Luke has just broken up with his cheating boyfriend in Toronto when he learns that his aunt has died and left him property in Crescent Cove, in western Canada. Joel, an aggressive man, accosts him at home and demands a box which he says Aunt Marguerite had sold him at her antique shop. When Joel is found dead, Luke is a prime suspect, and Jack, the handsome Mountie who interviews him, is someone he remembered as a childhood friend, I guessed who the villain was early on, but I liked these characters and their small town, so I hope to read more of this LGBT cozy series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. I have say I loved Luke! He was determined to get in town handle his aunt's affairs and had out. His mind was on sale sale sale... He did not expect to be attacked his first day in town and especially to find a dead body in the garden, hence the title. Love it! This story has a lot of twist in it. It is set in a small town, from Lukes past... He must comeback to revisit things from the past while also proving his innocence. He has to put his detective skills to work and takes the reader along for the ride.

Excellent Read! Thanks Netgallery for the opportunity to read and review this jewel.

This was a wonderful cozy mystery it kerosene you guessing until the end what really happened. It was different having. One of the main characters gay. It was a nice twist. I love the characters and the storyline and how they made the shop a antique shop. This book was approved by netgalley and the publisher for me to read and review.

Luke inherits his aunt’s property and heads home to settle the estate and sell the property. Since he’s in town, Luke stays at his aunt’s house and becomes a prime murder suspect when a body is found in the garden. This was NOT what Luke was expecting when he headed back to his hometown.

So much fo getting in and out quickly as Luke has to stay in town while the investigation continues. Not letting his fate remain solely in the hands of the Mounties, Luke decides to put his investigative reporting skills to use and prove his innocence. Will the killer add another body to the count to silence Luke, or will Luke prevails nd clear his name? There’s only one way to find out….

I’m thrilled to see more cozy series that include queer characters, and this is only the second that I’ve read that has a gay male protagonist! Bravo for making the genre more inclusive and bringing a talented author with great writing skills to the table as well. I’ll be watching for more from this author!

I highly enjoyed this and it kept me guessing til the end. This was so good I can't stop thinking about the characters and the story.
I just reviewed The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell. #TheBodyintheBackGarden #NetGalley
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This was an incredibly entertaining and fun cozy murder. The storyline moved quickly, held my attention throughout and had a fun ending, although it was slightly far-fetched. There were no loose ends, but I do hope that the author continues using these characters in the future for either a standalone in the same town or a continuation of the story.

Although the main character was a little annoying at times, it didn't deter from the storyline and the lgbtqia+ representation was extremely well done. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to get out of a reading slump, looking for a light read, or just in the mood for a cozy murder.

All-in-all a well done debut!

A Dubious Hamlet..?
The pleasant hamlet of Crescent Cove on Vancouver Island appears somewhat idyllic - for Luke Tremblay it is anything but. It is also somewhere Luke thought he would never set foot again. With an inheritance in the balance Luke does indeed return and there meets with an experience he could never have imagined. With a dead body in the back garden, an eclectic crowd of townsfolk - not to mention a good looking Mountie - the situation soon escalates. Can Luke prove his own innocence - after all he is an investigative journalist - but will he remain in that potentially dubious hamlet? With a twist on the standard fare of a cosy mystery this is an enjoyable, easy going and relaxed read with a well crafted cast of characters. A promising start to a new series.

The Body in the Back Garden is an interesting cozy mystery with a gay protagonist. Luke, who has just recently separated from his partner discovers that he has inherited his aunt's house and business. He has to leave Toronto to go back to his childhood hometown to sell the properties. Of course, he ends up staying the first night in his aunt's house. During the night a man is murdered in the back garden.
Due to circumstances, Luke becomes a potential suspect in the case and can not leave town. As a former investigative reporter, Luke decides that he has to solve the murder so that he isn't arrested and possibly convicted.
The story was interesting and the overall plot was good. I did enjoy this book. While other reviewers have said that the murderer was a complete surprise, I suspected that person early in the book. I thought that there were several subtle clues if one is familiar with typical human nature.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

I really appreciate and enjoyed the LGBTQ+ rep in this cozy mystery! I don't think I've read a cozy with LGBTQ rep and it was great! I also loved the change up of the main character - this was the first time I've read a cozy where a man was the MC! Other than that. I loved the mystery and twists and I wasn't able to figure out the killer before the end so that was great too.

A very standard cozy mystery with a LGBTQ+ twist. Main character is a 30's/40's something gay man who may or may not be interested in his now hunky childhood friend after returning to the town his estranged aunt lived in. He inherited her property after her mysterious death. Next thing you know he's wrapped up in a murder investigation. All major roles/gender stereotypical roles in other cozy mysteries are gender flipped (expect hunky detective). Also, for a town supposedly low on gay population, every other character introduced is somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Just saying, don't put that line in there if it's not going to be true.

Great read for anyone looking for more LGBTQ+ representation in the cozy mystery genre. It's a younger and fresher take on inclusion than most others I've read.

I enjoyed this book. It’s unusual in that that main character is a man and not a woman. It has a interesting mystery and I was surprised by who the killer is. I was surprised by how abruptly the reveal of the killer is, the story was just moving along and there it was. The main character, Luke is gay but the romance? of Jack doesn’t affect the mystery. #TheBodyintheBackGarden #NetGalley

The Body in the Back Garden is the first of A Crescent Cove Mystery. It takes place in the town of Crescent Cove on Vancouver Island, Canada. Luke Trembley , the main character, has come to the island as he has inherited a cottage and antique shop named Forget Me Not Antiques that he inherited from his aunt Marguerite who was killed in a hit and run. He is planning to put the cottage and business up for sale. After he comes back from a walk on the beach he encounters a man named Joel McKenzie who tells him that he is here to pick up something that he bought from his aunt. He becomes unruly and gets into an altercation with Luke.

The next morning Luke goes outside with his coffee and finds a body in his backyard face down in the pond. It is Joel. He calls the police. Sargent Jack Munro from the Canadian Mounted Police comes to investigate. When he goes to the police station that afternoon Jack tells Luke that they were friends when young. Always looked forward to Luke's visit with his aunt. He was bullied and was upset when he didn't come back. He indicated that Luke was the prime suspect as he had fought with Joel. Luke also met Juliana Kestenbaum the local doctor when she came to see the body. Luke realizes that he must find the killer since he is the first suspect. Luke had been a investigation reporter at one time. This story takes Luke on an adventure which I will leave to the reader to read and enjoy. There are other characters to the story that add to the adventure. The story builds up to an exciting ending.

The story is considered a queer cozy series. Did not realize this when I started to read it but found the story a good mystery.. I look forward to see what is instore for Luke and the other people in the town of Crescent Cove in book two of the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.