a little more developed, but with such a short read I was impressed with how defined the characters were. I really felt the love and dedication between Bishan and Valor, and I'm grateful that this cozy mystery depicted a queer relationship so authentically.
October 20, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This murder mystery short story is absolute fabulous.
I found Valor and Bishan really cute together and I loved the representation of autism to be refreshing, as it shows the patience and love Valor has to protect his partner and how amazing he supports autistic Bishan, despite having a rocky relationship with his own family.
I will say the story was a little fast-paced but regardless of this, it’s still a fun cosy read to snuggle up with.
The end is a massive cliff-hanger which instantly made me gag for more and is why I downloaded the next book of the series straight away.
This book is filled with wit, comedy, love and mystery and I urge you all to pick it up.
This murder mystery short story is absolute fabulous.
I found Valor and Bishan really cute together and I loved the representation of autism to be refreshing, as it shows the patience and love Valor has to protect his partner and how amazing he supports autistic Bishan, despite having a rocky relationship with his own family.
I will say the story was a little fast-paced but regardless of this, it’s still a fun cosy read to snuggle up with.
The end is a massive cliff-hanger which instantly made me gag for more and is why I downloaded the next book of the series straight away.
This book is filled with wit, comedy, love and mystery and I urge you all to pick it up.
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