Pru and Christopher travel to the very location where they met three years ago and plan to attend the same fete. The purpose of the trip, however, is for Pru to determine what needs to be done to restore Mr. Bede's extensive gardens to their prior glory. Since the death of Conn... he has let them go wild. Conn...'s daughter Coral has returned with word of his failing health and asked Pru for her assistance.

There are many unique characters and inter-relationships, including the discovery of Cynthia Mouser, a woman Christopher was involved with many years ago, who now is a frequent visitor to Mr. Bede. The individual histories unfold with tension rising and falling. When Mr. Bede is found dead in the gardens, there are a number of suspects and only one heir.

Similar to others in this series and some other English mysteries, the pace at the beginning is slower than I'm used to, but moves along at a good pace once the foundation is set. Pru and Christopher work well together - Cynthia is an interesting distraction. If you've liked others in this series, this one will not disappoint; however, it can also be read as a stand alone.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review as part of this blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

Such a great "beach read"! I really enjoy these books by Ms. Wingate. Keeps my interest and I enjoy the characters.

BEST-LAID PLANTS by Marty Wingate is "on deck" in my to-be-read mystery pile. Available via Kindle or as an audio book, this title is number 6 in the potting shed mystery series, though the first for me. Pru Parke and her husband, former Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse, take a trip to the beautiful Cotswolds intending to help rejuvinate a garden, but instead find a body and a mystery. Charming atmosphere, complete with a local village fete and plenty of suspects.

When Pru Parke, master gardener, and her husband Christopher Pearse, are invited to the Cotswolds for a working vacation (for her), it seems like an easy job. She is there to help out with the renovation of the decaying gardens of Glebe House and is looking forward to it. But she's more than surprised at the condition of the B&B she's been booked into - soon after arriving she finds the body of Batsford Bede, owner and designer of the once-lovely place.

Although it looks like an accident at first sight, Pru knows better - especially since the heavy statue that was set to look like it fell over on him hasn't touched his body. And with the local police force short-handed, Christopher is dragooned into Chief Inspector once again, taking over the investigation.

But who would want to kill an old man who was already ailing? At first the signs point to Coral Summersun, who grew up there and whose mother Batsford was in love with; but then others begin to enter the picture - others who might have had a better reason to want him dead. What reason? Who would want a decaying garden badly in need of renovation? Christopher and Pru have more than enough suspects, and with a killer still on the loose, it's up to them to dig deep and weed out a killer...

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed reading this book. Each chapter is headed with a fictional entry into Batsford's gardening journals, which Pru has borrowed to read. We are given information on numerous plants, which I always find interesting, and a glimpse of life into an English garden.

We begin with Pru and Christopher thinking they're going to have a nice getaway at a local B&B only to find it's rather a nightmare, but since the proprietor is an elderly woman and very nice, stay, rather than feel guilty about going somewhere else. They're also there to help out at an autumn fete at the home of old friends who also live in the area.

I enjoy watching the relationship between Pru and Christopher. Their affection for each other is apparent, but never over the top. There's a nice scene or two where Pru is having to deal with a tad bit of jealousy, but it's done more with humor than anything else; and there's also humor in the fact that the B&B owner is a horrible cook.

But the murder definitely changes things, and the renovation is put on hold as Christopher brings Pru into the investigation as an assistant, knowing her keen eye for detail will be invaluable. While there weren't tons of red herrings thrown about, there were still quite a few suspects, even though the reason for someone wanting Batsford dead wasn't immediately apparent.

When we come to the end and the murderer is revealed, it's a reason as old as time itself. I'm never surprised what a twisted mind is capable of. The story is well written, the characters believable, and the journey to the end was was quite fun and interesting as well.

This is the sixth book in the series and can be read as a stand alone, but I enjoy the series more having read them from the beginning. A delightful book that can be read in one sitting, and I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.

Best-Laid Plants is the sixth publication in Marty Wingate's Potting Shed Mysteries. Horticulturist Pru Parke receives a letter from a Miss Coral Summersun inviting her to come to the Cotswolds to confer on the restoration of the Glebe House gardens of Batsford Bede. As it is in the same area as friends Natalie and John Bennet-Smythe of Grenadine Hall and is time for their annual autumn fete, it is an easy decision to accept. She and husband, police inspector Christopher Pearse, plan to make a working vacation of the trip.

When they arrive in the village, they find their accommodations to be in a Fawlty Towers type B&B run by octogenarian widow Fabia Draycott. Upon meeting Coral, Pru finds her a lot different than expected--more open and less knowledgeable. At the first meeting, Coral gives her all of Uncle Batty's journals describing the process of creating the gardens.

Within a few days of arriving, and before meeting Mr. Bede, Pru arrives at Glebe House to find his lifeless body in the garden with a large statue atop him. As the local police are understaffed and overworked, Christopher is pressed into duty as the chief investigator. Since Pru has the knowledge of the gardens and was first on the scene, Christopher brings Pru into the investigation as well.

The first premise is that everyone in the small village is a suspect. With overlapping and contradictory clues, it takes until the very end to unmask the murderer. This story shows the effects of greed and deep compassion, the meaning of friendship and the consequences of miscommunication. A story of many layers, depth of characters, and a mystery to solve, I do recommend this book.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
I have enjoyed all the Potting Shed mysteries since the first one and this is no exception. I truly like Pru, her husband Christopher, and all the other friends and characters. I love how English she has become and I enjoy wandering through the various parts of the UK where she goes to plant her gardens. This one is set in one of the prettiest parts of the country, The Cotswolds, which increased my pleasure.
Pru is invited t0 assess a formerly beautiful garden that has been permitted to go wild. The owner and designer of the garden is an elderly gentleman who wants Pru to have his notes so she can replicate his work. While she is deeply ensconced in assessing what needs to be done, she meets a woman from Christoper’s past who sets alarm bells ringing. Then the gentleman is murdered in his own garden and between his “niece” with whom he has recently been reunited, his neighbours and friends and his doctor and lawyer, there are lots of suspects.
The local police enlist Christopher to head the investigation so while Pru is asking questions, she is not being intrusive. I like that. I cannot imagine a real police force would stand for some of the things cozy heroines do. Her uncovering the villain doesn’t suspend credulity. It is quite by accident so her being threatened by the murderer also seems realistic, which I tend to enjoy more.
The mystery is good too. It was not obvious and kept me guessing almost to the end.
I give this five purrs and two paws up.

Author Marty Wingate has again created one of those stellar marvels known as a cozy mystery. Her cast of characters, each one with a unique personality, includes several from previous novels, but remembering them or not is irrelevant to your enjoyment of this story. Even if your knowledge of gardens consists of "leaves of green let them be," you can have fun with the colorful descriptions of the enormous variety of plant life which can be found in a proper English garden. And now, we come to the plot. Who would want to kill a doddering old man on the verge of his demise from natural causes? And why kill him twice? Cui Bono? (Why, yes, that is Italian, not Latin--how clever of you to have noticed!) You will, of course, be led down the Garden Path as you try to discern whodunnit. Sorry, no spoilers from me, but I learned with the characters who the culprit was. Perhaps your own deductive skills will be better then mine.

Disclaimer: I requested and have voluntarily reviewed this delightful book.

I've been reading the Potting Shed mysteries since the first book came out and even though I have almost no desire to plant a garden myself , heroine Pru Parke makes working with plants look like a lot of fun. This time around, she's been hired to plan the restoration of a neglected Arts and Crafts style garden. I got completely caught up in the book's settings -- the bed and breakfast with its maze of rooms and puzzling light switches...and the garden itself, with overgrown walkways and limestone statues melting away after years of exposure to the weather. Those statues seem a little spooky even before one topples over onto the garden's original designer. I really can't think of enough good things to say about this series. It gives you a vicarious glimpse into the character's lives and an interesting murder mystery, and no cliff-hangers to drive me nuts until the next book comes out.

Even a time-away vacation of sorts turns into a dangerous adventure when Pru Parke and her husband, retired DI Christopher Pearse, return to the place they first got together. They are looking forward to renewing friendships and investigating an overgrown treasure of a garden. While this is a working vacation for Pru, it is the best kind with research and walking about the plants - no heavy lifting or digging.
The adventure starts from the first, when they check into a B&B that is not given a full star rating.
While they could stay with friends, this couple feels they are where they can do the most good and see the humour in their situation. Good humor, good deeds and being flexible are required when the first person they meet seems to be an old flame of Christopher's.
There are a good number of characters adding their influence to this story, also giving doubt as to whom the true villain is and why when the elderly Mr. Bede, "Uncle Batty," turns up dead under suspicious circumstances. All along we asssume he is dying. Who was in a hurry to speed up his departure?
Coral Summersun, the ersatz niece who commissioned Pru for the job of reorganizing the gardens is somewhatof a mystery herself. She seems to know something about plants and gardening, was raised on the estate, but also seems a bit vague, not all there. She believes she is in line to inherit, but could her life choices have affected Uncl Batty's final wishes?

While the mystery is first class, it is Pru who makes these books a must read.
Not only do I wish to see her triumph each time, I enjoy watching her grow as a person.

I love Marty Wingate series .
Pru and Christopher go on holiday . Pue is asked to redesign a Arts and Craft garden that's been left and grown over in the Coltswolds. Brilliant book, I especially enjoy the descriptions of the gardens and flowers in each book which also happens to include a murder.The story takes you to a village ,you get to know all about the people and community who live there. Old friends are included and woven into the story .
Keeps you guessing until the end , I couldn't put this book down .looking forward for the next one and would highly recommend this book.
Thanks net galley for letting me review this book .

Best Laid Plants by Marty Wingate is book six in the Potting Shed Mystery series. Gardener Pru thinks she has found the perfect job. She gets to look at reviving a neglected arts and crafts garden and bring her husband along on the trip. When the garden's designer is found dead under suspicious circumstances, Pru's detective husband steps in to help the police. He even invites Pru to help him investigate. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the plants as much as the mystery. Pru and her husband are joined by a variety of great supporting characters. This is a wonderful gardening themed cozy mystery series.

Another garden, another dead body. If one didn’t know better one could easily wonder if master gardener Pru Parke was somehow planting “corpse seeds” wherever she went. Because no matter where Pru travels to consult on gardens, whether in her beloved England or her native Texas, she seems to have a knack for finding a body, and getting herself involved in a murder investigation.

This particular case is return trip to the Cotswolds for Pru, with the intent of helping to bring back a famous Arts and Crafts style garden, visit friends and reminisce about her first trip (The Garden Plot) where she spent much of her time interfering in DCI Christopher Pearse’s murder investigation. Now Christopher is her husband, and this is supposed to be a bit of a vacation.

Until she trips over a body. As Pru so often does.

As Pru’s cases go (and they are all Pru’s cases, in spite of Christopher being a police detective) this one is a bit of a hodge-podge. A fact which is fitting for the garden she has come to restore, which began as rather a beautiful hodge-podge of the early 20th century Arts and Crafts Movement, but has descended into a neglected mess, albeit one with “good bones”.

And, as Pru inevitably discovers, real bones. Pru finds her erstwhile employer dead in the garden, under a fallen statue. But what should have looked like a clear case of accidental death is, of course, anything but.

The statue is all too obviously not the cause of death. It may be trapping the old man’s body, but it isn’t actually touching it. And Pru heard the sound of hammering, which is what drew her to the scene in the first place. The poor statue was quite securely on its plinth until someone viciously attacked it with a sledgehammer – someone who Pru obviously interrupted.

And there’s no blood at the scene. Anyone who has ever watched murder mysteries on TV knows that there’s blood at the actual murder site – especially if falling statuary is involved!

Poor old Batsford Bede was definitely murdered. And while he may have been in a physical decline, and he’s definitely very dead – he was far, far from poor. And wherever there’s a will, there’s a list of people who may have wanted to collect on their inheritance sooner rather than later, and another list of people who are at the very least unhappy that they are not one of the favored few.

This case positively sprouts with potential murderers with heaps of motive, and red herring clues that are so obviously planted that they stink like three day old fish.

It’s up to Pru and Christopher to figure out whodunnit and whydunnit before the wrong person gets convicted of a murder they certainly did not commit.

And, as usual for Pru, she figures it all out, but almost too late to save herself.

Escape Rating B: I love this series, and will cheerfully scoop up any mystery that Marty Wingate writes. (She also writes actual gardening books, and that’s just not my jam)

As much as I also enjoy her other series, Birds of a Feather, the Potting Shed mysteries have a special place in my heart because of, well, Pru’s heart. And Pru herself. It is not often, and not nearly often enough, that our heroine is a woman of a certain age who has found realistically portrayed romance, a new career in a new place, and becomes an amateur detective. Miss Marple falling in love with one of her oh-so-helpful detectives and continuing to solve mysteries – just with more respect.

But I said that this case was a bit of a hodge-podge. Part of that hodge-podge is the way that the story opens. Pru arrives in the Cotswolds with Christopher, and nothing is as it was purported to be – except the state of the garden. It’s not just that their B&B is a throwback to the 1970s disaster. That part of the story eventually becomes surprisingly heartwarming.

The crazy-making bit is the person who hired Pru, and her extremely evasive answers about the nature of the job and the state of the person who owns the estate. Coral Summersun is both there and not-there in a way that drove this reader a bit batty.

And one of Christopher’s exes lives in town. At the beginning of the story, there’s a bit too much melodrama. Once the body falls down, the story heats up. From that point onwards, everything runs at a very fast clip as Christopher finds himself back in harness and, for once, officially enlists Pru’s help with the investigation.

The killer hides in plain sight and keeps the police and Pru distracted, both by arranging for a series of minor disturbances to happen elsewhere, and by throwing false clues everywhere, all pointing to very plausible suspects.

There’s also more than a bit of heartbreak attached to this case. As Pru dives into the weeds of the garden, she learns the story of just how it came to be, and the ultimately tragic romance between Batsford Bede and Coral’s mother. It’s a shared loss that at first united the unlikely pair, and then suddenly divided them. It’s only as her “Uncle Batty” needed her again that he and Coral finally had a chance to regain their lovely father-daughter relationship. That their reconciliation was cut short by such a venal murder is an even bigger tragedy than the death itself.

I left the book satisfied that, if good had not exactly triumphed because a good man was dead before his time, that evil certainly got its just desserts. I look forward, as always, to Pru’s next adventure. In the meantime I have Farewell, My Cuckoo, the next book in her Birds of a Feather series, to look forward to in the spring, appropriately right along with the return of the migrating birds.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Pru Parke is a well-known gardener in England. Although she was born in Texas, it was the British gardens that stole her heart and helped her make a home for herself on the other side of the world. And now the celebrated gardens of Batsford Bede in the Cotswolds are badly in need of repair, and Pru has been called in to consult on how to refurbish the garden by the closest person Bede has to family, his ersatz neice, Coral Summersun. 

Coral first meets with Pru in the garden office, and Pru is completely distracted by everything around her. She sees the library of books on flowers, herbs, and garden design. She sees the blueprints that Bede and his gardening partner Constance (Coral's late mother) used to plan. And she sees the gardening journals that Bede himself wrote while planting and creating the gardens. While Coral seems uninterested in everything around them, Pru understands the wealth of information in the office and can't help herself from grabbing the journals off the shelf once Coral says she doesn't mind. After all, Bede's gardens were a sort of national treasure in their heyday. His use of Arts and Crafts style, modeled on the designs of William Morris, was innovative and ingenious. 

But when Pru discovers Bede's lifeless body under one of the garden statues, clearly not by accident, it's going to take all of Pru's cleverness to help find and catch the killer. Fortunately for her, her policeman husband has come to the Cotswolds with her and can lend a much-needed hand to the strapped local force. With a quirky inkeeper taking care of them and a village filled with fascinating potential suspects, Pru and her husband Christopher will have to dig deep to unearth the answers they need. 

Marty Wingate's Best-Laid Plants is the latest in the Potting Shed Mysteries, and it's a lovely trip to the gardens of England and all their charms. Pru and her husband are fun and smart, and the villagers add more than a little humor and delight to the pages of this mystery. This is the gardening cozy series that I have been looking for, and I can't wait for another trip to the gardens of England with all their majesty and loveliness. 



Galleys for Best-Laid Plants were provided by Random House Publishing Group - Alibi through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.

I am always happy to get my hands on a new Potting Shed Mystery with its mystery, gardening tips and lore, quirky characters and a touch of grown-up romance. Pru Parke is a transplanted Texan whose life dream was to relocate to her mother's native England. Her first year in England was a challenge, but now she has a good reputation and a steady flow of jobs. Not only is she established professionally, but she has married semi-retired police Chief Inspector, Christopher Pearse. All her success comes at the age of fifty-something. Both Christopher and she are feeling the need for a getaway when she receives a request to consult on restoring an Arts and Crafts garden in the Cotswolds. The creator of the garden, Batsford Bede, has let it slide in recent years and needs help. Christopher and Pru have friends in the area and decide to take a working holiday. But, just as Pru makes a start she discovers Bede, dead, under a piece of garden statuary. What was the ailing, elderly man doing out in the garden alone? It also appears that the inheritance of the property is disputed and a codicil to the will is missing. Since the local police force is small, Christopher takes over the investigation.

The Potting Shed Mysteries are a pleasure to read. I am not a gardener, but this series might even inspire me to become one. I highly recommend Best Laid Plants, which can be read as a stand-alone, but why not enjoy it from the beginning,The Garden Plot? Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Alibi for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

RATING- 4 Stars

When I began to read the first Potting Shed Mystery, I wasn’t sure whether I would enjoy it. In this 6th in series, Pru is an old friend, especially as she and Christopher walk memory lane. It has been three years since they met. They are now newlyweds, having met at a crime scene and got to know each other at a fete, of which this year’s is ready to take place. They are in the Cotswalds for a short job Pru accepted. They will attend this year’s fete while visiting friends Pru met that first year she was in England.

Coral Summersun contacted Pru to review the plans and journals of Batsford Bede, current owner of Glebe House, per his request, and advise regarding restoration of the gardens at Glebe House. Coral refers to the owner as Uncle Batty; she grew up on the property because of her late mother’s friendship with Batsford. Constance had helped him put the gardens in during her years there. The gardens are in the Arts and Crafts style, which Pru was very excited about seeing and sounds fascinating.

Coral left when she was an adult, returning when her mother was dying. She left about a year later, not returning again until hearing of Batsford’s illness. She returns to take care of him and mend fences. Dr. Cherrystone, aka Cherry, comes to check on Batsford every day and he seemed to be improving. Pru began to look at the gardens and reading Batsford’s detailed journals.

Pru arrived one morning and Coral’s car was gone. She knocked on the door and out of concern for an ill man, heard terrible crashing noises, went indoors, found nobody in the house, and followed the din to the gardens. She found Mr. Bede under a huge, heavy statue. She called Christopher, who contacted the local police station. One thing Pru noted when verifying if the man had a pulse is that the statue did not land on Batsford. There was a small gap between the statue and Batsford. It looks like someone bashed over the statue to cover up a murder or make sure it was successful.

Each character is defined as petals unfurl from a rosebud. Pru is very well defined and as the mystery progresses, so is Coral. Dialog flows naturally, and even when Pru isn’t sure how to handle a situation, she does very well. I admire her tact when talking with someone she doesn’t really doesn’t want to, her comfort to Coral after breaking the news about Uncle Batty, and trying to stall for time to get away from the culprit(s) who tries hard to kill her.

There is humor even in unlikely events, and multiple, seemingly unrelated crimes. Each chapter begins with a quote from Mr. Bede’s journals. There are plot twists and turns that keep the mystery as fascinating as the unique gardens designed by Batsford and Constance. There was one tiny clue that showed me who the killer was but I wasn’t 100% clear of the motive until later; I had also guessed the location of a very important document. There are sufficient red herrings I was tempted to follow, but they didn’t stand up to the one in the back of my mind. I was surprised at the resolution of the other mysteries, was overall satisfied with the end, and enjoyed watching the newlyweds celebrating a special memory. I highly recommend Best Laid Plants as an extremely well-written cozy mystery, especially if one has an interest in England, preparing gardens, and a bit of English history.

From a grateful heart: I received this eBook from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

Marty Wingate has done it again! I have read all the books in the potting shed series of mysteries and she continually and consistently comes up with great plots, unique scenarios, quirky characters and all so brilliantly written!

If you haven't read any of this series I would suggest this is as good as any to start with. It's easy to jump right in and get to know Texan Pru Parke and her gorgeous British Detective Inspector husband Christopher, both very likeable and easy going.

Pru is getting quite a name for herself in the gardening world and, once again, she is tasked with helping to restore a neglected country garden to its former glory, but before she can meet the owner he is found dead, underneath one of the gardens many statues.

Though Christopher is in overall charge of the investigation, Pru, finding the body, just naturally gets involved in the pursuit of the killer. There are several suspicious suspects, including an old girlfriend of Christopher's, lots of red herrings, lots of funny moments, an encounter with a bull called Custard, and plenty of pints drunk in the local pub!

A fun read, a clever plot, wonderful descriptions of the local British countryside, and lots of references to plants, all make this a very entertaining mystery.

Fantastic Cozy Mystery! Not only is this well plotted with great characters but the wonderful plant descriptions and information is amazing. I can't wait for the next one in the series.

This is the first Mary Wingate book I have read. There are plenty of gardening terms and species names I did not recognize. This did not really matter but did not do much to enhance the setting. I just substitute pretty flowers for all the descriptions by species names. There were a lot of British words used that this American English speaker did not understand. Some of them were self-explanatory in context, but some were not. I found this odd as Pru is a Texan living in England. The author could have explained things in American as she lives in Seattle and her heroine is Texan. I found myself looking up many words which educated me but detracted from the story.
Pru and Christopher are semi-newlyweds- three years and not in their 20s, more like in their 50s. Pru is a well known gardener and is hired to provide guidance on the restoration of an Arts and Crafts garden in the Cotswalds. Christopher was a detective. Pru finds the body of the current owner in the garden. Thus begins the investigation of the crime.
This book can be enjoyed as a standalone story. Although I enjoyed the book, I found it ironic that some of the revelations had they been known by the murderer would have led to a totally different outcome of the story.

This is a cozy mystery that has the reader guessing to the end of the book. The gardener and her husband are kept very busy finding clues and trying to find the murderer. A fun read.