When Maggie Walker ends up back in the Berkshires, she attempts to start over after life has thrown her a few curveballs. Since she loves gardening, she jumps in to help start a community garden. When it comes time to open the garden, things go from shaky to bad really fast. First, she can't find Violet, her garden partner, and then she does find a body buried in one of the plots!

I wanted to love this so much, but it was so draggy and the pacing was strange. I could not get into it at all. The narration was fine, but I just could not engage with it.

"The Gardener's Plot" is a small-town murder mystery with Maggie Walker at its center.

Maggie grew up in the town, but moved away when she became an adult. After the sudden death of her soon-to-be ex-husband a year earlier and her grandmother's recent passing, she comes back to town to heal her wounds and live in her grandmother's house, a place she knew and loved well.

When she and her friend Violet prepare to open the town's first community garden, everyone is surprised to find a dead body buried in one of the plots. But when Violet also goes missing, Maggie and her childhood friend, Sally, decide to try to locate her by retracing her steps.

Despite frequent warnings from the detective investigating both the murder and disappearance, Violet and Maggie seem to make a bit of headway, only to end up in the killer's crosshairs.

Overall, the story is fairly well done, but for whatever reason, I just never really connected with the main character. I enjoyed the story, but that disconnect meant I didn't love it. Too many of the characters seemed flat and two-dimensional and some connections just didn't make sense. For example, Maggie's nemesis happens to be the wife of another of her childhood friends, Sam. While Sam seems like a nice, personable, caring guy, his wife is your stereotypical mean girl, even as an adult. So, the relationship just makes no sense.

Thank you to Deborah J. Benoit, the publisher and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

I listened to the audio version of this book, and the narrator did an amazing job. The author did a good job with the writing, but some of it leaned more toward predictable. I thought it was a cozy type of mystery, but I felt like it was missing something. It was a cute book.

Thank you Net Galley, Dreamscape Media, and Deborah J. Benoit

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version.

I was really excited about this novel. But this one was a miss for me. I usually love a good cozy murder mystery novel. But I found the main character absolutely annoying. The author repeated herself over and over and over. I just didn't like it. :( I got about 70% and just gave up. The story was really stalling and didn't move forward at all.

Lovely cosy mystery, coincidentally got to listen to this when I got accepted for my first allotment too so that helped in my waiting to get started! Really enjoyed this and would listen to more audiobooks by this author and narrator.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the arc in return of my honest review.

#gifted from NetGalley and dreamscape media

5 star narration
3 star story

Very good cozy-ish mystery. I liked the setting and drama, but it's not especially creative or intricate.

This was a cute cozy mystery that had me entertained the whole time. I enjoyed the garden talk and the characters were well done. I did a combo audio/physical reading and enjoyed both. The ending was slightly predictable and I'm getting a little worn out of the "I'll just investigate myself" trope that is floating everywhere but, overall, a solid story that kept me entertained!

Audio book review - Patricia Santomasso makes this a delightful story of murder mystery in the shires. The story telling is smooth and polished with just enough concern in her tone to make it a thrilling murder mystery. The plot was good and makes for a clever and entertaining book

This would be perfect for someone who really likes to garden. Some of the desriptions and names of the plants as well as many of the gardening scenes just felt unnecessary to someone without an appreciation for digging in the dirt.

There are definitely cozy mystery vibes here. The pacing is nice and leisurely. The audiobook is easy to listen to and keep track of the plot while doing other tasks.

I'd consider this to be a great palate cleanser between darker books or for when you want to read something that won't require a lot of brain power to follow along.

A fun cozy mystery surrounding a community garden! I enjoyed this and hope it will lead to more in a series.

The moment I saw this cover, I knew I had to read it! Add a dead body in a garden? Absolutely irresistible!

I relished in all of the rich details of gardening and plant research in this story, and the amateur sleuthing added an extra layer of fun!

While this one may not have been entirely memorable, it delivered plenty of small-town drama and strong character work, making it a solid debut. Could a series be on the way?

3.5 stars rounded to 4 for Goodreads

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review

An interesting mystery, it was simple but fun and I enjoyed it but nothing too special, unless you love to garden. The characters were nice, the atmosphere was pretty, the writing was easy to follow, the plot was interesting and unique, and it’s an entertaining book I just am not excited about it or anything.

I'll be publishing my review on Goodreads and StoryGraph 18th December and on Tik tok most likely will add to a monthly wrap up post with review the beginning of January

What a super read with twists and turns that are sure to keep readers guessing until the very end, This is a must read!

After the death of her almost ex-husband, Maggie Walker decided to move back to her hometown and start fresh. Maggie had always loved gardening and was excited to work with Victoria Bloom on the new community garden. On opening day, Maggie stumbles upon a body in one of the garden plots and Victoria is nowhere to be found. The police seem to be more interested in naming Victoria as a suspect, than finding out why she is missing. Maggie is determined to find her friend and clear her name as a suspect.

There was a lot going on in this cozy mystery. Maggie is trying to find her best friend, while also trying to figure who is prank calling her in the middle of the night. Are the two occurrences connected? She is also trying to navigate the small-town gossip mill and avoid her nemesis, Katherine. I enjoyed the investigation and although some of the story seemed to drag on, there was enough twists throughout the story to keep me interested. The killer took me by surprise but was happy how the story ended. Although I believe this book is a stand-alone, the ending did leave it open to the possibility of another book. I would be happy to read more about Maggie and her friends.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review The Gardner's Plot. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
1 like

Gardening, murders, and sleuthing. Love the combination! There was the right amount of twists and to keep me waiting for the reveal. And it did not disappoint.
It was a little hard at times to keep the characters straight but overall was a solid listen!
Looking forward to another one (if there is a book 2) Otherwise looking forward to more from this author!

There were great details about gardening, especially community gardening. I had no idea who did it. The investigation was good and focused on finding her friend, so the murderer was a surprise. I liked that it was structured that way and that it kept me guessing. There were a few parts that were sadder than I expected, but it was appropriate for story and made it more realistic.
Overall this was a great beginning to a new cozy series.

I already read this, I just wanted to listen to the audiobook! The audiobook was well done and I enjoyed the narrator.

3🌟

Thank you netgalley for the arc! A cozy mystery that fell a little flat in certain parts. Some of the story seemed to drag more than I wanted it to and I found myself struggling to pick it up. The characters were not likeable, and for a cozy mystery I tend to like the stories with more depth, or likeability (one of the two). Loved the cozy mystery vibes, some fun plot twists, I wish I connected with the characters more.

🎧 Just finished listening to The Gardener's Plot by Deborah Benoit, and I am absolutely in love! 🌼 The narration brought the story to life in such a vivid way—I felt like I was right there in the garden with the characters!

The way Benoit intertwines themes of growth, healing, and the beauty of nature is truly captivating. The narrator's voice added so much depth to the characters, making their journeys feel even more personal and relatable. I found myself completely immersed in the lush descriptions and emotional moments.

Every twist and turn kept me on the edge of my seat, and I loved how the garden itself became a character in its own right. It’s amazing how a story can evoke such strong feelings, and this one did just that!

If you’re looking for an audiobook that will inspire you and leave you with a sense of wonder, The Gardener's Plot is a must-listen! 🌿

This one threw me for a loop a couple of times! Mysteries and gardening - 2 of my favorite things! Maggie is back in the town where her grandmother lived and between an annoying cousin trying to get money and a guy ending up dead in the brand new shared gardening plot things get crazy!
I enjoyed the narration.

4 stars!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

Publish date: 11/05/2024

The Gardner's Plot introduces Maggie, a master gardener, who purchases her grandmother's home and moves back to her hometown. During the opening day of the community garden that Maggie volunteers at, she comes across a boot in the dirt. Once she pulls the boot up, she realizes there is still a foot inside. The story follows Maggie as she tries to find answers to the murder.

Murder mystery and gardening had me sold! The narrator was great to listen to and I overall found this story entertaining. I like the small-town vibes of this book and loved the gardening ties. It was a great, quick read. Not too twisty or suspenseful, but very enjoyable all the same.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC for review.