A woman helps set up a community garden in the Berkshires, only to find a body in one of the plots on opening day. 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.

Dru’s Short Musing:
I like it. I really, really like this debut cozy novel from Deborah J. Benoit. The mystery was enticingly pleasant with a great cast of characters and a solid plot that kept me immersed from beginning to end.

The author did a great job presenting this finely tuned whodunit. The tone was comfortable, and the writing style made it easy to follow along with what the author intended. The visually descriptive narrative and engaging dialogue created an atmosphere where I wanted to know who was doing what to whom and I enjoyed how it played out in the end. The multiple red herrings throughout would eventually make it clear as to the killer’s identity and their motive. I like how this drama gave me satisfaction, which became a pleasurable read. Overall, this was a pleasantly entertaining tale and I hope there is a second book with Mags, Sally and the residents of Marlowe, MA.

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: November 5, 2024
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.