Six Cloves Under by Gin Jones is the first book in the cozy A Garlic Farm Mystery series. As with most cozy series this first book has it’s own mystery that is fully solved within the book so it can be read as a standalone without a cliffhanger. There will be however the character development that carries over from book to book for those that follow the series from the beginning.

Mabel Skinner got so caught up in her job as an app developer and with life in general that she hasn’t been to visit her Aunt Peggy Skinner in years falling back on sending the occasional card. It still hits Mabel hard when she gets news of Aunt Peggy’s passing since her aunt had always been in good health working hard on her garlic farm.

Mabel packs a bag and finds herself heading to western Massachusetts when it’s found that Aunt Peggy left the Stinkin’ Stuff Farm to Mabel. Mabel only plans to get the farm ready for sale but soon finds herself in the middle of the garlic harvest with Peggy’s friends and neighbors jumping in to help. Before long though Mabel begins to doubt the story she was told of Aunt Peggy dying in an accident and finds herself looking in every corner for a murderer.

Who knew people went so crazy for garlic? I certainly didn’t until reading this opener in the A Garlic Farm Mystery series. This one was filled with quirky and fun characters with somewhat introverted app developer Mabel. It also had a favorite of mine with cute critters all around including a helpful alarm of a kitty. I also liked that this first book of the series dealt with the death of Mabel’s aunt instead of her arriving to another dead body. So when it was all said and done I’ll definitely return to Stinkin’ Stuff Farm with book two.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Six Cloves Under is the first book in Gin Jones's Garlic Farm Mystery series. App developer Mabel Skinner doesn't know a thing about garlic farming. But when her aunt dies unexpectedly, Mabel inherits her garlic farm in western Massachusetts. When she arrives at her aunt's, she learns that the crops need to be harvested in three days - and the entire town is counting on her to do it. But Mabel has a bigger problem: she suspects that her aunt's death may not have been accidental at all. She thinks that someone murdered her aunt and is determined to uncover the truth.

A fun mystery that kept me engaged until the last page. I enjoyed the setting and descriptions of garlic farming. Mabel is a memorable character. As an introvert myself, I immediately connected with her and found her reaction to certain situations to be very relatable. I'm going to enjoy seeing how she adjust to life on the farm - it's certainly going to be interesting.
All in all, a great start to a new series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The protagonist,Mabel is a relatable character in that she wants to hide herself from the world. When she inherits her aunt Peggy's garlic farm she has to open up her world to aunt Peggy's friends and a whole community who loved her and her garlic.
Mabel needs to bring in the harvest before the rain destroys it not only that but she suspects her aunts death was not accidental so maybe aunt Peggy was not loved by all and garlic has been stolen.

The characters in six cloves under will make me want to continue reading this series. I loved Mabel. Especially when she even though she didn't know her aunt well want to find her killer and harvest the best garlic on the east coast.

Disclaimer Thank you Netgalley for this book. This was an honest review

I really didn't know what to expect when I picked this up... a Cozy Mystery Series about a garlic farm??

I loved how strong the main character, Mabel, was. She was determined to not only prove that her aunt was murdered but prove she could save thee garlic farm she left behind.

I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in this series and look forward to reading more.

I think it will be interesting seeing Mabel acclimate to farming life.

Six Cloves Under is the debut novel in The Garlic Farm Mystery Series by Gin Jones. Mable Skinner works as an app developer, and is very good at what she does. However, when her aunt Peggy dies unexpectedly, she finds herself the owner of a garlic farm in Massachusetts, and doesn’t know anything about farming. Luckily she can work her app development job remotely and travels to Aunt Peggy’s to take care of the funeral, as well as get things ready to sell the farm. Unfortunately, her aunt’s death has been ruled an accident, but Mable sees some things that are suspicious about Aunt Peggy’s death, and begins to investigate. While Aunt Peggy’s friends are helpful, especially when it comes to harvesting the garlic, there are some characters that turn out to be viable suspects. Peggy doesn’t know much about sleuthing, and puts herself in danger during the course of the novel while learning the ropes.

While this fast-moving novel is a quick read, it’s definitely a fun culinary cozy mystery. The story flows and the novel is well written. As Jones introduces the characters, she does a good job of developing them. Most of Aunt Peggy’s neighbors and friends are interesting, but Mable, the protagonist is a bit of a bore – she doesn’t like social interaction and stays away from people as much as possible. Fortunately, she grows on readers and by the end of the novel, readers will want to read more about her and her life on the farm where her aunt had the reputation of growing the best garlic in the country.

Good culinary mysteries generally include recipes at the end, and this novel is no exception. Anyone who likes garlic will want to try them, and will look forward to reading more about Mable Skinner and her progress as a garlic farmer.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I love this first entry in a new cozy series! Pixie the cat is my favorite, and I loved the mystery. The information about garlic was interesting, and I loved how it wove into the story.

The first book in a new series that I found just ok. The plot itself was ok but I really did not like the main character which is crucial for me in any mystery series.

A fun first in series! I thought the premise was clever and original and the mystery was well planned. I loved learning about garlic growing and would love to read more in this series!

Princess Fuzzypants here: Mabel is a brilliant but socially stunted computer programmer who has inherited her aunt’s garlic farm just before harvest. She has not been close to her aunt so there are gaps in her knowledge of her aunt’s wishes as well as a total lack of knowledge about farming or garlic. But happily, there are lots of people who cared about her aunt and are willing to help out. Mabel, introvert that she is, is not quite sure how to handle it all but she realizes it is important to honour her aunt by getting her precious garlic in.
Spotty internet service is hampering her ability to get a big project in on time but it is far less of a distraction than the feeling that her aunt’s death was not accidental. Her belief is strengthened by the theft of garlic from the farm. Pixie, her new friend and kitty, turns out to be a terrific advance warning system when someone comes onto the property. She also indicates who the thief and killer is. The identity of the villain may come as a shock to some but thanks to Pixie, I had her pegged.
This is a refreshing take on the cozy where the heroine usually has close family and friends who are intricately woven into her life. With a heroine who could live happily as a hermit,, her reaction to the characters around her creates a unique dynamic. It works too although I suspect her misanthropic tendencies may be tempered in any future books. I hope there will be more.
Four purrs and two paws up. .

SIX cloves Under is a great start to a new series. I loves the unique setting and the well developed characters. The mystery is satisfying. I really enjoyed thus book and am anxiously awaiting the next installment

After her Aunt Penny's death, Mabel Skinner inherited her garlic farm. As she heads to the farm to figure out what to do, her aunt's friends and the farming community pressure her to honor her aunt's memory by making sure the last harvest of the best garlic on the East Coast gets brought in. However, Mabel is an app designer who knows nothing of farming and very little about dealing with people. Looking through her aunt's logs, she becomes convinced that someone has been stealing garlic and that her aunt's death was not a freak accident, but murder. Enjoyable cozy, the character of Mabel is intentionally off putting at the beginning, but begins to grow on you. Mystery is well plotted with enough suspects to keep you guessing. All in all, a debut of an interesting new series that I will continue to read. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Six Cloves Under earns 5+/5 Garlic Scapes...Deliciously Entertaining!

Gin Jones is a favorite author who has again made me a fan of her new Garlic Farm series starring Mabel Skinner, a character with whom I identify as we’re both “...Virgo. Detail oriented, and love to have facts at [our] fingertips...” Mabel inherited her Aunt Peggy’s garlic farm, and struggling to “fill her aunt’s boots,” she is trying to honor her aunt’s memory and preparing to harvest a crop about which she knows little. She’s also fallen into some contentious issues with other farmers wanting to swoop in on vacancies her aunt’s death has created and a lawsuit against a seed provider is still pending. Mabel is quite the novice in all things farming, but many are counting on this year’s premium garlic crop. No pressure...she needs to harvest in just a few days or lose the crop and her aunt’s spot at the Farmers’ Market. She’ll do her best to get this crop in and to market to uphold her aunt’s reputation, but Mabel has so many questions with no easy answers, and suspicions make her doubt the verdict her aunt’s death was accidental. Mabel is set to find the truth, but her safety may also be in jeopardy.

Aromatically Brilliant! Along with a third-person narrative, sensory-laden language, and clever banter, Gin Jones has penned a very compelling and complex mystery. Although it took time to unfold since it wasn’t obvious that anything was untoward, I was totally engaged with getting to know Mabel as well as issues with the farm and local residents. It was hard to put down, and the ending was one I didn’t see coming. I was greatly intrigued by all the fascinating information of the “stinking rose” woven into the drama...who knew one could eat the scapes or even what is is. Google was a friend showing me more about the loopy stalk can be eaten just like one eats asparagus, but with its own “light garlicky flavor.” What a cozy! Engaging. Informative. Entertaining. Bonus! What’s a cozy without recipes...I don’t know, it’s scary to think there’s such a thing. Gin provides three tasty easy to-follow recipes perfect for garlic lovers everywhere: Roasted Garlic Bread, Garlicky Chicken and Rice, and Pickled Garlic.

Such a good start to a new series! Love the characters and location! Can't wait for the next book to see where this series is going to go.

A cozy mystery on the Stinkin' Stuff Farm that could leave you to believe there was more than garlic smelling up the place! Gin Jones has given us a unique setting with a unique set of characters. When she inherits her aunt's garlic farm, our young coder must turn her life upside down, literally since she is a night owl who works alone and doesn't care for people or the outside much. With clear intentions of selling the farm and moving on, she's not quite sure at what point she started to care about what goes on in this typically corny....I mean garlicky...neighborhood. When she begins to suspect that maybe her aunt's death was not as it seems, the fun starts as our intrepid farmer must keep one day ahead of the harvest and a few steps ahead of the killer. A really good start to a new series.

Mabel Skinner has no intentions of becoming a garlic farmer. In fact, all she wants to do is settle her aunt’s estate and get back home so she can code her apps in peace. Unfortunately, it’s harvest time for the garlic and everyone wants some of her Aunt Peggy’s garlic from the Stinkin’ Stuff Farm. Mabel’s guilt over her limited contact with her aunt pushes Mabel into helping with the harvest, even as rain is coming and threatens to destroy the vast majority of the garlic. Meanwhile, Mabel isn’t buying the cause of her aunt’s death as accidental, but she’s struggling with suspects as everyone reportedly loved Peggy. Did someone murder Peggy for her garlic?

SIX CLOVES UNDER is the first book in the Garlic Farm series, and wow, what a great way to kick things off! Mabel is a bit standoffish, but her character is what makes SIX CLOVES UNDER so darned funny! Her irritation with the birds in the morning (and subsequently the cats) had me in stitches. Introverts like myself will thoroughly appreciate her distaste for hugs and her appreciation for solitude, even as the townspeople worm their way into her heart.

I love seeing a tech savvy person like Mabel learn to appreciate some of the aspects of the farming life, particularly right now when I’m trapped behind a laptop for distance learning and yearning to be outside gardening. I’ve tried to grow garlic before so the amount of work and methodology that went into Peggy’s garlic farm wasn’t a real surprise to me. SIX CLOVES UNDER is one of those cozy mysteries that makes you want to go outside and dig in the dirt to start your own garden.

SIX CLOVES UNDER is a spectacular start to what promises to be a fun series! Mabel is a refreshing change of pace from the typical cozy mystery heroine as she is an introverted loner who really doesn’t want to be around people… until she does. Gin Jones has hooked me with this entertaining and surprisingly charming cozy mystery. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

*review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

Six Cloves Under by Gin Jones has Mabel Skinner inheriting her aunt’s garlic farm, Stinkin’ Stuff Farm in West Slocum, Massachusetts. Being an app developer, Mabel does not know a thing about farming. She is dumped in the deep end because the garlic must be harvested within the next three days. The more Mabel learns about her aunt’s death and the farm, the more she suspects that her Aunt Peggy’s death was not accidental. Mabel will have to proceed with caution if she does not want to tip off the killer and end up as fertilizer food. Six Cloves Under is the amusing debut of A Garlic Farm Mystery series. Mabel Skinner is an interesting character. She is an app developer who prefers to work at night (I can relate). She goes to bed around 3 a.m. and considers noon to be morning. I did not appreciate Mabel’s abruptness and rudeness with people. I can understand being cranky when being awoken at the crack of dawn (7 a.m.), but you can still be polite. Mabel is also an introvert and an analytical thinker. I did think that Mabel being a night owl was overmentioned (I got it after the first five times). There is a nice cast of secondary characters that round out the story especially the friendly next-door neighbor, Emily Cotter. I liked that the author chose a garlic farm for the setting. It is unique for a cozy mystery. There is also a lavender field which sounded like it is lovely when in full bloom. I enjoyed learning more about the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program that the area farms are involved in. The mystery was different for a cozy. Peggy’s death had not been ruled murder, but I had to agree with Mabel that things did not add up. While I identified the guilty party early on, I enjoyed following Mabel as she put together the clues. Six Cloves Under is a fun tale with glorious garlic, a crop conundrum, a shortage of sleep, developing deadlines, friendly farmers, and a confounding crime.

I live near Garlic fields so I was pleased to receive this new cozy series for review. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own. This is a charming entertaining cozy with all the perfect cozy elements that we cozy readers enjoy. Well done to the author !

Mabel inherits her" Stinkin' Stuff Farm" in western Massachusetts. She arrives during critical harvest time—with three days to bring in the entire crop before rain will destroy it. She is a app developer and knows nothing of garlic farming but is willing to jump in to save the harvest to honor her dead Aunt Peggy. She then intends to move back to Maine to rejoin her normal life, Right away I loved her as a protagonist as she does not suffer fools and is funny with her adjustment to being a farmer hysterically funny.

She soon finds a contentious farmer next to Peggy was pressuring her Aunt to sell her successful farm and that her Aunt may have been murdered. As Mabel begins to investigate her murder on her own she finds clues as well as red herrings that keep her guessing as to the reason behind her Aunt's murder. Soon she has suspects in her sights while she manages to bring in the crop successfully with help from her Aunt;s friends and co workers. But when the famous garlic known as the best on the East Coast starts disappearing from her storage facilities she joins with her Aunt;s friends to investigate the disappearance of her crops.

I loved this first in series ! The supporting charcters are wonderfully warm caring people that are genuine. I love the setting of the garlic farm and the author's descriptions of garlic farming were fun . I am so looking forward to the next in series. I hope this will be a long running cozy series. Very well done to the author !

Great start to a new series. The stinking rose may be the star of the tale, but Pixie the cat adds charm. A clever murder mystery. The night owl introvert has to make major adjustments in her life. Small farming community friendships and issues.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Mabel Skinner hasn’t visited her Aunt Peggy is years. Then her aunt suddenly dies and she has left her the Stinkin’ Stuff Garlic Farm. Mabel a successful App developer hopes she can tie up the loose ends with the final harvest and get back to her life.

But Mabel starts to believe her aunt’s death may not have been as accidental as everyone believes. When she starts to dig for clues she finds much more than she bargained for. She has put herself in the killer’s path. She may find herself buried six feet under, pushing up garlic, if she isn’t very careful.

Mabel Skinner is a tough nut to crack, determined and smart, but a little hard to warm up too. Her analytical skills are top-notch and do come in handy when tracking a killer and determining the in and outs of a garlic farm. I really wish her relationship with her aunt had been more current because I think that is going to bother her beyond the pages of this first story. Mabel did grow on me by the end of the story.

Ms. Jones does introduce us to a fine crew of supporting characters that come together to bring in the garlic crop. Many in the community are dedicated and loved Aunt Peggy. In fact, the entire town is counting on Mabel to finish the garlic harvest, which is touted as the Best Garlic on the East Coast. Restauranteurs, the local CSA, the farmer’s market, even the librarian is counting on that crop. All the residents we meet really grow over the pages of the first book. Rory is a true stand out. That woman has more energy in her little finger than I ever had in my entire body. The author has left plenty of room for growth for all the characters and I am excited about that.

The mystery was very well-plotted. There really aren’t any straight forward clues until later in the book. I actually suspected everyone. Things didn’t add up for me or Mabel, but accidental death surely wasn’t the cause. She needed proof and it was hard to come by. I enjoyed the chase, the questions, the quest for the truth. When I honed in on the real culprit it was just a feeling. When that feeling proved right I was actually pretty stunned.

I love garlic and the garlic farm theme is one I was am excited about. I learned a lot and that is always a bonus. I love that the farm is called the Stinkin’ Stuff Farm. The second crop of lavender also interests me.

Six Cloves Under is a nice start for this series. A variety of characters and a puzzling mystery was a very enjoyable read. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. Rhubarb Pie Before You Die will be released in December.

I don't know anything about Organic Farming, but that didn't interfere for a moment with warming up to this lovely Cozy Mystery set in New England. I really identified with protagonist Mabel, whom I found quite unusual but admirable as a main character. Long-orphaned and raised by her grandparents, since deceased, she is a work-from-home programmer of apps, who understands logic, reason, math, but is bewildered by humans and human emotions. So when her Aunt Peggy dies, Mabel notices how out-of-character was Peggy's last night, and she believes her death was no accident at all. But Mabel, with her divergence from social cues, dislike of human interaction, and misinterpretation of emotions, must parse these very aspects of human life she avoids. A delightful mystery results!


SIX CLOVES UNDER is a Garlic Farm Mystery by Gin Jones.