Gardener Pru Parke is invited to an estate in the Cotswalds to revive a once gorgeous but now overgrown garden. Her inspector husband Christopher accompanies her to make it a nice little vacation. But the bed and breakfast they’re staying at leaves much to be desired, and then Pru stumbles upon the estate owner’s dead body in the garden. Soon Pru and her husband are both caught up in a murder investigation. Hopefully they can solve it before the murderer takes care of Pru, too.

This was the first book from this series I had ever read, and I really enjoyed it! Pru and her husband are very likable and have a cute relationship. There’s a whole host of secondary characters, and they’re all well fleshed out and entertaining. The mystery was good, revealing clues bit by bit, although Pru really should have figured out who the murderer was much sooner. The one thing I didn’t love was all the horticulture. If you are a gardener, you would love the descriptions of all the plants in the gardens. But since I’m bad at remembering what basic flowers and plants look like, and I’d never even heard of most of these, the lengthy descriptions got very tedious. I’d give this book a 3 1/2 but will round up to a 4 for enjoyable characters, a decent mystery, and a very clean book. Thanks to NetGalley for the free ebook.

Good, engaging plot and wonderful characters that I would not mind visiting with again. Not one hundred percent my cup of tea at the current time.

Best-Laid Plants by Marty Wingate is the sixth offering in her Potting Shed Mystery series. It is my second, and I look forward to reading those I've missed. Pru and her husband Christopher are travelling to the Cotswolds, where she has been asked to consult on an Arts and Crafts style garden. The descriptions of the landscape are exceptional and you can easily put yourself in the setting. It helps to know something about plants but it's not necessary to enjoy the story. The characters are well rounded and I formed attachments to them early on. The story itself moves at a good pace, and kept my interest to the end. Best-Laid Plants is another great read from a fantastic author. I received a copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The sixth book in this cozy mystery continues with the story of Pru Parke, an American gardening expert who has settled in England, restoring historic gardens and solving mysteries. In this book, Pru is asked to go to the Cotswolds (where she and Christopher's relationship began) to consult on the restoration of an Arts and Crafts style garden. Pru and her husband have friends there so they decided to take a vacation at the same time. When they arrive at the estate, they find out that the owner is very ill, but he wants Pru to read his journals that he recorded in as he originally designed the gardens. Within the first couple of days there, Pru finds the estate owner, Batsford Bede, dead in the garden. His death is suspicious and Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse is asked to head the inquiry.

I do enjoy when Pru and Christopher work together. I like Pru, she is a 50ish, usually strong and a smart female character. Christopher, her husband, is a former Detective Chief Inspector who often works with other police forces. He trusts Pru's instincts and takes her concerns and feelings seriously. Pru was somewhat more scattered than normal in this story, almost like she was in the first book. The secondary characters were quite interesting and just a bit quirky. They all had an opinion of who the murderer was and who it wasn't. Once again, there are a lot of gardening facts told in a journal format at the beginning of each paragraph. An interesting cozy that I enjoyed. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

Cozy at its best! As a huge fan of Rosemary & Thyme, I loved this book! The characters are delightful and the English countryside whisks you away on holiday. Well written and charming.

This is a charming story about the English Countryside and gardens. Every chapter starts with thoughts on a flower or plant. I'm not a gardener and know nothing about it, but enjoyed it all the same.
Pru and her husband, former Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse, are long overdue for a getaway. So when Pru is invited to redesign an Arts and Crafts garden in the picturesque Cotswolds, she and Christopher jump at the chance.
On one of her daily walks through the neglected but once famous gardens, Pru comes across the dead body of the estate's owner. The understaffed police have their hands full so it's up to Pru and her husband to find the murderer

<http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=65645>

I love this series. Best-Laid Plants is the next in the Potting Shed Mystery series. Pru has been asked to redesign an Arts and Crafts garden, and jumps at the chance. Thinking to mix business with pleasure, she and Christopher decide to make a vacation out of it. Unfortunately, the owner is found dead in his garden. Was it an accident or is something more sinister going on? Join Pru and Christopher in this mystery to discover the answer.
I received this free from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

Pru Parke!

I have been saving this novel for a rainy day—so very worth it.

Pru & Christopher are in the Cotswolds to consult on a garden redesign until the estate’s owner, Batesford Bede, is found murdered under a limestone statue in the garden.

This installment is one of my favorites in the series, but nothing is better for me than The Red Book of Primrose House (Potting Shed #2), the romance really gets me in that one.

I love the country village setting and the relationship between Pru and Christopher, DCI Pearse. The mystery revolves around the characters of the village and journals left behind by Mr. Bede. The journal entries were a fun touch that I looked forward to as much as the chapters. The journal’s glimpse into the past truly added to the character development.

Like usual, Wingate writes a well-paced, enjoyable cozy that vigilant readers can solve alongside Pru. Just remember your scones and a cuppa.

I’m ready for the next Pru Parke.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

We fans of the author always enjoy returning to Pru, the Cotswold's and a great sleuth. Here Pru and her husband are on vacation and she is hired to redo a garden. Once the work begins she finds a body . As the sleuth progresses many Cotswold's suspects are possible . Its always a great sleuth, a fun return to the gardens of the Cotswold's and great characters.

This book was slow starting. Difficult to stick with for the first bit. However, once it got going it turned out to be a decent read. A cozy and bit fluffy book. It combined a decent amount of plants combined with a murder mystery. The murderer was not a sure thing until the end of the book, which I like about a book.

Pru Parke and her husband, former DCI Christopher Pearse, are long overdue for a getaway. So when Pru is invited to redesign an Arts and Crafts garden in the picturesque Cotswolds, they jump at the chance. But their B&B is more a mess and the once thriving garden has definitely been neglected. Pru starts to tackle the renovation until she stumbles upon the owner Batsford Bede’s body in the garden. Christopher is called upon to lead the investigation since the local police can't cope.

This was another fun read in the charming Potting Shed mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Random House/Alibi with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

I'm doing my best to not miss a single book in this delightful series. The punny titles are, well still to "die" for. Nothing like digging through a really good cozy mystery and this one fits the planter if you ask me! Pru is such a character. I love keeping up with her development. Some series wane in their stories this far into them, but not this one. Who-done-it, because this man is dead in his garden. A super cozy read that I totally enjoyed!

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

adore Marty Wingate’s other series, the one featuring plucky, enthusiastic Julia Lanchester. Her adventures overseeing and expanding tourism in the country village of Smeaton-under-Lyme, Suffolk, and helping out with her famous father’s BBC Two nature show, A Bird in the Hand, are a pure delight!

I doubted I would like Wingate’s other series as much — and I don’t. Best-Laid Plants, the sixth in the Potting Shed Mystery series about transplanted Texan Pru Parke, now a formal garden landscaper in England, proved entertaining enough; however, it was never as clever or charming as the Birds of a Feather series that features Julia Lanchester and her delightful family and friends. Still, I never felt lost with Best-Laid Plants, and, although I figured out the villain halfway through the novel, I liked Pru, even though most of the other characters were either nonentities or parodies of themselves: meltdown-prone Coral Summersun, stoic Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse, motherly B&B owner Fabia Draycott, otherworldly alternative-medicine practitioner Cynthia Mouser. Pru Parke and neighbors Lizzy Sprackling and Natalie Bennet-Smythe were the only three-dimensional characters in the entire novel. That said, I must give Wingate credit for a decent plot, even if the novel could have used fuller characterization.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group — Alibi in exchange for an honest review.

Mary Wingate continues her Potting Shed mysteries in Best Laid Plans. Coral invites Pru Parke, gardener, to
see if her art deco gardens can be restored. Pru and husband Inspector Christopher come to the country to look into this and have a vacation. Suddenly, the owner of the estate dies violently and the crime has to be solved. Where is the will? Is there a romance between Coral and the head gardener of a neighbouring estate. Lots of twists and turns in this cosy set in the British countryside.

Pru Parke goes with her husband Christopher on a semi vacation to check on a garden for Coral Summersun. Pru is to bring the gardens of Glebe House back to glory. Batsford Bede brought the gardens to life 30 years past with Coral's mother Constance. He lost heart once Constance died.
Someone murders Batsford Bede and Pru finds him. Christopher becomes the lead investigator because the local police have too many cases of their own.
This mystery had many possible suspects, several rather batty older persons and quite a lot of plants. It was quirky and enjoyable. I have really enjoyed all of Marty Wingates garden mysteries.

This is the first book I've read by this author, but is an interesting read. I like that she is working with the police and not being a suspect that gets her involved. Loved the English country setting as well.

I received am ARC from Netgalley for an honest review

This is a fine. comfy mystery series.
Good characters and plot twists.
I particularly enjoyed the idea of reclaiming an abandoned historic garden.
The gardening details are there so you believe her credentials, but not enough to bog down the story line.
I will continue to watch for further offerings.

“Best Laid Plants” earns 5+/5 Gardens of Flowers, Herbs, and…Fun!

Although Marty Wingate’s Potting Shed Mystery series has received well-deserved rave reviews, I am a newbie starting with book six, cleverly titled “Best Laid Plants,” and after only a few pages, I am now a big ‘fan.’ Marty Wingate has penned a well-written mystery with descriptions creating delightful mental pictures, intriguing dialog, and lots of possible conclusions that I couldn’t put down. Don’t overlook the way she begins each chapter with a poignant phrase from what was suspected and turned out to be the victim’s journals that were more a memoir than gardening diary of tips and plant descriptions. Right off Marty illustrates the wonderful relationship between ex-pat, Texas native Prunella "Pru" Parke and her husband former Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse revisiting in passing the fact that the two met over a murder investigation, calls attention to Pru’s limited cooking skills, and introduces the new gardening project that would be combined with a bit of a ‘getaway.’ Wrap all that into an informative myriad of gardening ideas and details of the local flora, descriptions of local homes and stately manors, setting in my favorite Cotswolds along a few hiccups like a woman from Christopher’s past, quirky villagers, and a dead body in the garden? Just the right recipe for the most engaging ‘cozy’ story for fans and newbies alike.

Pru gets an offer to come to Cotswold by a lady named Coral because she will soon be inheriting a home with a lovely garden that is in disrepair. Pru and Christopher have friends nearby so they think it will be a lovely way to get away and visit but that is not what happens. Pru and her husband are staying in a B&B that is very strange with a lonely old lady who can't cook a chicken and the adventure just gets better from there...lol.

Soon Pru finds the old guy who owns the place dead in his garden with a statue on top of him, is it an accident or murder? They soon figure out he was murdered and there are a good number of suspects from those who think they will inherit or benefit in some way from the old guys death or just some shady characters lingering around. 

Pru and Christopher are one of my favorite cozy couples and I like that they are an older couple (it's Pru's first marriage and she is 50). I enjoy reading about characters that are only slightly older than me instead of the younger bunch from time to time. :) She is an American with English roots and a love for English gardens which is why she moved to England. She has become quite well known. Christopher was an inspector when they met and has retired...well sort of because he seems to always get roped into the investigations, once a cop always a cop. :) They are just so cute together!!

This has a really good mystery too and the author gives you some great suspects and I had a hard time trying to figure out which one might have done it. Had my suspicions but wasn't really sure till the end. 

I really like this series so I think anyone should give it a try if you like cozies.