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.

Maggie has returned to the small town of Berkshires, where her late grandmother used to live, to start afresh. For the past several weeks, she's been helping her friend Violet set up a community garden. But on opening day, a dead body was found burried in one of the plots, and Violet was nowhere to be found.

A suspenseful and immersive murder mystery with a nice small town backdrop. I really enjoyed this book, I only wished the "cute detective" was more charismatic and had something more for himself besides being "cute" - the attempt at creating a sort of romance between Maggie and him was unnecessary.

🎧 Audiobook : 4/5 the narrator was quite good if we overlook the way she chise to read the "Catherine"'s name.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The Gardener's Plot is a mystery set in the Berkshires, and not surprisingly it features garden plots, shared by a community of characters in the small town of Marlowe. I read this book during a stressful week, and it was one of those mysteries that felt kind of hygge. There was murder of course, but nothing too violent or dark. Sometimes, that is just what you need.

Maggie Walker has moved back to her hometown, and as she is a master gardener, she has volunteered to assist Violet Bloom in the opening of a community garden. But on the day of the grand opening ceremony, Violet is nowhere to be found. Then a body is discovered in one of the plots.

I read that this may be the beginning of a series, and it had that feel. We learn just enough about Maggie's backstory to be intriguing, but not enough to totally fill out her character. One is left with the feel that there is more to learn about Maggie. The town is populated with quirky characters, and I really liked Maggie's sidekick, Sally.

The mystery was not too hard to figure out, but it was fun getting to the solution. If there are more installments to this series, I will definitely check them out.

The audio of the book was an enjoyable listen, almost soothing, if that is not too weird to say about a murder mystery book! I think listening enhanced my enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley, Deborah J. Benoit, and St. Martin's Publishing Group for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After some tough losses Maggie is living in the house she inherited from her Grandmother. The town and the house hold good memories and Maggie quickly becomes involved in setting up a community garden. On the garden's opening day ,allotment gardeners are waiting for the gates to open, anxious to start digging and planting. Maggie is waiting for Violet, the project leader, to appear but as opening time comes and goes, the gardeners get restless and Maggie unlocks the gates. The excitement turns to horror when Maggie sees a boot sticking out of a plot and the boot is attached to a foot. Police discover the buried body of a sleazy real estate developer who's been trying to buy up local property for a housing development. Not only is there a murder to be solved but Violet is missing and there seems to be a connection with the murder. Maggie is certain her friend wasn't involved but as Maggie and her best friend, Sally follow Violet's trail it appears Violet was the last to see the dead man alive. Stern reprimands from the police don't deter Maggie and Sally but when Sally disappears Maggie is forced to the sidelines.
This debut mystery shows promise for more entries in the series and has been awarded the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award. I listened to the audio version and felt the narrator did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life . Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur for the advanced copy..

Title: The Gardener's Plot
Author: Deborah J. Benoit
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: November 5, 2024

I received complimentary eARC and ALC copies from Minotaur Books, a division of St. Martin's Press and Dreamscape Media via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Light • Cozy • Pleasant

📖 S Y N O P S I S

After life threw Maggie Walker a few curveballs, she’s happy to be back in the small, Berkshires town where she spent so much time as a child. Marlowe holds many memories for her, and now it also offers a fresh start. Maggie has always loved gardening, so it’s only natural to sign on to help Violet Bloom set up a community garden.

When opening day arrives, Violet is nowhere to be found, and the gardeners are restless. Things go from bad to worse when Maggie finds a boot buried in one of the plots... and there’s a body attached to it. Suddenly, the police are looking for a killer and they keep asking questions about Violet. Maggie doesn’t believe her friend could do this, and she’s going to dig up the dirt needed to prove it.

💭 T H O U G H T S

As an avid gardener, the cover and title of The Gardener's Plot made this an easy add to my 2024 anticipated releases list. I don't read too many cozies, yet I was in need of a light palette cleanser after several fairly dense reads, and this one was the perfect fit.

Told through Maggie's voice as she tries to solve what really happened for a body to turn up in the community garden plot, the plot moves along with a consistent pace with clues being offered up at just the right time. From the start, it's easy to see Maggie has the personality for amateur sleuthing. While there are hints at a romantic relationships, to me it wasn't at all believable and would have been best left out of the plot altogether.

I really loved the idea of the community garden being the center of the plot. The idea was different and not like any cozy I've read before. It was also enjoyable to get some background and helpful tips on successful gardening. I wish a little more of the story had actually taken place at the garden.

The audio, narrated by Patricia Santomasso, was simple and made for easy listening. Her voice is clear and she manages to use different intonations to distinguish when different characters are speaking/thinking.

The Gardener's Plot had many of the makings of your typical cozy mystery, yet it could have easily been shorter and been just as effective. Deborah delivers a solid debut, and while I could see it being turned into a series, I think it would be better left as a standalone. I'd be curious to see what she does write next.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• cozy mysteries
• gardening
• female sleuths

⚠️ CW: murder, death, gun violence

I originally had this on my kindle, but I was able to also get the audiobook version and then I tore through it! Loved the story, the characters and really hope there will be more books in this series.

The narrator was Patricia Santomasso and she was enjoyable to listen to, I really liked that the characters weren't all 20 somethings.

I would like to thank Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read/listen to this story.

I recommend this story to all that love a good cozy mystery.

The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit promises an intriguing blend of cozy mystery and community gardening, but sadly, it fails to deliver on its potential due to an insufferable protagonist and some frustrating narrative choices.

The story begins with Maggie Walker, a newly widowed woman, who is working with Violet Bloom to launch a community garden. On opening day, Maggie finds a note from Violet saying she’ll be late, but by the time the event begins, a body is discovered buried in one of the garden plots. Violet, however, is nowhere to be found, and soon she becomes the prime suspect. Maggie, despite her lack of experience, decides to take matters into her own hands and get to the bottom of Violet’s disappearance and the mystery surrounding the murder.

At first glance, the premise is intriguing—community gardens and murder mysteries do make for a compelling combination. However, the execution falls flat primarily due to Maggie, the story’s central character. Maggie’s character is not just unlikable, she’s exasperating. She comes across as the embodiment of everything frustrating about the “boomer” mindset, constantly assuming she knows better than everyone around her, even when she clearly doesn't. For example, when the police detective mentions the possibility of helping her look for the note Violet left, Maggie dismisses the offer, saying she no longer has the note. Yet, in a dramatic twist halfway through the novel, Maggie discovers she still has the note—crumpled up in her pocket, no less—rendering any potential forensic evidence useless. This type of impulsive, irrational decision-making is a recurring issue throughout the book and undermines the integrity of the investigation.

While one might expect a cozy mystery where the civilian sleuth is an amateur trying to outsmart incompetent police officers, in The Gardener’s Plot, the police are actually doing their job quite competently. Maggie’s interference is, more often than not, a hindrance, and her assumption that she knows better feels both misguided and frustrating. Additionally, her reluctance to share any important information with the authorities—such as the mysterious phone calls she’s receiving—further adds to the tension of watching her bumble through the case.

Another aspect that irked me was the awkward attempts at romance. The book repeatedly brings up the "cute cop" trope, hinting at a potential relationship between Maggie and the detective, but there is zero chemistry between them. Their interactions are limited to mundane conversations about the murder, and the supposed romantic tension feels forced and unrealistic. It’s as if the author tried to wedge in a romantic subplot for the sake of it, even though it adds nothing to the narrative.

Ultimately, The Gardener’s Plot is a missed opportunity. While the setting and premise hold promise, the frustrating character of Maggie, coupled with her misguided sleuthing and lackluster romance, make this book a hard one to enjoy. The mystery itself is fine, but the execution of the plot is bogged down by poor choices that lead to an underwhelming reading experience. For fans of cozy mysteries, there are far better options out there that offer smarter, more relatable protagonists and more compelling storylines. Unfortunately, The Gardener’s Plot is not one of them.

This lovely, cosy mystery is perfect for a rainy day on the couch or a quiet night by the fire with a glass of wine. A very enjoyable read.

Thank you to Kelly and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

When Maggie Walker finds a body in the community garden, her small town is shocked and everyone has a theory about what happened. The director of the garden, and Maggie's friend, is missing and all eyes are on Maggie. With the clock ticking and her friend still missing, Maggie an her childhood best friend, Sally, set out to figure out exactly what's going on. With small town charm and a cast of even more charming Characters, The Gardener's Plot is the perfect suspenseful yet cozy mystery.

The narrator's voice is so soothing and easy to understand. Wonderful!

⭐️ 5/5. Gardening, small town intrigue, and missing persons cases?? This murder mystery drew me in right away and kept me hooked the whole time! It was the feel of a cozy mystery but a little more sinister. The problem was, I was emotionally connected to the people who kept disappearing!
I sincerely hope that Deborah writes a sequel because I want more of these engaging characters, this quirky town, and a possible budding romance that I started to sense developing throughout the book #EnemiestoLovers anyone?