I gave The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell 3 stars.

Crescent Cove, a small hamlet on Vancouver Island, is the last place out-of-work investigative journalist Luke Tremblay ever wanted to see again. He used to spend summers here, until his family learned that he was gay and rejected him. Now, following his aunt’s sudden death, he’s inherited her entire estate, including her seaside cottage and the antiques shop she ran for forty years in Crescent Cove. Luke plans to sell everything and head back to Toronto as soon as he can…but Crescent Cove isn’t done with him just yet.

When a stranger starts making wild claims about Luke’s aunt, Luke sends him packing. The next morning, though, Luke discovers that the stranger has returned, and now he’s lying dead in the back garden. To make matters worse, the officer leading the investigation is a handsome Mountie with a chip on his shoulder who seems convinced that Luke is the culprit. If he wants to prove his innocence and leave this town once and for all, Luke will have to use all his skills as a journalist to investigate the colorful locals while coming to terms with his own painful past.

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The first in a new cozy mystery series. Actually, there were many firsts for me in regard to this book. It is also the first cozy with a male lead, as well as the first queer cozy book I have read. It made me very eager to pick it up, because the genre is usually very heterogeneous. Even if I like that cozy mysteries are very similar, and you know what you get, it can be fun to read something different too.

When it comes to the story, it was just alright. It was fun for the moment, but nothing that will last in my mind. Some things bothered me, for example when Luke pushed past the police and ran into a suspect's house and started rummaging through his things while the police waited outside. Or when he suddenly enters the interrogation room in the middle of an interrogation with a suspect - and the police let him take over. Doesn't seem likely at all!

This book comes out August 20.

Thank you Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Actual rating: 4,5 stars

I'm only now discovering cozy mysteries and my biggest grip with the genre so far is that, unlike cozy fantasy, they don't seem gay enough. This is why when I saw this lovely cover on a list of queer books on Goodreads, I was interested immediately.

Luke's aunt died and he inherited both her cottage in the small town of Crescent Cove as well as her antique shop. The point is, he doesn't want any of that, because the only thing the town reminds him of is the summers he'd spent there with his family before they disowned him for being gay. He is planning to sell it as soon as he can, but unfortunately for him, a man tries to get into his house and after Luke chases him away, the man is found dead in his garden the next morning. Moreover, the sergeant leading the investigation is his childhood friend, who has a grudge against him.

I really liked this book. The writing was rather simple and not too flowery. It flowed smoothly and read quickly. The ebook I had, had some issues with formatting in 3 or 4 chapters but luckily it wasn't the whole thing.

The plot was alright, I was curious about the mystery and in the end, only managed to figure out some of the clues. It was simple but did the job and made sense in the end. I was really glad that despite his initial effort, Luke in the end chose to work together with Jack and not make a mess of things, as I expected him to at some point. The conclusion was satisfying and the ending was very sweet.

We have to be honest, however, that what drives the cozy genre of anything is the characters and the relationships between them. This is where the book shines. While Luke himself could have a little more personality, he was still better than a lot of main characters and he was surrounded by a very colorful cast of side characters. Each of them was introduced in a way that immediately gave us a picture of what kind of person they are. I especially took a liking to Jack. His relationship with Luke was sweet and their trying to solve the case together was giving a lot of opportunities for them to interact. There was a little bit of a love triangle and love drama in the middle but that was quickly resolved. I honestly wish this was a series just so I could watch them interact a little more.

All in all, while not groundbreaking, this book does what it sets out to do and does it well. It's charming and reads very quickly and the more you are in, the more you want to continue. I'll happily recommend it.

Great story.

Luke Tremblay returns to the village of Crescent Cove where he spent happy Summers as a child. He hasn’t been back since his aunt told he not to, so he is kind of surprised that she has left him her cottage and her shop in her will. But before he can start sort through his aunt’s stuff and sell the cottage, a man tries to force his way in claiming Luke’s aunt kept something at the house she had sold to the man.

Luke manages to chase the man off, but finds him at the house again in the morning. Dead in the pond. A fine looking specimen of the RCMP is in charge of the investigation. This turns out to be Jack, a friend Luke hung out with in those childhood Summers. Jack is upset about the abrupt way their friendship ended, and Luke is afraid that because of this Jack won’t look too far to find a viable suspect.

So Luke investigates himself. He’s an investigative reporter (freelance) so he polishes up his people skills and starts asking questions here and there, making people - himself included - nervous.

The mystery is good and their are plenty of suspects to guess about. Luke doesn’t barges in or is overly nosey, and when he is he gets told off about it. Jack’s a competent police officer. And though it’s a cozy cliche that the investigating officer falls for the sleuth, I was curious how that worked out in this story.

Now here's a cozy mystery for me! Sometimes cozies are so sweet that I lose interest. But this one had a stronger voice and a sensibility—younger, gay—that kept me reading. I enjoyed the colorful cast, the romance, the whole shebang. Zipped through the whole thing in a day, which is exactly what you want out of a cozy.

I will say as a content note that this book has a character with First Nations heritage and he is subject to racist slurs, so people who are sensitive to that should be aware going in.

An enjoyable read. Has the potential to (hopefully) become a new series. And if so, a great start!

Fans of Josh Lanyon's books, especially the "Secrets and Scrabble" series, will enjoy this book.

"The Body in the Back Garden" has that lovely cosy crime blend I'm looking for. Gorgeous setting and an array of different characters - all well described. The right amount of plot padding and red herrings to keep the reader interested, but not bored to death by recaps of the adventure so far, every few pages. A fantastic budding romance (love is love folks) and a good under current of humour and sarcasm.

Totally enjoyed it, would highly recommend, and really can't wait to see if more books in this series are coming!

This is the first book in what I’m hoping becomes a long series. The author has a way of bringing you right in, and the mystery was well done. I’d very much recommend this, and I’m looking forward to the next!

I really loved this 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

I enjoyed this cozy and definitely will read the next one. It's different than the normal cozies with couple in the story.

A new cozy mystery that’s different from the norm in a good way because it’s also a love story between the two main male characters. Luke is back in Crescent Cove after twenty years because his aunt left him her waterfront cottage and antique business. His plan to sell both immediately and get out of town quickly is stopped when a strange man is found dead in the backyard. Adding to it all, the police chief Jack, happens to be Luke’s summer friend from childhood when Luke would visit. A good mystery, great location, and a new love interest made this first book in the series interesting, and I look forward to the next.

The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell marks the debut of the Crescent Cove queer cozy mystery series. As with any cozy series, it introduces the amateur sleuth, the setting of the series, and explains how the main character ended up in that town. I have to admit there were times I just wanted to shake Luke Trembley. As a former investigative journalist, he should have had better instincts as he investigated. His actions were sometimes too amateurish for my taste.

As a boy, Luke used to love his summer visits to his Aunt Marguerite in Crescent Cove, a small town on Vancouver Island, Canada. But, when he came out to his family when he was eighteen, they all rejected him, even his aunt. He hasn’t been back in the twenty years since. Now that she’s dead, struck by a car and killed, he’s shocked to learn she left him her house and her small antiques shop. But, Luke works as a freelance writer in Toronto. He plans to stay in town only long enough to sell the house and antiques shop.

When the realtor suggests his aunt’s house as a place to stay while he’s in town, he reluctantly agrees. When he catches a man on the porch, he says he’s Joel Mackenzie, and makes wild accusations about Luke’s aunt selling him something. Mackenzie tries to force his way into the house, and Luke struggles to push the man away. Despite the argument, Luke is shocked to find Mackenzie’s dead body in the garden the next morning. He’s even more shocked to hear he’s a suspect and shouldn’t leave town.

Jack Munro is the Mountie assigned to the murder investigation. He seems angry with Luke from the first time they meet. And, the young man who works in Forget-Me-Not, Marguerite’s antiques shop, isn’t happy with Luke when he announces he’s selling the store. Luke isn’t making friends in Crescent Cove, so he feels it’s up to him to solve the case so he doesn’t end up in prison.

I have no problem with any amateur sleuth in a cozy series who decides he has to prove his innocence. But, Luke Trembley tops the list of “amateurs”, despite his background as a reporter. When he finds the victim’s hotel room has been broken into, he takes evidence, and runs away, although the police see him. He lies to Munro from the beginning, although there was a witness to his argument with the dead man. As I said, I just wanted to shake him at times.

I’m not sure I’ll pick up the next in the series. Luke Trembley was a little too exasperating for me.

A delightful first in a new series. I look forward to reading the next in the series and the further development of the characters.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

I requested an ARC of the book because I am always on the lookout for queer MCs in cozy mysteries. Waddell wrote a great book that read quickly and had an interesting mystery to keep my interest. And I loved the characters. The setting was quaint and quirky, always a plus for me in a cozy. I look forward to future entries in the series, with more fleshing out of the the recurring characters.

Mr. Waddell’s well thought out cozy mystery was an interesting read. It has intrigue, some humor, a budding romance and several murders. It’s set in a small Canadian town with defined characters and scenes. I usually avoid m/m romance tales, but thought I’d check it out. It was definitely worth it. I’d recommend it.
I requested and received A NetGalley ARC to peruse gratis and offer my opinion in the same.

This novel builds a charming sense of place on a small Canadian island. The author does a good job of establishing readable characters who might appear in later volumes. I would definitely revisit this author and would hope to learn more about the estrangement the MC has with his family.

When Luke Tremblay discovered his partner of four years was cheating on him, his life was turned upside down. Then he gets a call informing him that his aunt was killed in a hit and run accident, and that she left her home and business to him. Luke doesn’t know what he’s more shocked by: her untimely and violent death, or the fact that she left her home and business to her estranged nephew. The only thing Luke can see coming out of this is that selling the house and business in Crescent Cove will help him buy out his ex’s share of their townhouse, but then someone gets murdered at his aunt’s house and he’s the number one suspect!

I was excited to pick up this book because I love cozy mysteries and wish there were more LGBT protagonists in the genre. Plus, the book sounded interesting and I was excited to dive into the story. Unfortunately for me, it was a total miss, though I think the basic plot had something going for it. Luke is a freelance investigative journalist who is now saddled with investigating his aunt’s murder, which is connected to the murder of the man who just turned up dead on her property who previously tried to break into her house! However, Luke seems far more interested in selling her house and business even though she just passed away. I don’t know what the laws are in Canada, but Luke is about to list his newly inherited assets for sale when it’s been under two weeks since his aunt’s passing. It took me straight out of the story because I doubt the time frame is anywhere close to the one Luke is working with.

On top of that, Luke’s investigation is pretty careless for someone who is an investigative journalist. I could go into details, but then I’d have to drop some spoilers. Let’s just say that some of the mistakes he makes are pretty big for someone who should know at least a little better. I wouldn’t expect amazing sleuthing skills, but I’m having a hard time believing he’s as great of an investigative journalist as he’s supposed to be based on how about half of his investigation went.

I did like the romance plot, though. It’s a very slow burn and it hasn’t gotten much wind yet, but I think there’s definitely something there. By the end of Luke’s second meeting with Jack, I was rooting for them. I think that there’s a lot of potential here and I really like Jack as a character. In fact, I actually like Jack a lot more than Luke and would like to read a series following him instead. The romance could’ve done without the strange almost love triangle setup. However, it did make me realize who was behind the killings long before there was much information to go on to form a theory, so I guess it did serve a purpose.

Speaking of the characters, I really like Jack and some of the other supporting characters. They each had a lot of personality, including the few that rarely made an appearance. A few of them ran circles around poor Luke, who doesn’t have much of a personality and appears to have checked out some time ago. I almost wish the book was told through rotating narrators so that we got to follow a cast of characters, which would be pretty interesting to read. Instead, we follow Luke, who is pretty bland and lacks any kind of charm that makes one want to follow his perspective.

All in all, there were more low points than high points. I really liked the descriptions of Crescent Cove, some of the supporting characters, the basic plot, and the groundwork for a budding romance. However, Luke isn’t a believable investigative journalist and the mystery just does not add up. There were also several passages that read like it came from a book set on Earth that’s sitting in a UFO somewhere in deep space, which kept taking me out of the story. I think it’s a rocky series opener, but I also think that there could be some potential here if the next book tightens a lot of the screws that are either loose or missing.

2.5 stars. It had great promise but turned out to be rather lukewarm, both in terms of the mystery as well as the characters. Not even the romance had any sparks, if it could be called a romance at all—there wasn't much more than some hand-holding. Disappointing.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

I absolutely adored this story. With a personal, gripping murder to solve, main character Luke is funny, engaging, and someone you want to root for. The small town setting on an island gave a quaint and delightful feel to the whole story--making me want to read a lot more mysteries set in Crescent Cove. Waddell does an amazing job with past and present storylines, and the love interests abound. A hugely enjoyable read.

I really like this book. it was pretty fun and a good mystery.

though I do think some more parts of the setting could have been fleshed out more and some characters given more depth I loved it either way. it was short and cute, a good read when you are free in the afternoon and what a book to get through.

When I requested this ARC, there were two main draws for me - 1) I love a good cozy mystery and 2) I was excited to see a cozy with queer characters. The book did not disappoint - I really enjoyed the characters, the setting of Crescent Cover was lovely (particularly Luke's inherited cabin in the woods), and the mystery moved at a pace that kept you reading.

Luke travels back to Crescent Cove after the death of his aunt - he left years ago and his relationship with the aunt that was so important in his youth has been strained over the last years. Luke's determined to sell the house and shop that she left to him so he can return home and use the money to buy out the condo he shared with his ex-boyfriend. Naturally, things don't go as expected. When a stranger who he confronted the night before shows up dead in the garden, Luke quickly finds himself at the center of a murder investigation. Add in that the investigating Mountie is a childhood friend whose personal opinions seem to be setting Luke in to take the fall and a challenging store employee, Luke's got to get involved to help move this investigation in the right direction and away from him.

The book follows a pretty typical outline for a cozy mystery (death that has to be solved or the main character will be found guilty, two love interests competing for attention from the main character, a cast of slightly quirky characters and a charming setting), there are enough new twists and spins that it feels fresh. The fact that some of the characters are queer is just a part of the story, which made it even more enjoyable to read. It didn't feel like the book was trying too hard. The book also touches upon discrimination and racism.

I really enjoyed this cozy and look forward to more from Mark Waddell!

All right, I'll admit that my stereotyping got the better of me. I assumed the main character was a woman, which is the case in almost every cozy I've ever read. Even when the name "Luke" was given, I figured that was short for Lucretia or something. So 10% in, when Sergeant Munro says, "Mr. Tremblay," I had to kind of reorganize my thoughts. That's what I get for assuming!

This is a fun first outing in a series. There's enough emotional family background to give some weight and bittersweet feeling to the way things have worked out. And Luke is a flawed but relatable protagonist. The idea that RCMP Jack would let Luke keep tagging along on the investigation is pretty ludicrous. But overall, this is a quick read and an enjoyable cozy.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.