The Gardener’s Plot sounded like a cozy debut mystery that was going to be fun to read.
Maggie Walker had a life that was bumpy and needed to be settled down to be a normal life. Maggie moved back to her grandmother’s house with hopes that this was where she should be living. She enjoys gardening and when she can help run a community gardening spot, she jumped at the chance.
Everything seemed to be ready to go until a dead body was found. I want a mystery that is not easy to figure out who was guilty. This was easy to figure out.
Thank you NetGalley, Deborah J. Benoit and St. Martin's Press for the copy of The Gardener’s Plot. This is my personal review.

Maggie Walker is back in the small Berkshires town, where she spent summers with her aunt. After her aunt's passing, Maggie is now the proud owner of the home she loved as a kid. When Violet Bloom sets out to create a community garden, Maggie jumps at the chance to co-chair the effort and share her love for gardening. All goes to plan until Violet doesn't show up for opening day and Maggie find's a dead man in one of the plots. As the police start investigating, Maggie is desperate to locate her friend and to figure out who in their small town might be a killer.

This is you're quintessential small town cozy mystery. Filled with plenty of old grudges, gossip, friendships and rivals; Benoit does a fantastic job of capture the small-town atmosphere. With writing that flows and plenty realistic gardening advice, this book is a comfort read for sure. The gardening aspects and Benoit obvious depth of knowledge in this area, really added a unique characteristic to this cozy but never overshadows the mystery plot within the story.

Maggie is a decently interesting narrator but was by and large your typical cozy sleuth. For me the characters all blended together, and I never felt they had 'distinct' voices. There were also plenty of aspects where a red herring was being pushed at us a little too hard, which detracted from the story for me. Then again, I might just read too many mysteries to truly be surprised by plots nowadays.

For anyone who wishes they had a Green Thumber, The Gardener's Plot is a fun small-town mystery that is perfect for when you're looking for something light and airy. While the plot wasn't terrible complex, there is still enough small-town gossip to keep you guessing and hoping for a sequel.


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A cute cozy with a murder of a different thread. Community gardening plots and community beautification are all pretty normal, but not a garden plot with a foot sticking out of it.

This is what I call a cozy with all of the normal “elements”. It has a female sleuth who has suffered a trauma, moves back to a small town, and meets a town cop. The cop happens to be a little of a bully though.

While this was enjoyable reading, it seemed slow at times. I think there were two reasons for that. Maggie’s friend Violet was missing almost immediately in the story and that seemed to go on most of the book and yet at times, it seemed forgotten. Even more unusual, we didn’t know who was on the other end of the dead foot in the garden plot til quite far into the story.

This is a debut book for Deborah Benoit. I hope it will not be her last.

After Maggie Walker’s complicated marriage ended, she needed a new start. She sold her condo and moved back to the Berkshires, buying her grandmother’s house. She had grown up there as a kid, helping her grandmother with the gardens. Her grandmother had lived into her 90s, so the upkeep on the house and gardens had slid some in her later years, and Maggie wants to restore them.

In addition to that, she’s going to be helping Violet Bloom with the Marlowe Community Garden. Violet had found a location, set it up, and gotten Marlowe citizens to sign up for the plots. It was an opportunity for those without a yard to set up a small garden, and Maggie had volunteered her time to help with it. Since she trained as a master gardener, she is happy to put her skills to work in the Community Garden.

But the morning they’re supposed to get started, Violet is missing. She’d left a note at Maggie’s, saying she’d be a little late, so Maggie waited as long as the other gardeners would let her before opening the Community Garden for the first time. She feels bad. Since Violet had put in so much work, Maggie knew she’d want to be there for the first day. But Maggie couldn’t keep the others waiting, so she finally opened the gate and welcomed the gardeners in.

Roy Hansen had signed up for three plots, but as soon as he gets started, he’s calling out to Maggie. The plots were all supposed to have been carefully tilled the day before, but his plot has a work boot sticking up from it. Maggie tries to pull the boot up from the soil for him, and finds that there is a foot inside. Someone had used their brand-new community garden to try to hide a dead body.

The police are called and the Community Garden is put on hold for the investigation. Maggie tries to call Violet, but she can’t get ahold of her. Her childhood friend Sally Kendall shows up to help Maggie process the shock, and the women start to ask questions. And when they find out that the man buried in the Community Garden was Carl Henderson, Maggie is shocked. Carl is known around town for coming up with money-making schemes, and his latest was a large real estate development that would include luxury condos and abut the woods out back of Maggie’s house.

Ever since Maggie had bought her grandmother’s house, Carl had been trying to get her to sell it to him. Maggie had rolled her eyes and told him that she wasn’t interested in selling. But when he turned up dead, Maggie wondered if he had been trying to buy her neighbors’ houses as well for his Marlowe Estates. But as she starts asking questions, the police come after her and tell her to stay out of the investigation. But she just can’t. Maggie feels like she owes it to Violet, who is still missing, to find out what happened in the Community Garden.

As Maggie and Sally try to keep investigating on the sly, Maggie also has to deal with an old high school bully, an ex-boyfriend who is now the sheriff, and an annoying cousin who insists he’s entitled to more money from her grandmother’s estate. But all of that barely matters in light of Violet’s disappearance. Did she see something that she shouldn’t have? Is she hiding from danger? Or did something worse happen to her?

The Gardener’s Plot is a a debut novel from Deborah Benoit. It’s a slower moving mystery for readers looking for a calming small town mystery with some gardening tips. It has an old-fashioned feel to it, like it was written decades ago, but with modern twists.

I listened to the audio book for The Gardener’s Plot, narrated by Patricia Santomasso. I thought the narration was good, but it was a little slow in places. That fits with the old-fashioned feel to the mystery, but I did speed up the audio book for a while, to help with my impatience.

I liked this book, but not as much as I wanted to. I thought it had a strong premise, but it could use some tightening up in the storytelling. For example, it took a really long time to find out who it was that Maggie had found in the Community Garden. But keeping in mind that this is Benoit’s first book and a winner in the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel, The Gardener’s Plot could grow into a really solid series.

Egalleys for The Gardener’s Plot were provided by Minotaur Books, and a copy of the audio book was provided by Dreamscape Media, both through NetGalley, with many thanks.

What a very interesting book about maggie , how she moved back to hometown. She buys her grandmother's old house.And this leads to a lot of different situations. Her her cousin there's one of them and the next door named Carl Henderson wanted the land and kept pestering her The Saturday when they were supposed to do the community garden.His body was found by her. Things got really strange.
When violet was missing too. Her next door neighbor sally was trying to help her as well. This reminds me of a agatha christian Novel because there's so many twists and turns in this book and you have to really follow it. Title.
Was really good too Because it's the garden plot. Maggie had To solve a lot of different mysteries in this book. It was interesting how the author tied it all together and it has a great ending

This book was not for me. I did not finish after reading the first 5 chapters (16%) of the book. I did not connect with the character and felt like the pacing was poorly done. The writing focused more on telling rather than showing and was repetitive. Although the set up was there for the identification of the victim it felt like it took way too long to get there and lacked character development.

Thank you Minotaur books and NetGalley for my complimentary eARC of The Gardener’s Plot. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a very enjoyable cozy mystery.
I enjoyed the MC Maggie and all the supporting characters. There is plenty of small town charm and it would be a nice to visit if there wasn’t so many deaths ! Along with the charm comes animosity and power struggles between old foes. This just makes the story that much more entertaining.

Thankfully it did not revolve around food (baked goods). It had a lot of gardening and yard work. A fresh change of pace for me.

I am hoping this is book one of a fun new cozy mystery series

This is a solid murder mystery! It's well-written and is paced good. The ending was good. If you enjoy mysteries, I think you will enjoy this! Special Thank You to Deborah J. Benoit, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.

Deborah J. Benoit’s debut novel, The Gardener’s Plot is a fun and adventurous cozy mystery. This is the first time in a while that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed a cozy mystery.

Ms. Benoit’s plot was solid and well thought out. The even pace throughout the book allowed for well-developed characters, and those characters are great. Between the scene setting and the myriad of characters, I felt completely ensconced in the small town of Marlowe. I enjoyed all of the secondary characters, but I especially liked the “love-to-hate” character of Catherine Whittaker. The main character, Maggie, used to date Catherine’s husband in high school, and apparently, that is an unforgivable and forever threat. It truly added some tense and comical scenes, and solidified Maggie as a character I loved.

This delightful book felt full and complete. I find some cozy mysteries to be all chit-chat about nothing and then boom, the main character figures everything out. I felt that I was given clues along with the characters while throughout, Ms. Benoit’s love of gardening and community shone through. I noticed one reviewer mention it was a three-part series, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it is true as I really enjoyed the writing, and I’m hoping that Maggie gets to know the “handsome” Detective Quinn a little better.

4.5 stars

This book was readable, but otherwise, bad. I kept reading because I wanted to confirm what I suspected to be the truth all along, but it angered me the whole way through. Maggie is not an amateur sleuth because there was no context at all to explain that she’d be even remotely good at digging up answers about what happened, and yet she persists. The characters are very under developed, and they all have insanely hokey names. There was just so much lacking in this. The cover is pretty though!

The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J Benoit was a wonderful cozy mystery set in a small town. This is the first book in a new series. It was a well thought out plot with many twists and turns. Just when you think you have the mystery solved, the author throws you off again. A very enjoyable read. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this early. Much appreciated.

The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit is an enjoyable cozy mystery debut, set against the charming backdrop of the Berkshires. Maggie Walker’s return to her childhood town for a fresh start takes a dark turn when she stumbles upon a corpse in the community garden. What follows is a lighthearted yet suspenseful whodunit as Maggie steps into the role of amateur sleuth.

Benoit’s strength lies in her vivid descriptions of the small-town setting and the sense of community that comes alive in the garden. Maggie is a likable protagonist, with a relatable mix of curiosity and determination. The ensemble cast, from quirky gardeners to nosy neighbors, adds charm and humor, making the town of Marlowe feel warm and inviting—even in the midst of a murder investigation.

However, the pacing can be uneven, with the plot occasionally meandering as Maggie navigates through red herrings and minor subplots. While the mystery is engaging, seasoned cozy readers might find the reveal predictable. Additionally, some characters, particularly Violet, could have used more depth to make their motivations clearer.

Overall, The Gardener’s Plot is a solid start to a promising series. It’s perfect for readers seeking a gentle mystery with a picturesque setting, but it falls short of delivering a truly memorable twist. A pleasant read, but not groundbreaking.

The Gardener’s Plot is the first book in a new series from Deborah J. Benoit. Maggie Walker is a master gardener who has moved into her grandmother’s house in the Berkshires. Her greedy cousin and an unscrupulous land developer are trying to get her to sell the house, but Maggie refuses.

On the day she and her friend Violet Bloom are opening their new community garden, one of the gardeners finds a dead body in his plot. It’s the body of the land developer. Maggie would let the police handle it if it wasn’t for the fact that Violet disappeared on the day of the murder. Violet becomes the police’s prime suspect, but Maggie is convinced that she didn’t do it. She and her best friend decide to investigate the murder and clear Violet’s name while, hopefully, finding their friend.

The book is a fun, entertaining mystery with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. The characters are likeable and relatable, and the mystery is solved in a rational way that makes sense. All in all, it’s a great book. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

I received an advance review copy of this book and am enthusiastically leaving this 5-star review.

The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit is a wonderful small town, cozy mystery.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and had plenty of twists to keep engaged right to the very end.
I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future,

The first book in a new series written for people like me. Gardeners who love cozies! The community is populated with characters I'd meet in my local farmer's market or community gardens. The mystery turns a couple of questions into a full blown harvest of suspects. Loved it!!!

A double win in my opinion…..found a new author and great start for a cozy murder mystery. Maggie has returned home to start anew in her beloved grandmother home. First of the grandchildren to put an offer in for the home of many fond memories. As a master gardener she gets involved with the community garden plot with her new friend Violet. On the opening of the garden, Violet leaves a note that she is running late. Very unusual for the head of the project, so Maggie starts belatedly without her. When one of her fellow gardeners complains about a boot in his plot, Maggie goes to retrieve it. It takes a mighty tug and then she sees a foot! Where is Violet? She really doesn’t want to deal with this. Really where is her friend?
I was turning pages trying to guess who dun-nit. Good pacing of the storyline, there are quite a few characters, but that is the normal to introduce the characters. Really enjoyed reading #TheGardenersPlot and looking forward to the next book.

I thought this was a cozy mystery, and it is, but it's more complex. Maggie has moved into her Grandmother's house in a rural section of Massachusetts, after purchasing it from the estate. Her almost ex-husband was killed by a hit and run driver. Now, not only does she need to deal with a land developer who wants to buy it, but a cousin who feels that he didn't get a fair shake. Then a murder takes place and Maggie is the center of gossip and perhaps is a person of interest. And one of her gardening club members goes missing.

I thought the book was engaging and interesting.

This book will appeal to cozy mystery lovers, but it will be especially appealing to those who love to garden because a community garden is the set piece for this mystery.

Maggie is happy to be back in a place that brought her so much happiness in her early years. Violet
Bloom is another gardening enthusiast who has taken Maggie under her wing as they are preparing to open a community garden. On opening day, Violet is nowhere to be found and the others are getting a little restless. Maggie opens the gate to allow the gardeners into the garden, but they are about to get the shock of their life when a pair of boots is sticking out of the garden's soil. A murder has soiled their little slice of heaven.

This was everything you look for and want in a cozy mystery with the small town, community feel where everyone knows everyone's business, or at least thinks they know the business. You have the little mean girl clique who always have something to say. Maggie is nosy, but observant, and she is determined to find her missing friend. Her armchair sleuthing is going to get in her trouble.

This was an interesting book to read as I learned some tips about gardening along the way. The mystery was well-written and the characters were interesting as well. A few times along the way, I stumbled over characters trying to place who each character was to the story, but I still enjoyed the book as the most important characters were spotlighted enough to understand everything.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

THE GARDENER'S PLOT by Deborah J. Benoit is a twisty, wonderful mystery as cozy as it is replete with relatable characters and surprising, yet logical moments in the beautiful Berkshires setting where a terrific community garden idea is upended when a dead body is discovered. Maggie is suddenly in the thick of way more complications than she anticipated when she moved to this bucolic town where memories are long, deep, and the disappearance of garden leader Violet is a mystery she is compelled to figure out. I enjoyed every moment of this story, especially appreciating the genuine voices of believable characters. Add in the gardening and small town and I am over the moon with a story from a talented new writer. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

Mystery | Adult
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I’m still enjoying some gentler cosy mysteries after a series of thrillers, including a couple of rather gruesome ones! This is Benoit’s first novel, and it won the First Crime Novel Award from the Mystery Writers of America! Benoit delivers exactly what I expected – a gentle murder mystery, set in a small town, with generally appealing characters and a promising sleuth protagonist in the form of Maggie Walker. She moved back to the Berkshires in Massachusetts, into her grandmother’s old home, which she bought from the estate, and is slowly rebuilding her life after the sudden death of her almost ex-husband. (There is a story there that is only partly revealed…) An avid gardener, Maggie agrees to help Violet open a community garden. But when a body turns up in one of the plots before it even opens, and Violet is nowhere to be found, Maggie finds herself the talk of the town – and not in a good way. There are old flames and old enemies, her best friend Sally, and new pals too. I really liked all the characters, and enjoyed the slower pace of the mystery, though I can see it might be too slow for some readers. Maggie’s temper gets her into a pickle or two, which makes her even more appealing. The identity of the murderer was a surprise to me, which is always fun. A good choice for fans of easygoing cosy mysteries, and I’ll be looking for the sequel as this appears to be the first in a new series. My thanks to Minotaur Books for the advance reading copy provided digitally through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203578860