This is the perfect cozy to read by the garden with a cup of tea. In England everything just seems so charming to me - even a murder!

Marty Wingate always provides a good read. I love the characters and even learn a bit about gardening! Again, the characters are delightful but the mystery in this story fell a bit short...the killer was too obvious from the beginning. But that didn’t take away the pleasure of hanging out with, by now, my old friends!

Pru catches the theater bug in this English garden mystery. I was given an ARC of Midsummer Mayhem by Alibi Books and Netgalley in exchange for a review. I have read other Marty Wingate mysteries featuring Pru and her detective inspector husband and enjoyed them too. This one focuses on a production of Shakespeare’ Au Naturale . In a neighboring garden. Pru is involved as a set designer when one of the actors is killed. She investigates amid all the distractions of putting on a play. It was an interesting read.

Quirky, suspenseful and quaint. This mystery is well done and attention grabbing. Prunella is a sweet lovable character.

This is all about Shakespeare Au Natural presenting A Midsummer Nights Dream an outdoor play in Coeur-de-la-Mar Priory Hall. Pru Parke a gardener was asked to be Set Director and arrange the flowers and plants for the play. Before the opening of the play Gabriel was found dead in the cottage they were using. The police was called, Pru's husband Christopher an Inspector came to investigate and interview the Cast members. There are lots of suspects and cover ups during rehearsals. Pru gets involved trying to solve the mystery of who murdered Gabriel with a lot of suspense and twists!

I received this free ebook Midsummer Mayhem from Alibi. To read and review. I really enjoyed this book with Pru, Christopher and the whole gang, as well as being introduced to new characters. I like this series that Marty Wingate has created. This book can be read alone but I would definitely recommend reading the whole A Potting Shed Mystery series you wont be disappointed to get to the main characters better. I have read all of the books in this series and it keeps getting better. The plot twist will keep you guessing, you never know what kind of trouble Pru will get herself into next. The story-line flows well. I would warn that they use some wording that you see over in England but there isn't much and doesn't deter from reading this novel.. I am looking forward to the next story in this series with author Marty Wingate.

Wonderfully written. I enjoyed reading about gardens and Shakespeare with a sprinkling of mysteries. Pru and Christopher are a lovely couple. They are a good team. Most of the characters are people we would like in real likfe. I enjoyed the lines from Shakespeare at the beginning of each chapter. This story takes place in England.

This is the first time I read a novel by Marty Wingate. Now I want to read all of the books in this series.

Full Disclosure: I am a big fan of stories that take place in England.

This is the first Potting Shed Mystery I have read and I usually do not start a series at #7. However, it was not dependent on previous knowledge and once I figured out the characters it was a fun read. I thought I knew the culprit early on, but Wingate threw in twists and turns that kept me questioning the identity. At one point I had some angst about the potential suspect and had to rush to find out if that person was guilty and if Pru was in danger. I am sure I will go back and start at #1 soon.

I adore the Potting Shed series and Pru! For me, this wasn't quite one of my favorites of the series, as the killer (SPOILER ahead) seemed to be acting uncharacteristically and suspiciously during the entire book, and also because Pru was keeping things from Christopher (her detective husband) in a way that felt forced and not believable and drawn out just for the sake of making the plot work.

I still really liked it, as I thoroughly enjoy Wingate's scene-setting and characterizations--and mystery plotting, too, of course! I just didn't think it was quite as strong as some others in the series. Nevertheless, I'll be awaiting book #8!

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, actors, England, cosy-mystery

An English country house, a troupe of actors preparing for an outdoor performance of a Shakespearean play, a garden specialist with a detective inspector husband, and a devilish premeditated murder. Plenty of suspects and red herrings with some unexpected twists as well as some interpersonal intrigues. The characters are interesting and engaging, the locale inspiring, and the horticulture daunting, and the story is great. The publisher's blurb gives hints and there is no need for spoilers, just enjoy!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Random House via NetGalley

Very delightful mystery! All of the clues Pru discovers kept me guessing up until the end. I loved the idea of a Shakespearean play as the main setting! Really great read!.

In the seventh installment of the Potting Shed Mystery series, Pru and her friends are excited about an acting troupe and their upcoming performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Wingate provides an exciting plot and mixes in gardening tips and tricks throughout.

I just love visiting England with Pru, and 'Midsummer Mayhem' is no exception. Marty Wingate is genius in her ability to create a story that grabs the reader with suspense, fun and thoughtfulness. This offering in the series touches upon the production of Shakespeare in the garden of a neighboring estate, with a cast of actors that has Pru's friends thrilled. Murder ensues and opportunities for Pru to help her Inspector husband investigate create tension and catastrophe. I highly and thoroughly recommend this book, as well as the entire series.

A good cozy mystery with some of my favorite characters. A great book for the beach this summer. Lots of red herrings to keep you guessing who the villain is and a surprise ending.

If you love to garden (or not) and enjoy Shakespeare plays (or not) you will enjoy this book and its cast of characters. I think this is one of the best cozy mystery series, particularly for the author's descriptive writing and her twisting plots.

This is the first of Wingate's mysteries that I've read, but I'll be back. L:ight, entertaining. Just what I needed on a rainy day.

In Midsummer Mayhem, her 7th Potting Shed Mystery, Marty Wingate once again transports the reader to the bucolic English countryside, joining American transplant Pru Parke and her husband, DI Christopher Pearse, at Greenoak, their home. An acting company, Shakespeare au Naturel, has taken over a nearby estate with breathtaking gardens for their production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, but Lysander the lothario is found dead during rehearsals, and all is not well in the world of the bard. Pru is caught up in the investigation as she attempts to catch the killer and prevent harm to any other members of the production. An excellent cozy mystery, and although I always recommend starting at the beginning of a series, the reader can certainly start with this lovely little cozy mystery, which is quite an enjoyable read and does well as a standalone! A+++

Take a beautiful English country house with gardens, add “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, one of Shakespeare's most well loved plays, throw in a murder complete with some lively well-drawn characters and you have Midsummer Mayhem by Marty Wingate. The clues are sprinkled liberally throughout the book and the pace builds to a satisfying climax. This book has all the requirements of a well-thought out and plotted cozy mystery.

In Pru, you have a thoughtful, amateur detective who is married to a Detective Inspector with the police force. The couple make an interesting pair, both of them simultaneously reaching the same conclusion via separate investigations. Pru’s involvement with the case is presented as such a natural course of events, none of it feels contrived. She and the secondary cast of husband and friends are so likeable it is easy for the reader to buy into the desire to see her have success in solving the murder.

Knowledge of the play, and specifically the various characters in it, can help to keep a rather large cast of characters straight, but it isn’t necessary. The author helps the reader in this endeavor by often referring to the various players by their character’s names, so that there isn’t a need to learn double names for each individual. In addition, although the cast of the play is rather large, the suspect list is limited as some characters move quickly into the background of the book.

While the solution to “who done it” is fairly easy for the reader to ascertain, it is still an enjoyable read in large part because the characters and setting are so engaging. It isn’t necessary to have read any of the previous books in this series before reading this one. There may be repeat characters, however the relationships portrayed here are well-drawn enough the reader is not left struggling to play any sort of “catch-up”.

This book is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries. If you like theater and gardens, that’s a bonus, but not necessary.

Another terrific installment in the Potting Shed series. I absolute love these books and find myself excited each time a new one comes out. I just love finding out what Pru and Christopher are up to. And this time round, I loved the inclusion of a cast of characters putting on a Shakespearean play in a huge garden. Talk about crazy fun characters to get caught up with, along with all the theatre drama that occurs. Such a great story!!

Enjoyed this as usual. the Potting Shed Mystery series is one of my favorite cozy series.

Marty Wingate always thinks up a fun plot and setting for Pru to get involved in detecting work and this was no exception. The setting here is an outdoor production of A Midsummer Night's Dream done by a ragtag group of performers, some famous and some not. The production is set at a very fancy schmancy private house with an outdoor theater area.

The gardening information sprinkled throughout is always interesting to read even though I have a black thumb!