Dollycas's Thoughts

It's fall in Goosebush, Massachusetts and Lilly Jayne has her fingers in everything. She is on the town's 400th Anniversary Planning Committee and the Fall Festival is just days away. Lily will have a haunted house in her yard and she has been tasked with keeping a part of the 10K run trail clear of leaves. She is also being hounded by Tyler Crane, a newspaper reporter with no ethics. He's been digging up dirt on longtime members of the community and has been teasing what he has uncovered across his social media accounts. 

Lilly, Delia, and Roddy return to give the 10K path one more sweep when Roddy discovers a body under a pile of leaves. Tyler Crane won't be bothering anyone anymore. Did he fall? or did the man push someone too far? It's time for the Garden Squad to get busy and find out. If there is a killer in their midst they need to dig up evidence to plant them behind bars as soon as possible.

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I was excited to get back to Goosebush to catch up with Lily and her friends. They are all about doing what is best for their town and it's usually done in a fun way. The Garden Squad and their midnight beautification projects are just so neat and I loved that they have inspired others to do some late-night projects of their own. We are also introduced to a couple of new characters in this story that are unique. All of Ms. Henry's characters continue to evolve and grow as this series continues. They are genuine and true to life and distinguishable. Oh, and there's a new feline character that is just what Lily and Delia needed.

I really enjoy the way the author describes each scene. Lily's garden is her pride and joy and I can picture it vividly. Roddy's garden needs a lot of work and he is willing to put in the time with Lily's help to get everything just right. The town is set up like a wheel with Ernie Garden Center at one spoke and The Star Cafe on another, and the police station is on the circle too, along with other businesses. There is also a park set for a special renovation nearby. We also get a peek at some house renovations that have and will continue from one book to the next.

Then there is the little-used path where the body is found. I felt like I was right there on the scene, looking for any clues or evidence with Delia and Lilly. The squad all comes together to compare notes and follow each twist and turn. There were more suspects than I first imagined. It was fun to follow along with them and it was exciting to be there when the jig was up and the guilty party was revealed, and boy was I surprised. But the showdown wasn't done, there was a really stressful situation to get through and the chief of police Bash Haywood trusted others to help him handle that situation. That says a lot about this community.

One thing I have noticed since I started reading this series is that I get all kinds of ideas for my own gardens. I appreciate the gardening tips included in the back of the book and I share them with my partner-in-planting husband.

Digging Up The Remains is a well-plotted, well-written cozy mystery that features characters I would love to be able to jump into the book and interact with. Goosebush is so welcoming and always has something fun going on. I am looking forward to digging into Wreathing Havoc soon.

I really enjoyed this Halloween themed cozy mystery! The Garden Squad is at it again and it's up to them to solve the murder of a newspaper reporter who's finally dug himself in too deep!
I love Lilly and the gang and the town of Goosebush. Lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing to the end.
I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

I am enjoying The Garden Squad Mystery series. I am so glad I stuck with it, as each book gets better as we get to know the characters and their stories. In this book, it is the Fall Festival in Goosebush and Lilly and her friends are all on the planning committee. The first big event is the 10K run. What Lilly and the committee don't need is newcomer Tyler Crane, a reporter who is trying to dig up dirt on the local residents to post to his online blog and magazine. The morning of the run, while doublechecking the route to make sure there are no slippery leaves or other hazards, his body is found along a section of the trail, covered with leaves. With so many of Lilly's friends being possible suspects, the Garden Squad begins an investigation into the murder.

I enjoyed the opportunity to visit Goosebush and the townspeople. Lilly is the defacto leader of the Garden Squad and the rest of the group are very different, yet similar. We have business people, old and young and new residents that add to the wonderful town. In this book we meet Tyler and a few suspects which added new blood to the series. The book starts a bit slow leading up to the murder, but once the investigation begins the pace speeds up. There are a lot of suspects in this one from Lilly to some of the new characters due to the fact that Tyler was trying to blackmail and coerce many people to give him dirt on others. The investigation includes a lot of trolling social media and pulls in some secrets about other people. Lilly and the Garden Squad stumble on evidence and it seems everyone is willing to talk to them. The reveal is not dangerous or especially climactic, but it brings the story to a nice conclusion. There is a lot of talk about gardens and planting in this book and I just wish The Garden Squad would visit me and do something with my gardens. If you enjoy stories about small towns, older characters and a mystery, then pick up this book.

Another good cozy mystery in the series. Lilly is back with her friends and neighbors getting reading for a two week festival that includes a 10k run. Finding a dead body on the path is not expected. Putting the pieces together to help solve the crime was fun to follow. Would recommend this book and author.

There aren't many town in the US that can boast trying to host a 400th anniversary, so honestly, I found that part of the set up to be so very intriguing! The Fall Festival is going to keep Lilly plenty busy, but an accident during the 10K race leads to other conclusions.

This book was so enjoyable to read I actually dreaded it ending I recommend for all cozy mystery lovers.

Goosebush, Massachusetts is celebrating its 400th Anniversary. Newspaper reporter Tyler Crane has been looking for dirt on Goosebush’s most notable families, and it seems his motive is blackmail. There's no shortage of suspects when Tyler is murdered.

Julia Henry is one of my favorite cozy authors. I love the protagonist and that she is older. I love the gardening theme of this series, and the mystery was excellent!

I really loved this book in a new to my series. Tha characters and location really and to the story. I can't wait to read the next one. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

This is the third in a series called the Garden Squad series, centered on a group of friends who love gardening, and in case you weren't aware, gardens are one of the deadliest places in the mystery world, so it stands to reason that gardeners would stumble upon bodies. The main character is Lilly Jayne, who at 65 is only 10 years older than me but whose attitude is entirely different to mine and the women in their early 60s with whom I'm friends (more about that later). Her partner in crime is her roommate, Delia Greenway, although other Garden Squad members and neighbors play important secondary roles. The gardeners are involved in a multi-day fall festival in their town in Massachussets, which includes a 10K race and a Halloween haunted house walk. I liked so many things about the book--the small town where everyone knows everyone else (although I hated the town name: Goosebush; maybe it's explained in the first book in the series, but I grew up back east and towns in MA don't have names like this); the autumnal setting, most of the characters (can we see more of Roddy, please?). Unfortunately, my least favorite was Lilly. Also, the author makes a big mistake int he beginning of the book that only people who used to work in my job and related industries would catch--the bodies discovered in the public park (buried with their china!) would have had to have archaeological work done because of the use of municipal funds (there are a lot of laws that cover this, beginning with the Antiquities Act of 1906). Delia submits the DNA from one of the bodies to an ancestry-type company for analysis--patently ridiculous! Where did she get the DNA and how was it extracted (these places usually utilize saliva tests, whereas DNA from archaeological sites is usually extracted from teeth or long bones, preservation allowing). And the Medical Examiner would have taken samples that were sent to the Police Lab for processing, not refused to take on the case "since the bodies were so old."Then Delia follows this with the announcement that the bodies were members of the Howland family, but no living members of the Howland family submitted DNA for comparison; we're to assume that they were on this ancestry site already because they'd taken of these kit tests, too? And why would someone running away from home take fragile china with them? Where did the information that Catherine Howland left home with her china come from? There were so few facts included in Delia's presentation of her actions and her interpretation that I wound up thinking she must not be very good at her job, whatever it is. There were also a few turns of phrases that confused me; what is an army of attention? By baskets on the back of a bike do they mean panniers? Baskets go on the front of a bike. And since this happens in the first chapter, the niggling irritation followed me through the whole book. I also hate the attitude they state forthrightly here: "I'm thinking that this case is going to get a lot of attention. Let's try to help Bash (the police) as much as possible." Because after all, we're amateurs and therefore just as competent as professional police officers. I was also really turned off when the victim's employer 1) knew his password to his laptop and 2) made Delia and administrator on his website and gave her the password. I cant imagine there are many people who are not aware that you don't share your password with anyone! None of my employers or coworkers or family know my passwords! Another key point--someone's Internet history on their computer only tells you what sites they visited, NOT whether or not they lost any money on investments (that would be in the account information, not the browser history, which is just a list of sites visited). All these mistakes were compounded by Lilly's judgmental attitude. Who cares that Cole's house exhibits what Lilly decided was a "lack of personality." It's his house, not hers. "This room feels like several historical eras vomited their worst decor, don't you think?" How rude, Lilly. And I have to say the bit about the use of the victim's telephone and locational information from it confused me. I'm not sure you can track a phone whose location sharing with you is not enabled. You can't just follow a phone when it calls--using it's GPS--unless you're the police. It sounds like I'm being picky, but when there are this many mistakes (and there are others, not noted, like when did Cole say he had a few wealthy clients to Lilly?) in what could have been a decent mystery, I get irritated. And I want to remind myself not to get sucked into reading another in the series in a year or two when I forget the author and series names.

Three stars given when I want to give it two because I like the secondary characters and the setting.

This book was a great addition to the series. I enjoyed tagging along with Lily and Delia on their quest to solve the murder. The gardening tips were great and made the book even more interesting.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Note: I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm giving this one two stars because I'm sure this series would appeal to a certain type of reader; it just wasn't my cup of tea. So if you're really into gardening and neighborhood planning committees, this book is for you! Also, the main sleuth is a retired senior who is living a life that just bores me to tears, so the connection just wasn't there.

I got about 60% through this book until I DNFed. I'm sure the mystery is fine; there's plenty of suspects and characters and town secrets galore. I do like the idea of facebook stories appearing on a murder victim's page from beyond the grave. No tears were shed over the ruthless reporter who was determined to ruin lives and tarnish the town's reputation. What were his motives? Why did he hate the townsfolk so much? Guess I'll never find out. Oh well, there were more books in my Nook calling out my name.

So yeah, if you're a cozy fan who loves gardening and other senior citizen activities, check this one out. I should note that there really isn't Halloween-theme happening, despite what you see on that cute cover. If you're looking for a more Halloweenie cozy, skip this one.

Digging Up the Remains by Julia Henry is the third book in the Garden Squad Mystery series. Lilly and the garden squad are hard at work on both their own gardens and the town's anniversary. When a nosy reporter is found dead on the 10k race route, Lilly wonders if it was an accident or murder. I enjoy the characters in this series. They mesh well together and make the story enjoyable. Add in a strong mystery, and this is an excellent book.

A great entry in the Garden Squad series.

For the most part, this series feels pretty real. The main character, Lilly, is not afraid to say she doesn't like someone but does try to be kind. Something we all could strive to be better practicing. I enjoy she is a lady of a certain age but shows that age is only a number.

I want you that reading this series will have you looking at your own backyard and thinking of improvements. If I had Lilly's backyard and three seasons room I'm not sure I would ever leave the area.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Kensington, through NetGalley. Any opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

This was a good book! It was a quick, easy light read. I would recommend it to others. Good beach read.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Lilly has her green thumb in so many projects around town that she hardly needs a murder to solve. It seems an unscrupulous reporter who uses threats to extract juicy stories for his salacious reports. He has a number of residents up in arms with his innuendos and now he has threatened to spill the beans on several locals on the weekend of the big race. He spills all right but it is not just the beans. He ends up dead in a pile of leaves. It might have been considered an accident but his backpack and his cell phone are both missing.

One of the suspects returns the backpack. In fact, it looks like she may be the one who last confronted the man. Lilly is not convinced she is the culprit and with the able assistance of her house-mate Delia, the two set the bait so the killer will reveal him/herself. Even though it works a charm, Delia must go to extreme ends to retrieve the cell phone. The one who is revealed as the possible killer is not someone who was on the list. But the motives leave Lilly and Delia feeling less than happy that justice will be served. The good news is it may end up having been an accident after all.

Four purrs and two paws up.

I enjoyed this book but, to be honest, I had a hard time staying focused and had to re-read many sections. Perhaps it was because it was written in 3rd person and some of the descriptive text and dialogue felt awkward. In any event, I will give another book in this series a try because the characters are absolutely delightful. If I have a hard time staying interested in the storyline again, I guess it just means this book series isn’t for me.

This is the third "Garden Squad" Mystery and one of my favorite in the series. I enjoy this series with great charcters, always a fun sleuth and engaging writing that is fast pace and fun to read. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. Review delayed due to fire evacuation .

In this next in series it is fall in Goosebush, Massachusetts and Lily and her gardening group are busy planning for the fall town festival. I love the fall theme in this next in series as the author beautifully describes fall in Massachusetts. Amid the festival Lily has many other responsibilities including hosting a fall them party at her garden. When a nasty tempered reporter begins to snoop around town seeking secrets on the prominent families he is soon murdered. Lily and her gardening group of friends decide to investigate his death and background to find out who wanted him dead. His social media is posting after his death and Lily soon finds he was involved in the blackmail of several residents.

This was such a enjoyable charcter driven mystery. I love the town descriptions in fall and how Lily manages her many responsibilities while solving murders. She does not suffer fools and is a smart savvy fun protagonist. I liked the well crafted sleuth that kept me reading and turning pages to conclusion. Very well done to the author ! . I look forward to the next in series.

Goosebush and its residents are getting ready for a two weekend fall festival. Not all of the residents are happy with the changes taking place within the small community. When a reporter/blogger begins stirring up trouble by digging into the secrets of the locals. When the reporter turns up under a pile of leaves dead after hinting at big reveals to come about the most prominent citizens Lily and Delia begins investigating the crime.

This is the third in the Garden Squad series. I love the idea of Guerilla gardening. The garden squad identifies areas around town that could use the addition of plants. They get together and do the clearing and planting in those areas. As of this installment no one has yet to figure out the identity of the undercover gardeners.

The past and present collide as they investigate the identities of bodies found in a mass grave. The identity of those bodies may effect one of the founding families. Perhaps that is why they reporter was murdered. As more gossip comes to light more suspects are found.

I enjoyed the characters as well as the mystery it had several twists and turns. The history and plant identification inserted thru out the story added to the well rounded story. I found the subplot of an all inclusive historical archive very relative to the issues of the day. The writing style was fresh and witty.

I recommend this book. I enjoyed it so much I am going to get the first two in the series from the library,

On the morning of the Goosebush 5K, a social media 'reporter' is found dead on the path the runners are supposed to pass by in just a few moments. Goosebush residents, Lilly and Delia set off to solve the case before the reporters 'research' can unearth everyone's skeletons. Julia Henry kept readers engaged and interested throughout the entire novel, not letting onto the murderer until the very last minute!

This book was the perfect cozy mystery to read before bed. The characters were warm and likable. Goosebush and it's residents depict the quintessential New England town and makes me wish I could visit. The way the author describes the towns folks gardens makes me want to redo my house's landscaping.