Potager Plot

Backyard Farming Mystery #5

by Vikki Walton

Digging in the dirt can be deadly. A dead body. Small town secrets. What’s Anne digging up this time? Anne Fremont is branching out into creating garden plans for town residents. After Anne finds Billie, the garden club president dead, something doesn’t add up. While her client’s death appears accidental, rumors of affairs and troubling questions emerge. Anne knows the truth hides in the tiniest details. As she digs further, more dirt is revealed into the lives of the garden club members. It appears someone may have silenced Billie to keep their secret hidden. Can Anne discover the killer before they plant her—forever? Potager Plot is the fifth book in the witty Backyard Farming series by Vikki Walton. If you enjoy sassy sleuths and clever clues along with light-hearted humor and sweet romance all tied up in a clean cozy mystery, grab this book today.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery

182 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 19, 2021

About the author

Vikki Walton is the best-selling author of the cozy mystery series, A Backyard Farming series. She is also the author of the Taylor Texas series, and Viviane's Adventures series.
In addition to writing cozy mysteries, she is the author of nonfiction books.
Vikki loves spending time either in her garden or visiting gardens on her travels. She loves animals so you'll usually find some animals in most of her stories.
Vikki currently lives in the beautiful state of Colorado.
You can sign up to receive updates and news about new releases, book deals, and giveaways through https://vikkiwalton.com
You can also find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VikkiWaltonA...

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Potager Plot is the fifth book in the Backyard Farming Mysteries written by Vikki Walton. I've read the previous four books in the author's series, but I haven't yet read any of her other stand-alone or series books; those will happen later this year, most likely. In this upcoming release, Anne is helping the garden club when one of the members dies unexpectedly. Although the woman was suffering from cancer, friends thought things were improving... so when she's found dead in her own home under a bookshelf, Anne can't believe it was merely an accident.

Walton brings a wonderful sense of eclectic charm to her books. This novel is filled with strong female characters, and the background setting offers readers a chance to enjoy the plot and to learn about backyard farming. Whether it's gardening or styling flower arrangements, there's a little bit of something for everyone who holds a keen interest in vegetables, plants and flowers. The books are a bit on the shorter side for a novel, which means they can easily be read in one sitting or in a day. The dialog and narrative flow quite easily, and the mystery is strong.

Between an affair, marital woes, best friends who are fighting, and someone climbing higher in the gardening club leadership team, there are plenty of suspects. And if you enjoy romance and family fun, Anne's fling with the sheriff gets more serious, and her ward might became her adopted son. Heartwarming and light, the story is a fine balance of touching and suspenseful all at the same time, while still managing to be a true cozy mystery. I look forward to more in the future.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Potager Plot is the fifth book in the Backyard Farming Mystery series by Vikki Walton. This is the first book that I have read by Ms. Walton, but the bright and interesting cover caught my eye while I was scrolling looking for new books to read, and as I love a great cozy mystery, I happily grabbed a copy to explore.
This turned out to be a fun, humorous, and fairly light-hearted read. It is a small-town murder mystery with drama, secrets, danger, suspense, investigation, some quirky characters, an interesting plot, and a touch of romance.
I didn’t notice going into the story that this is the fifth book in the series, but thankfully it can easily be read as a standalone, and I didn’t feel like I was ‘missing’ anything by not having read the previous books first. Having said that, though, the story intrigued me enough to want to go back and read the rest of the series before reading any new instalments.
A fun read!

Thank you, Vikki Walton!

Merged review:

4 Stars

Potager Plot is the fifth book in the Backyard Farming Mystery series by Vikki Walton. This is the first book that I have read by Ms. Walton, but the bight and interesting cover caught my eye while I was scrolling looking for new books to read, and as I love a great cozy mystery, I happily grabbed a copy to explore.
This turned out to be a fun, humorous, and fairly light-hearted read. It is a small-town murder mystery with drama, secrets, danger, suspense, investigation, some quirky characters, an interesting plot, and a touch of romance.
I didn’t notice going into the story that this is the fifth book in the series, but thankfully it can easily be read as a standalone, and I didn’t feel like I was ‘missing’ anything by not having read the previous books first. Having said that, though, the story intrigued me enough to want to go back and read the rest of the series before reading any new instalments.
A fun read!

Thank you, Vikki Walton!

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Potager Plot: A witty cozy mystery with a hint of romance. (A Backyard Farming Mystery Book 5) by Vikki Walton is a heart-warming and easy read. Unfortunately, I did not realise that it was the fifth book in the series until I was a good way through. So rather than stop I finished and really enjoyed it. I will go back and start at the beginning in the future. This suspenseful read is fun, and we have a team of female leads that will do your head in. They are sassy fun and each one of them full of secrets and the unexpected. They are definitely a quirky bunch.
A mysterious death, maybe. An affair, possibly. Happy besties, hmmmm maybe not. But one thing that is sure is that it is a quick read, an afternoon delight with good humour and a few chuckles.

[Jennifer Bartholomae · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Potager Plot” is Vikki Walton’s newest cozy mystery. This book follows Anne and a lively cast of townspeople as they try to unearth who killed the gardening club president, Billie. The author offers a wide array of characters and circumstances that could lead almost any of the townspeople to be Billie’s killer. Everyone has a secret, it seems. The book kept true to the idea of cozy, lighthearted mysteries. Yes, someone does get killed but we aren’t subjected to the gruesome details or play-by-plays that other mysteries sometimes give us. There is a little romance, but again, Watson keeps from delving too far into the details. I feel like the book speaks more to the nature of friendship and small-town life than it does anything. It is a very light, easy read, with enough intrigue to keep you turning the pages. For me, I think there may have been a few too many characters to keep up with. Throughout the book I had to keep referring to the cast list in the front to remember who each character was and what part they played. While Walton doesn’t go into the deep details of some themes in the book, I feel like she goes into a little too much detail in some spaces. Detail, that if left out, wouldn’t affect the story and that I found distracting in some instances or found myself trying to figure out where it fit into the plotline. Overall, a light, easy read with a dollop of suspense.

[Karen Pearman · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW, what a great book. I truly wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book quite like I did. In fact, initially when seeing the book cover I thought that it was going to be a kid’s story. It’s not at all. What I found was a very romantic cozy mystery with laughs galore. It turns out that this is the fifth book in a series, and I haven’t read any of the previous books. Let me just add that I do plan on it. However, I don’t think it would be a must to read them in order. This was a great book on its own and I was able to dig right into the characters and the story. It was a quick read for me as I finished it in one night. Then again, I couldn’t put it down so that could explain why. If you want laughs, romance, and suspense please pick this book up to read.

[Stephanie Colley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder in a Garden Club!
Who would have thought that plot line could be so interesting and keep one attention till the end!
This murder mystery is very detailed, powered by women and easy to follow along.
When there is drama in a garden club and the death is one of the dearly loved members/leader. You question everyone and everything before you are next to be sleeping with the roses!
There is some grapevine twists and turns in this story, but great ending! Who’s ready to dig up the dirt!!
There is a character list at the beginning of the book in case you haven’t read her other books. Very helpful in my opinion.

[Desiree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading this author and it is a fun, clean, cozy mystery!

The author did a wonderful job of making the characters relatable and feel like real people. It is a beautifully written mystery that includes a strong group of women that have formed a strong bond with each other. They work together to help solve a "who-done-it". Having grown up in a small town, I appreciated the depiction of what small towns are like with their rumor mills and suspicions when something nefarious happens!

All in all, a quick, fun read! Will read this author again!

[Erica S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cozy mystery set in the sweet town of Carolan Springs. The town is rocked with the death of the beloved Gardening Club President Billie Whitman. Everyone in town seems to be keeping secrets and hiding clues. Anne's keen nose for trouble and desire to solve this mystery keep her inspecting all her neighbours to solve the crime. This is an interesting story with a good plot. This being my first book by Walton, I had trouble keeping everyone straight in the first part of the book. I eventually got it sorted and it was a nice read.

[Kaitlynn Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Potager Plot (A Backyard Farming Mystery #5)
By Vikki Walton

4-stars

Potager Plot is the 5th book in the Backyard Farming Mystery series, however, this is the first book I have read by this author and of the series. Even though I was able to enjoy this story I feel like I would have enjoyed it more had I been following from the beginning.

I enjoyed how this mystery read was still lighthearted and funny with a hint of drama and intrigue, perfect for a rainy day! Now that I have read this book I look forward to reading more from this author very soon.

[Anantha Rusum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these type of mysteries. At the end of a tiring day, pick up a book, set in a small town , a group of women meeting in a garden and then there is a murder, the murder of the head of the gardening club, President Billie Whitman. Everyone in the town is keeping a secret. Now it is upto Anne, the protagonist to trace the clues and solve the case. It is a light-hearted read with drama, secrets, danger and suspense. A very interesting plot and a dash of romance.

[Valerie Irwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greenhouses, Gloves and a Major Glitch

I love the character development in this series as the main characters seem like loving, caring people with whom you would want to be friends. There were a few typos tone found, but the storyline was easy to follow. It was not difficult to figure out who the murderer was, but several of the side stories held surprises. I look forward to the final book in this series.

[Amanda Forsberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Another great read by a great author. Never who you thought it'd was. Keeps you guessing right till the very end.

[Amary Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wel Written Gardening Cozy

Ms. Walton pens an intriguing cozy with family and romantic elements. There are various suspects and reason they may have murdered a dying woman

[acspascoal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Potager plot is a fine, casual, simple read. I didn't find it to be amazing (I actually struggled with it in the beginning, to be honest), but it was entertaining enough.

[Lorrene Huisman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up, as first off all the cover of the book was very bright and caught my eyes. Then I saw it was a mystery regarding around gardening. I am a die hard gardener, and I love my cozy mysteries to read, so needless to say, I had to read this! I am so glad I did, and I really enjoyed this new author for me and novel! It was mystery with so many perks, it was a joy from beginning to end!

This novel starts off as atypical group just doing their usual. Anne is the lead character in this novel and is helping out with her garden club and talking to a specific member (the head of the club basically) Something was off about her though, Anne put off oh its an off day sort of thing, but was there more than meets the eye? How well did she really know the members of her garden club?

Day continues on, and basically shock time...the member is murdered in the most unusual way. It was not her health that did it, it was defiantly a murder. Major question was though was why? And what was the motive? Was this not just a garden club of women who all had shared interests? What skeletons are in these closets of this club? What would Anne find out if she went digging? How far would she have to dig?

I loved how the author wrote this story. It was a very easy read and fast paced. I wont lie I was quite invested in this group, due to my love of gardening and planting and taking care of my crops. Those things that got mentioned as I read was really awesome, it still pertained to the story, but also made the book what it was. Which was super fun to read and awesome read!

As I read on I learned rather quick that these members may very well have had something to hide...there were things unknown and things they or should I say all a certain someone wanted left unknow and not to be dug up. Sometimes what you bury will reach the surface though. If you dig enough, and the person did not bury deep enough, you might very well have something resurface you did not expect it.

Things flowed though more, and Anne has her relationship she had going really become more. And Anne was a great character, I really loved her and seeing her take charge in this mystery and her love life was great to see. It had its quirkiness and the feeling of dying to know what would happen. This garden had a lot to dig up, and once you did all made sense and tied together! It was a great read, I really enjoyed it!

This was a first time author for me, but I had a lot of fun and I defiantly will be recommending this novel to my fellow book worms, my garden friends, and those who are a bit of both. The writing was very well done and everything came together, and it was a quick fun read. I defiantly will be reading more by this wonderful author, so happy I discovered them! This is a treat I wouldn't have had wanted to miss!

[Roxsanne Lesieur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Fremont is back in this new gardening tale, where she is giving a talk to the specialist interest group of the local gardening club where she will be talking about how to grow a good forest with a mix of flowers, fruit, vegetables and herbs on one place with little to no tending needed. She is happy to be there and has been looking for a gardening group to join and this one seems right up her street. The next day she has agreed to go and see the president of the club and discuss the designs she has in mind for her garden, so she gets ready for the day and sets off over in her car.

When she arrives, she knocks on the door, however, when she doesn’t get an answer after the third try, she decides to go and look in a window to see if they are home, however, when she sees the owner is unable to answer the door, she rushes in only to find that she is dead. Anne phones the authorities and reports what has happened and to all intensive purposes it looks like an accident, but the more she thinks about it, the more something doesn’t ring true for Anne.

She decides to ask around about what happened that morning and how people feel about it, but the more questions she asks, the more secrets are uncovered leading to more possible suspects. There are rumours and accusations flying of extra marital affairs and the possibility that someone has silenced the woman who has died, but will Anne be able to discover the culprits identity before she is the next victim? This is a lovely cozy mystery where secrets and ulterior motives abound, all while gardens are being created and tended to by the close knit gardening group.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this lighthearted cozy mystery to be an enjoyable and engaging read and although it is book five in the ‘A Backyard Farming Series’ about amateur detective Anne Fremont, I happily read it as a standalone story. The storyline centres on Anne who is creating garden plans for the residents of her small town, but who puts on her sleuthing hat once again when Billie, the garden club president is found dead. Although the death appears accidental in nature Anne is not convinced especially when rumours of affairs and troubling questions emerge. As Anne investigates she reveals the secrets of the garden club members and quickly realises that someone has silenced Billie to keep their secret from being discovered. Anne must work out who the killer is before they turn their attention to her. I loved Anne and she is a great main character who brings the story together. The mystery element and plot twists had me guessing until the end and I enjoyed working out the clever clues alongside Anne. The sweet romance added to the overall story and I liked the authors witty narrative. This was an entertaining read and I look forward to now reading the previous books in this series, and any future ones.

[Melissa Agena · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun-hearted little mystery novel! Potager Plot: A witty cozy mystery with a hint of romance is the fifth book in the Backyard Farming Mystery Series by Vikki Walton. Now, this is the first book for me from this author and I was pretty darn impressed. I’m used to really dark and super psychological mysteries and this is quite the opposite. This book is all about lighthearted and cheery wrapped up with a little bit of mystery and romance. You can read this book as a standalone. It is not necessary to read books 1-4 beforehand but you know me…I like reading things in order so I don’t miss a thing. Ms. Anne Fremont has taken on planning gardens for the people of the town. When she find outs that Billie, the garden club president is dead…something makes her immediately think that something is fishy. So Anne is on the hunt to find out who killed her friend and why. I am definitely going to go back and read the first books because I enjoyed this one so much! I definitely cannot wait for the next book!

[SaviLeeLind · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Vikki Walton, and I am happy I took the chance and picked it up. This book is full of life, and not just with the plants. Ann is feisty, funny, sweet, and a mystery magnet. Strange events or people questioning them seem to flock to her for help and she doesn't really mind.
Anne has found a passion in garden design, and begins helping out with the gardening club. When she arrives to begin a new design with Billie a current member she stumbles upon much more than flowers, dirt, and soil. She discovers Billie's dead body, and doubts it was an accident. Much to her fiancée Carson's' disapproval she begins her own investigation and finds that there was lots to be said, and not everything was as it seems.
This book was a lot of fun, The women in the garden club shared a unique bond and were all caring, sweet, and supportive of each other. All the characters in this book were very well written and well developed.

[Kerry carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 5th book in A Backyard Farming Mystery Series and the first book I have read. Even though I was able to still read and enjoy the book as a standalone I feel if I had read the others it would have given me a better understanding of the characters in this story.

Anne is now taking on the job of helping people plot and design their gardens. She meets with a gardening club to share her ideas.
The club president Billie is very poorly with cancer and when she dies no one thinks anything is wrong. However Anne isn't so sure that Billie's death was natural. With secrets, lies and deceit in the small town could Billie's death actually be a murder and if so who could have done it?

This is a really light hearted cosy mystery which is enjoyable to read but has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and hooked till the end. The main question is will Anne be able to untangle all these webs and finally discover the truth?

[Jules Herbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Potager Plot is book #5 in the Backyard Farming Series by Vikki Walton. For me it was the first book I have read by this Author and I really enjoyed it. Not having read the previous 4 books did not diminish my enjoyment of this book but I definitely will be going right back to the beginning to better follow this wonderful series. I also loved that while this is a mystery it is not dark, it is quite light hearted.

Anne is a very charismatic, likable character with a knack for mysteries. When she finds the Garden Clubs President dead in her home the circumstances just don't sit well with her. Suspicions grow within her as she looks into the comings and goings of various people in the life of Billie. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you captivated as you follow Anne as she tries to solve this mystery.
Come on grab yourself a copy of Potager Plot and join Anne and the wonderful people of Carolan Springs...you won't regret it!!

[Stephanie Driskill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gardening, death, mystery, murder, suspense and cast of great characters created a great reading experience for me! I loved the plot and quirky characters that made this book such a pleasure to read. My favorite character was Anne who was the Nancy Drew of the book and so labeled by her boyfriend who called her ND. I fell in love with the tiny details and relationships that were portrayed in Potager Plot. Watson described the characters so completely and gave each one their own persona it was as if I have known them all my life. Such a great read that was too good to put down and I am now needing to read the rest of the books in the series. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to feel like I was a part of the community and had a vested interest in solving the mystery. Definitely a must read from page one to the very end So yourself a favor and pick p the book, get absorbed into the community and see why this is such a wonderful book!

[Donna Dawkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite the cast of characters join our heroine Anne, as she uncovers yet another mystery in the not so sleepy town of Carolan Springs..

We are given a bird's eye view as Anne winds her way through the suspects and clues in Book 5 of Vikki Walton's, A Backyard Farming Mystery Series. This small town murder mystery is simmering with intrigue, a little romance, small town secrets (you know the kind!) When the President of the local Gardening club is found dead.. there are a lot of unanswered questions and Anne can't help herself but get to the truth of the matter!

My first book by this author, but I was impressed with the way she pulls all the tiny details together to build a great easy to read mystery! It worked well as a stand alone, but I will definitely be looking for the other books in this series.

[Tausha Treadway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Potager Plot (A Backyard Farming Series Book 5) by Vikki Walton. This was such a fun read. I love cozy mysteries and this one was great. Its the story of Anne Fremont who is just now getting into designing gardens for people. When one of the main members of the town Garden Club is murdered. Anne knew that she was suffering from cancer but there is no way Anne thinks this death is from the cancer. When everyone is agreed that this was murder Anne and the garden club ladies decide to find out what happened. The deeper they dig the more secrets come out! This book is the 5th in the series and can be read as a standalone but I feel they are much better read in order. Its a fun filled murder mystery that will keep you turning pages late in the night!

[Chrissy Spulak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Potager Plot: (A Backyard Farming Series Book 5) by Vikki Walton is the fifth book in the series, and is an engaging mystery that is so fun to read! For anyone who likes gardening and figuring out who-dunnit, this is a good read - it is quick reading and keeps you on your toes. When Anne Fremont is designing gardens and finds a dead body, secrets are revealed and the characters are fun to tag along with. This is an author who is new to me, but I can see myself revisiting and exploring the first book in the series, and also delving into other series. My husband both fell asleep and then woke up to me reading this book. I couldn’t put it down! My favorite reads are the kind that make you forget reality and make you forget that you are reading, and this is definitely one of those books.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Potager Plot (A Backyard Farming Series Book 5) by Vikki Walton was a great read, while this is my first read by this author, it definitely won’t be my last. I know what your thinking how can this by my first read by this author when it’s a series, well that just proves that these incredible stories can be read as stand alone books. While it was incredible as a stand alone the characters and the plot made this reader want to go back and read the previous four. Portages Plot has so much to offer including strong female characters, mystery, tons of plant knowledge and more. These books are on the shorter side and the dialogue flows so well that will soon find yourself at the end of the story and anticipating the next book.

[Trish Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story. I wish I would have read the other books in the series first because I feel like I was missing some key points especially about the protagonist, Anne. She reminded me a lot of a Jessica Fletcher (or as her romantic partner called her, Nancy Drew). I wasn’t certain of her age and the rest of the gardening club so it was a little difficult when the characters kept mentioning age gaps to follow some of those.

I thought the mystery was pretty clean and the plot lines followed a certain structure. I did guess who did it in the middle of the book but it didn’t take away from the rest of the story.

Overall, I would read others in the series as well as other books by this author.

[Kerry Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Potager Plot: A witty cozy mystery with a hint of romance by Vikki Walton is the fifth book in the A Backyard Farming Mystery series. I thought this was a really entertaining and fun book that kept my interest right to the end. This is the first book that I have read by this author and can absolutely say you do not need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one. I thought this was a fantastic way to be introduced to a new author. The writing style was one that help to add to the mystery but also kept the book feeling quite light hearted. I didn’t feel like I was bogged down in any details but was just able to enjoy the book as it was.
This was a great story and I will definitely be going back to add on the other books to the series.

[Samantha Bassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Potager Plot (A Backyard Farming Series Book 5) by Vikki Walton. This is a really fun book and it kept me reading until late in the night. I am new to cozy mysteries and this book will have me wanting to read more.
Anne Fremont loves gardening and is beginning to design gardens for members of the garden club. She is working on a special garden for a woman who is suffering from cancer. Anne believes that her death is not cancer but Murder.
Anne recruits other members of the garden club to find out what really happened. They start digging and so many secrets come out.
This book can be read as a standalone but, be prepared to want the first books of this series so you can enjoy more.

[Julie Houser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable gardening cozy

I received Potager Plot as an ARC and hadn’t read the first 4 in the series. This was not a problem as can be read as a stand alone. It was interesting enough that I will go back and read the first 4 though! I wish I could have read them in order, but I needed to read this right away so I could do this review.

I felt it was a little too heavy on unnecessary descriptions, where it could have gone deeper into actual interactions with the characters instead. I could care less what they are wearing and long descriptions of doing minor tasks.

A good “who done it” with a surprising ending. Twists and turns along the way in true Cozy fashion.

A nice, fun, simple read. Looking forward to reading the other books in the series.