This installment of the Goddess of Greene St. Mysteries shares the character from Flower Shop mysteries, Abby Knight. Abby comes to town to hire Athena and her partner Case Donnelly too help clear her cousin who is accused of murdering a model during a fashion show.

I think that the plot was a little too messy, trying to fit all the characters together. There was too little of Athena and Case and too much of Abby.

I absolutely loved this book and can't believe that it took me a while to read it. As someone who loves and has read every Abby Knight stories, it was great to see her in action with Athena. I love Athena and her family dynamics keep me entertained. I hope that we get to see the team in action again. This was a well-written mystery that kept me guessing. I'm already looking forward to the next one.

I adore the main character of this series, Athena. She is probably my favorite cozy character, and she really makes this series. PI Abby comes to town to help her cousin Jillian, who is accused of murder. I was a bit put off by the fact that Jillian was arrested for leaving town after being told not to do so (a lie right up there with waiting 24+ hours to report someone missing). Still I like Athena and this series. I am deducting some stars for this.

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

Gone But Not For Garden is the fourth book in the Goddess of Greene Street series. Prior to reading it, I had read the first book. I didn’t have any trouble following the story by having missed books two and three. I like how this book’s story (#4) started the day after book #3 ended. The mystery is a good one, with many suspects. Athena is hired to assist with a murder case. There is a good bit of Greek culture discussed, mostly food. I found myself looking up recipes to make after meals were mentioned throughout the book. It’s an easy read and provides a good mystery.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books/Cozies for the ARC. I’m submitting my honest review and opinion. I will post this review to my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, & Amazon accounts.

This series is so enjoyable! I'm just loving each book and look forward to reading about these characters. The story follows garden shop worker and amateur detective Athena and her partner Case. The whole cast of characters are entertaining and the mystery is well written. Definitely recommended!

⭐ -- Love the cover on this one.

DNF @25%

I recently attempted to read Gone But Not for Garden by Kate Collins but unfortunately, I did not finish it. I only made it to 25% before giving up. As someone who enjoys cozy mystery series, I was expecting to be able to jump in at any point without feeling too lost. However, this was not the case with this book. The sheer number of characters and their complex backstories made it very confusing and difficult to keep track of everyone. Even after reading a quarter of the book, I still didn't feel invested in the story and found myself losing interest quickly.

Ultimately, I had to put it down and move on to something else. 🤷🏻‍♀️

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Fans of Kate Collins’s Goddess of Greene Street and Flower Shop mystery series will be delighted to find that Athena Spencer and Abby Knight Salvare are combining forces to solve a compelling, action-filled mystery in Gone but not for Garden.

When Jillian Osborne, the emcee of the Sequoia Small Business Association’s fashion show, is arrested in connection with the backstage murder of one of the show’s models, it’s her cousin Abby to the rescue. Abby arrives at the Spencer’s Garden Center seeking Athena’s help in clearing Jillian’s name. Athena, who in addition to working at the family’s garden center also runs the Greene Street Detective Agency with her partner Case, readily agrees, eager to make this the agency’s first official assignment. Together, Athena and Abby face ever-increasing danger as they decipher a series of clues and red herrings and navigate small-town politics as they prepare to unmask a killer.

I really enjoy this series. Athena and Case make exceptionally good partners, and Athena’s Greek family is both charming and hilarious. And the blog she writes (unbeknownst to her family) as “Goddess Anon” is always on point and amusing. And to the extent this novel relies on those elements, it is a smashing success. While I initially was excited about the addition of Abby, for me, the partnership didn’t quite hit the mark. I ended up missing Athena’s easy camaraderie with Case, who took a definite backseat in the book. The constant switching between Athena’s and Abby’s viewpoints was distracting, and I believe the story would have been even stronger if Abby were more of a secondary character. It is Athena’s series after all.

In addition to the e-book, I also listened to parts of the novel on audio. It appears that the series has changed narrators, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. I preferred the prior narrator as this one seems just a little “off” in her timing (but not so much that it kept me from enjoying the book.)

That said, Kate Collins is a fantastic writer and Gone but not for Garden is an entertaining and engaging read. I look forward to the next entry in the series.

Note: I received an ARC of Gone but not for Garden from NetGalley, and Kensington Books. The above is my honest review.

The latest Goddess of Greene St is fantastic! Teaming up Athena w/ her other popular series (Flower shop) MC Abby is done perfectly!
Athena and Case are getting their PI business up and running. They take the case helping out Abby's cousin Jillian who is in town to emcee a fashion show...where one of the models is poisoned.
As usual Athena's family had me laughing out loud!
I recommend this series to all cozy mystery lovers!
I received an arc of this book in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank netgalley, the author Kate Collins, and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book!

Princess Fuzzypants here: From the first book, I have enjoyed the Goddess of Greene Street series. Athena, and her quirky family are always entertaining and the way she juggles her work, her son and her blog, that only her father knows she writes, is impressive. Now she has added a detective agency with her hunky beau Chase. Against all odds, shortly after opening, they end up with more than one job. While Chase is away working on the second one, Athena joins forces with another female PI, Abby. It seems Abby’s cousin is in the wrong place at the wrong time when a model of the fashion show she is emc’ing is poisoned, Jill is the prime suspect.

The detective in charge is happy to pick the lowest hanging fruit since he is one case from retirement and the two other most likely suspects happen to be the wives of the two most powerful men in town. To say that she and Abby are facing an uphill battle does not begin to cover it. Not stopped by brick walls, the ladies manage to ruffle some serious feathers and things begin to get risky. But Athena finally puts the pieces together. Will she survive the night after she does.

Good mystery, lots of twists and turns and great character with whom the reader can become invested. Five purrs and two paws up.

Well this was my first book by Kate Collins and I'm a bit underwhelmed. Now you could argue that this is because I'm coming in cold to an established series, but I actually don't think it was that. There were just too many detectives and not enough of them being especially competent. And there are too many quirky characters. There are visions, secret dancing lessons, people who nearly faint if they have to do public speaking - and a pet racoon. Not bad per se - just no for me sadly.

It was so much fun to catch up with this series. I love Athena and her family. Athena and Case have their own PI business now and are asked by Abby to help prove her cousin's innocence. I especially loved that we got to see Abby and Marco from the flower shop series. The mystery was great, and I didn't guess the killer until the end. I can't wait to read more.

I enjoyed reading this story it kept me guessing who the killer was and it was fun and interesting. There were a lot of people who were suspects and lots of investigating into the murder. I enjoyed reading about all the Greek food and Athena's family they were close and fun to read about.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book. A few years ago, I used to read Kate Collins’s books regularly and when I saw her name it brought back fond memories.

I have to say I was a little bit disappointed in the book. Athena and Case are fairly new in the detective industry when they are approached by Abby Knight, thé Abby Knight from the previous series, to assist in an investigation. Abby’s cousin is the suspect in a murder investigation and Abby is trying to clear her name. Since we do not really get to know Abby’s cousin Jillian, I did not really feel the urge to help clear her name.
Athena comes from a large, Greek family and the descriptions of her family life are definitely fun to read.

I am not sure I will dive into Athena’s world again but I spent a few pleasant hours in her company. The mystery was a good one and it kept me guessing till the last minute.

Athena Spencer works with her big Greek -American family at their garden center near Lake Michigan. She also has a reputation for crime solving and that’s what brings flower shop owner and fellow sleuth Abby Knight Salvare to her door. Abbey came from Indiana to Lake Michigan to help her cousin Jillian who was emceeing a local fashion show and is now accused of murdering one of the models. With Jillian clueless in jail Athena and her partner Case start making inquiries while tiptoeing around the wives of the town’s mayor and police chief. The two detectives become fast friends trying to prove Abbey didn’t do it and find the person who did. Kate Collins are very enjoyable and fun to read the characters are great. I recommend to all.

Athena Spencer works at her family's garden center while raising her son, Nicholas. She also, after solving a few murders, has a new PI agency with her partner and love interest, Case Donnelly. Their latest case involves the death of a local model, who was found dead in her dressing room. The main suspect is a woman named Jillian, who happens to be the cousin of another PI.

Abby Knight Salvare, who owns a flower shop and a PI agency with her husband Marco, is is town asking for Athena's help in finding a killer. She's going to stay as long as it takes to find out the truth. Unfortunately, two of the other suspects are the wives of top officials in Sequoia, and they aren't happy to be on the hotseat. But it's up to the three to figure out what happened and why, and they aren't giving up until Jillian is a free woman -- even if it puts their own lives in danger...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read them all. I was surprised to see a "cross-over" in this book, but I enjoyed it immensely. Abby is the protagonist of the author's Flower Shop Mysteries, and a successful sleuth in her own right. In this book, we have the two women joining forces, and Athena gets to see how Abby goes about conducting her own investigation. While Athena isn't as assertive as Abby, she's learning from the seasoned veteran, and the two women together are formidable indeed.

It turns out there are even more suspects in the wings, and eventually they get help from an unexpected source (a person I would like to see more of in future books); and while Case is working on another case out of town, the two women are much on their own. Between working the case, Athena also has her other duties to take care of, and of course, spend time with her son. (Just reading about it all makes me exhausted!).

There is plenty going on here, along with a county fair, her sister Delphi keeping secrets, and, of course, her mother trying to set up another one of her daughters in a relationship. It all makes for an entertaining read that's intriguing and full of fun, and when the ending comes and the killer is revealed, it's a bit of a surprise; also surprising (but great) the climax itself. This book is probably my favorite of the series so far, and I heartily look forward to the next one. Highly recommended.

Very entertaining! I loved the crossover from the flower shop books, which I have yet to read, but Abby and Marco seem like a really fun, smart couple. I'm excited to read their series, too.

It is hard to maintain a series like this over several books. The author has done a good job of reeling me in and keeping me there. This is a one-sitting read, and I have settled into a comfortable spot concerning the investigative duo.
Athena has been handed a case by another investigator whose cousin has been arrested for a crime that she says she hasn't committed. The reason for involving a local person is quite evident almost immediately - the other possible suspects are all well-loved and highly respected town members. They are also well-connected, so there is sufficient pressure to keep them off the radar.
Athena is not used to taking charge at the very beginning of the investigation, but Case is busy with another job and has to let her run solo on a couple of things. This deepens the rift between Athena and her mother since the latter feels like she is shirking the role of being a mother.
The secret online posts are far fewer in this, understandably, given the amount of running around that we see as the clues stack up.
I almost guessed the ending but was walked back to the same conclusion a little later. This turn felt new. Oscar, the pet racoon, continues to provide entertainment and help when things get a little dicey.
The investigation is done in a steady and systematic manner, and we get a better picture of everyone involved slowly. The family togetherness and the chaos that that brings to the page are highlighted well and add that extra something to the tale, apart from the plot at its centre.
I would recommend this series to readers of the genre, but they should start at the beginning to enjoy the entire thing appropriately.
I received this book as an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this and the author's previous works.

Abby!!! How I’ve missed Abby and Marco. So glad to finally have them back (and a new mystery of their own). The mystery was well-paced and I loved how Athena became more confident as the story went on. I enjoyed the story with them working together but am still not sure how I feel about this series overall; I love Athena’s family but both she and Case are just so-so. I don’t feel the chemistry between them and their relationship seems forced. Having Marco and Abby in this book reminded me of how effortless their relationship seemed to be and made me long for that in this series.

What a fun fun read! This was the first book in the series for me, but I had such a good time reading this. I absolutely loved the crossover with another of her series’s stars! The mystery was engaging with plenty of clues to follow and red herrings to work through.