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Gardening Mysteries #7
The Christmas Garden Affair
Sex sells... even in the home garden market. And Louise Eldridge, with her ratings fading faster than the last rose of summer, finds her once-popular PBS show upstaged by the output of one Bunny Bainfield. With her barely-there outfits, the bodacious Bunny makes pruning, mulching, and planting into an erotic adventure, and her highly successful "Bunny in the Garden" label is turning gardening into a flashy, multi-million dollar business.
It galls Louise to see her life's work exploited for profit, especially when she discovers that both she and Bunny have been invited to the First Lady's Christmas conference on native plants. But someone at the formal affair feels even more strongly about the ruthless blonde magnate. No sooner has Bunny networked her last deal when she falls to the floor in violent spasms, the victim of a very potent poison.
Surrounded by suspects galore, Louise is soon unearthing secrets about her fellow guests that make the Christmas spirit seem more menacing than joyful. And it isn't long before another body is found pushing up daisies..
It galls Louise to see her life's work exploited for profit, especially when she discovers that both she and Bunny have been invited to the First Lady's Christmas conference on native plants. But someone at the formal affair feels even more strongly about the ruthless blonde magnate. No sooner has Bunny networked her last deal when she falls to the floor in violent spasms, the victim of a very potent poison.
Surrounded by suspects galore, Louise is soon unearthing secrets about her fellow guests that make the Christmas spirit seem more menacing than joyful. And it isn't long before another body is found pushing up daisies..
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
4 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Ann Ripley
12 books35 followersA former newspaperwoman, Ann Ripley now spends her time organic-gardening and writing mysteries. She lives with her husband, Tony, in Lyons, Colorado. Her first novel, Mulch, won the Top Hand Award from the Colorado Authors' League. She is now at work on her fifth gardening mystery.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 21, 2019
Garden show host, Louise Eldridge, is invited to an inaugural garden party by the First Lady that will also be attended by The Who’s Who in the industry. Amongst those on the invitation list is Bunny Bainfield, who happens to also be on the industries most hated list. Her tawdry show, infused with sexual innuendo and display of her ample attributes, has given her top ratings and amassed an empire that has gobbled up all that refuse her sexual or collaborative advances. No one takes her seriously, but tune in like a natural disaster to watch.
Newly installed First Lady is a plant enthusiast and hosts a native plant gala to bring together all those in related fields to help her in her quest to put natives in the #1 slot on gardeners plant lists. Nearly everyone at the event has a reason to hate Bunny, and just as much to see her dead. So when she drops to the floor, frothing at the mouth from her final gulp of wine, the suspect queue is exhausting.
When a second attendee is found later, dead of the same means, it’s a conundrum that doesn’t sit right with Louise, nor her local cop comrade. And who else is better set to investigate her friends, new and old, undercover?
By process of elimination, she whittles down the possibilities, while also lining them up for guest appearances on her show (just in case of innocence.) But even Louise can let her emotions overrule her better judgment. Saved by a Julia Child cookbook and savvy daughter, she brings forth yet another conviction for the locals and a few potential line-ups for future garden show airings.
Disappointed not to have the garden show tips this go around, but assume given the season, we can let that slide.
Newly installed First Lady is a plant enthusiast and hosts a native plant gala to bring together all those in related fields to help her in her quest to put natives in the #1 slot on gardeners plant lists. Nearly everyone at the event has a reason to hate Bunny, and just as much to see her dead. So when she drops to the floor, frothing at the mouth from her final gulp of wine, the suspect queue is exhausting.
When a second attendee is found later, dead of the same means, it’s a conundrum that doesn’t sit right with Louise, nor her local cop comrade. And who else is better set to investigate her friends, new and old, undercover?
By process of elimination, she whittles down the possibilities, while also lining them up for guest appearances on her show (just in case of innocence.) But even Louise can let her emotions overrule her better judgment. Saved by a Julia Child cookbook and savvy daughter, she brings forth yet another conviction for the locals and a few potential line-ups for future garden show airings.
Disappointed not to have the garden show tips this go around, but assume given the season, we can let that slide.
January 22, 2016
From medieval anchoresses to modern American gardeners. Well, a piece of seasonal not quite fluff should be fine.
Louise Eldridge, the host of a PBS show Gardening With Nature is invited to a party and conference put on by the American President-elect's wife who is hoping to set up some sort of "encourage the use of native plants in people's garden" thing. Since it is put on hold by the end of the book I'm not really sure what Maud Anderson was supposed to have had in mind specifically, but it probably doesn't matter. We're given the view points of a number of the different aspects of the plant industry, from growers who are really mostly interested in supplying popular plants to as many people as possible, through people who are trying to develop native North American gardens, through environmentalists who warn about climate change, to government people who have the responsibility of maintaining the wild lands as close to natural as possible. (On that topic I recommend The Prairie Keepers.) Put these people in one room and stand back. There is one person in the group whom pretty well no one likes or admires. Bunny is English and she has hit the North American horticultural scene like a wind storm. She has a nursery, "Bunnyland" (yucch!),where she raises plants labelled "Bunny in your Garden" (yuccch!), she has a tv show (not on PBS) where she demonstrates and interviews and wears micro shorts and almost falls out of her blouses, she has a floral arrangement business, and so on, so you can see how much dislike is building up, especially as she is rude with it all. During the beginning of dinner Bunny is poisoned and since everyone was distracted by a trumpeter playing The Saints Go Marching In it could have been almost anyone.
The clues are dealt fairly, we know everything that everyone does, and the end is acceptable. We even deal with the Mother-in-law! Pretty good. Oh, and I personally love David Austin roses.
Louise Eldridge, the host of a PBS show Gardening With Nature is invited to a party and conference put on by the American President-elect's wife who is hoping to set up some sort of "encourage the use of native plants in people's garden" thing. Since it is put on hold by the end of the book I'm not really sure what Maud Anderson was supposed to have had in mind specifically, but it probably doesn't matter. We're given the view points of a number of the different aspects of the plant industry, from growers who are really mostly interested in supplying popular plants to as many people as possible, through people who are trying to develop native North American gardens, through environmentalists who warn about climate change, to government people who have the responsibility of maintaining the wild lands as close to natural as possible. (On that topic I recommend The Prairie Keepers.) Put these people in one room and stand back. There is one person in the group whom pretty well no one likes or admires. Bunny is English and she has hit the North American horticultural scene like a wind storm. She has a nursery, "Bunnyland" (yucch!),where she raises plants labelled "Bunny in your Garden" (yuccch!), she has a tv show (not on PBS) where she demonstrates and interviews and wears micro shorts and almost falls out of her blouses, she has a floral arrangement business, and so on, so you can see how much dislike is building up, especially as she is rude with it all. During the beginning of dinner Bunny is poisoned and since everyone was distracted by a trumpeter playing The Saints Go Marching In it could have been almost anyone.
The clues are dealt fairly, we know everything that everyone does, and the end is acceptable. We even deal with the Mother-in-law! Pretty good. Oh, and I personally love David Austin roses.
September 24, 2018
Spies, the Cold War, the President-Elect's wife's native plants project, sex sells plants and gardens. The setting, of course, is the Washington, D.C. area. Louise's gardening show is slipping in ratings because she has competition from a big-boobed, blonde bombshell's gardening TV show. A bombshell who will use any means to corner any market she chooses to enter. Until...she lies dying on the ball room's floor and ruins the President-Elect's wife's launch of her native plants project. It is an interesting discussion among the characters about the philosophy of what are native plants vs imported and eventually naturalized plants and where to draw the line. Louise, of course, corners and gets cornered by the villain.
November 6, 2023
This was mildly interesting. I was disappointed with the lack of Christmas spirit. I didn't figure out who the murderer was until it was revealed. I had a little trouble following things in the first half of the book but then things got to be more interesting, at least in my viewpoint, during the second half. So it was okay.
November 15, 2025
Nice little cozy mystery. Maybe it’s that I’m new to this protagonist/series and just missed it, but I must say it was a nice change of pace that no other characters who are close to the main character (e.g., husband, mother) were are perpetual jerks to her. I’ve found that to be a common trope in other cozy mystery series and it was refreshing to enjoy one without that.
November 5, 2018
Filled with solid horticulture, realistic view of modern day business practices and what is considered successful television programming and overall a good story. There were moments when I found the writing a bit clumsy.
November 2, 2018
A cute fun read. I want to go back and read the rest of the series.
January 8, 2019
3 - Good
December 13, 2023
Another great book by Ms Ripley. When the new, sexy, gardner is murdered Louise’s curiosity can’t be contained until the mystery is solved.
June 13, 2024
For a gardner a fun read, and the who did it switches several times as everyone wanted to.
January 7, 2025
Louise is again involved with murder. This time trying to find the "who dunnit" for the murder of a competitor.
December 16, 2013
A standard mystery that probably goes a bit far describing the garden business. Certainly overblowing it's importance. Though it needs to balance the book.
The writing is fine. Wish there were more descriptions of the setting of scenes. Also, though the characters were well defined, somehow I was getting confused as to who was who. It could be that my not being a fan of landscaping had me a bit detached.
I read this because there is an indication by the title and the cover that Christmas was somehow involved. Christmas is barely mentioned until page 218 and then the reference continues. All culminating in an epilogue involving the holiday. This book could have been set at anytime and Christmas was just a tool to sell the book.
A big pet peeve involves a detail that is just wrong - PBS leaves their programming to the individual stations across the country. Especially since the time this book came about. Some prime time programming is consistent with stations, but a garden show could fall at anytime anywhere during a time period. That throws off a conflict in the story that is noted early on.
Bottom line: i recommend this book as an average mystery.
The writing is fine. Wish there were more descriptions of the setting of scenes. Also, though the characters were well defined, somehow I was getting confused as to who was who. It could be that my not being a fan of landscaping had me a bit detached.
I read this because there is an indication by the title and the cover that Christmas was somehow involved. Christmas is barely mentioned until page 218 and then the reference continues. All culminating in an epilogue involving the holiday. This book could have been set at anytime and Christmas was just a tool to sell the book.
A big pet peeve involves a detail that is just wrong - PBS leaves their programming to the individual stations across the country. Especially since the time this book came about. Some prime time programming is consistent with stations, but a garden show could fall at anytime anywhere during a time period. That throws off a conflict in the story that is noted early on.
Bottom line: i recommend this book as an average mystery.
October 22, 2014
The Christmas Garden Affair by Anne Rigley
Love the holiday and gardening and thought this would be a good read.
Louise and 47 others have been invited to visit with the first lady at the annual Christmas Garden Party. Bonnie Banfield was also invited-a rival that is trying to take over her PBS show from her.
Bonnie talks to her audience in a sexual demeanor and dresses with very few clothes on and that is causing her ratings to go sky high. Louise is losing her ratings...
There are many others who also don't like how Bonnie is sexulizing the garden industry and want her gone. When she is discovered dead at the party there are many who point to Louise and others.
Love the garden tips throughout the book and the clues as they come to lead us to the person who did kill Bonnie. Hard at times to keep track of all the people involved as there are so many of them.
Enjoyed the read so much I will be finding the other works of the author to read.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Love the holiday and gardening and thought this would be a good read.
Louise and 47 others have been invited to visit with the first lady at the annual Christmas Garden Party. Bonnie Banfield was also invited-a rival that is trying to take over her PBS show from her.
Bonnie talks to her audience in a sexual demeanor and dresses with very few clothes on and that is causing her ratings to go sky high. Louise is losing her ratings...
There are many others who also don't like how Bonnie is sexulizing the garden industry and want her gone. When she is discovered dead at the party there are many who point to Louise and others.
Love the garden tips throughout the book and the clues as they come to lead us to the person who did kill Bonnie. Hard at times to keep track of all the people involved as there are so many of them.
Enjoyed the read so much I will be finding the other works of the author to read.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
December 30, 2014
Ergh. I wanted to read a cozy after finishing Stephen King's latest. Don't get me wrong, I loved the King, but it was very dark, like darker than usual for him, and quite depressing and hopeless. When I finish a book like that, I need the comfort of a cozy mystery. Some people use chick lit as an antidote, I use cozies as they are fun, and still have a dark under current. On top this a Christmas mystery, that I thought would add to the fun factor. Christmas was simply the background to the story and didn't really have much to do with it.
Well unfortunately, this one disappointed. The writing was wooden; heh, coming from a person who writes about botany and gardening, maybe that was to be expected, and the story and characters, just not that interesting.
The reason I gave it two stars rather than one, was for the very interesting essay at the end of the novel about xeriscaping and native plants which is part of the theme of the actual story. If only the author had written as passionately and clearly in her novel as she did her essay, it would have been a winner.
Well unfortunately, this one disappointed. The writing was wooden; heh, coming from a person who writes about botany and gardening, maybe that was to be expected, and the story and characters, just not that interesting.
The reason I gave it two stars rather than one, was for the very interesting essay at the end of the novel about xeriscaping and native plants which is part of the theme of the actual story. If only the author had written as passionately and clearly in her novel as she did her essay, it would have been a winner.
November 19, 2009
This is the third book I've tried to read by this author. I finished this one, but barely. I find it tedious and annoying when a writer changes point of view with every chapter and in some cases even within the chapter. It's very hard to care about the main character when the story is all over the place and there are ten or more characters to follow.
Plus, the story was very predictable. So, for me this was not a good read.
Plus, the story was very predictable. So, for me this was not a good read.
May 22, 2022
The Christmas Garden Affair by Ann Ripley begins with the main characters dreading an event put together by the president-elect's wife. It is not a popular plan that she has launched according to many of the respected gardening guests. With that said, it’s who will be the victim in this story and once that is established it becomes which one did the deed. That takes a look at so many of the possible murderers that it is well hidden as to who and why until the end.
December 10, 2007
I really liked this book alot! I love to garden so this mystery was right up my alley! It is mainly set in Alexandria, VA where there is going to be a major gardening convention and dinner planned by the first lady elect. Everything is going along fine until someone ends up dead! Read the rest to find out how it ends. I would definitely recommend this book.
December 18, 2008
This was a nice mystery but there were so many characters it was hard to keep track of. It was also a little easy to predict.
December 31, 2009
I normally don't read a lot of murder mysteries, but I found this book interesting. The "who done it" was truly kept until the last chapter. It was fun to read
January 15, 2011
not bad, plot drags.
December 16, 2012
Read half and was done. A bit predictable and didn't care for the plot. Read the last pages to see who did it.
December 10, 2013
Not much of a Christmas theme here but the gathering of garden elite made for an enjoyable mystery.
February 5, 2016
Good quick read of a mystery. Enjoy the series.
January 1, 2014
pleasant read for this time of year
December 7, 2014
This was great. I loved all the garden info and the Bunny character was so nasty! Great fun.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews