This is about a gardener and a Shakespearean play. It starts out with the gardener reciting a poem from Shakespeare and is clearly set in England. I have tried several times to read this book but could never get past Chapter 1. I finally gave up. If you love Shakespeare and English gardens, this may well be the book for you.

Overall another good book in the series. Not sure why, since I do love Shakespeare, but this one did cause me to struggle a bit at times. When Pru is working on the garden where there will be a production of a play (bet you can guess which one by the title), it becomes more complicated when a body is found. Good thing she is there to help solve the case. Fun cozy mystery series.

Murder, mystery, gardens, and Midsummer's Night's Dream are all intertwined like a vine in this story. I found it to have great pacing, fun clues, and pages of beautiful gardens! I liked the ending and the creative cast of characters. I haven't read the other books, so this stood alone just fine.

My thanks to Net Galley for my digital copy of this book. This review is my own. A positive review is never required.

This story was as lovely as an Elizabethan garden used as a backdrop for some Shakespeare in the park. A Lothario Lysander meets with murder most foul, done in by several angry bees. Well what is a gardener/set decorator/ mediary supposed to do? In the case of one Pru Parke, you get it all done and keep the local DI Pearce abreast of the drama going on with the amadram group, from the famous director to the little cobwebs and everyone in-between. The story was full of amazing tea cakes and flowers plus the prose at the top of each chapter was wonderful. An enticing read that kept me turning pages. I was able to puzzle out who did it but I was not entirely sure of the why and we already knew the how. A very good story, my first of the Potting Shed Mysteries but surely not my last.

I thought this was a funny and easy to read. The character built up was exciting, And the storytelling was spot on.

Pru (Prunella) Parke and her husband, Detective
Inspector Christopher Pearse live at Greenoak
in the English Countryside. Pru has earned the
title of detective gardener as she always seems
to get involved in some kind of mystery.
Our book finds Pru being asked to help out the
Shakespeare au Naturel with the production of
A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the
Coeur-de-la-Mer Gardens in walking distance
from Greenoak.
The famous play director requires a variety of
plants, small trees, vines and whatever it takes
to make the stage as realistic a woodland staging
as possible.
Pru is happy to be asked to create the magical
forest scenery plus meet all the actors as they
prepare for their production.
The cast consists of a lot of well developed
characters.They all bring their own touch of
flavor to the story plus provided a long list of
suspects when one of the cast if found murdered.
The man was allergic to bees. He was hit on the
head then a jar of honey with bees was released
so he went into anaphylactic shock then died.
Description of the gardens are so vividly written
that the reader will feel as if they are there. You
will learn about small trees, vines, flowers, types
of honey and the harvesting to make the honey
plus garden maintenance.
Combine gardening, acting, murder, a puzzling
plot, twists with plenty of turns, a touch of
romance and mayhem in this British set cozy
mystery for a captivating read.
This is book # 7 in the Potting Shed Mysteries
series but can be read as a stand alone.
I volunteered to read Midsummer Mayhem. Thank
you to Alibi through NetGalley for the opportunity.
My opinion is voluntary and my own.

Midsummer Mayhem is the first one of Marty Wingate's Potting Shed Mysteries that I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a wonderful story combining gardening, an outdoor performance of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and a murder. Pru Parke finds herself charged with providing plants and landscaping for the stage decoration of a theater company's performance of Shakespeare's play at a neighboring estate, and in the process, finds herself swept up in a murder mystery. Her husband, Inspector Christopher Pearce, is investigating the murder, and Pru is determined to help from behind the scenes.

The characters in this book are wonderfully written, and I felt an immediate kinship to them. Even though this is the 7th book of the Potting Shed Mysteries, it can stand on its own. It definitely made me eager to start the series at the beginning to learn more about Pru and her gardening adventures -- which I have and am loving!

I did not finish - I have tried reading this book on multiple occasions and just could not get into it.

Midsummer Mayhem: A Potting Shed Mystery
by Marty Wingate

Midsummer Mayhem is an excellent mystery, entwined with beautiful description of plants and gardens. If you enjoy cozy mystery stories and are looking for a superb, then I will simply ask you to read this book for yourself. While Midsummer Mayhem can be read as a standalone; I would recommend reading them in order, simply because of character development and to gain more insight. The clues are there throughout the book; but it is up to the reader to sift through them to find the truth.

A well-written intriguing mystery story in an English setting, with a delightful cast of characters that are also, quite interesting. Just the right amount of suspense has been added and a good suspect line-up, only adds to the mystery. The side plots are most effective in the book with a climatic ending making it fantastic. Merging a bit of gardening information with the notes of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream outdoor performance is genius and a nice touch.

Ms. Wingate has the writing talent that interlaces everything together; from her descriptions of the gardens that are just lovely to the creation of her characters that are animated yet believable. Her writing style has a way of keeping her readers interested from the very beginning through the end. When the end of the book comes, it is almost disappointing that there is no more of the tale; but since I have such enjoyment reading these types of books and I always look forward to the next book in the series. Ms. Marty Wingate has a new fan of her writing.

Midsummer Mayhem the seventh book in the Potting Shed Mysteries and once again Ms. Wingate has given us a mystery well worth reading. I love Midsummer Mayhem: potting shed mystery by Marty Wingate. I enjoy reading books and giving my own thoughts of the books for others to find with my hopes of enjoying them also. With a 4.5-star rating I highly recommend Midsummer Mayhem to all cozy reader fans.

This book is number seven in the Potting Shed Mysteries. You do not need to have read all of the other books for this to make sense, this can be read as a stand alone!
I enjoyed the Shakespeare aspects of the Story and always enjoy a good, quick mystery!
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Pru returns!

I’ve read all of Marty Wingate’s books. They are the coziest of cozy mysteries and Pru Parke is my favorite Wingate heroine but this installment sagged in the middle. I enjoyed the Shakespeare references and the concept of Pru designing the scenic landscapes but I took an entire week to finish and I usually read a Wingate in a single sitting. I can’t pinpoint what the plot lacked for me except I didn’t really like the side characters or the stretched-out pace of the mystery? I struggled through certain parts, dare I say...skimmed a bit? However, when the plot picked back up, I was hooked and read until the end and what an ending!

I like the relationship between Christopher and Pru--how it changes and evolves throughout the series and never feels stagnant. I will read the next Wingate book for sure, but I won’t be rereading this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy.

Midsummer Mayhem by Marty Wingate is the 7th book in the Potting Shed Mystery series, and another enjoyable cozy. Pru gets a job turning a private gardens into a wonderland for the play A Midsummer Night's Dream, after the original gardener quits. What could possibly go wrong? Overall this was a really good read. The characters and plot are well developed, which keep me reading. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I recommend this book/series for all cozy lovers like me.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Alibi. Thank you.

This is book #7 in the Potting Shed Mystery Series featuring protagonist master gardener Pru Parke and her detective husband. They are a great team and work together to solve mysteries. I have read the entire series and always enjoy returning to the author's work with this savvy crime solving team.
In this next in series Pru is asked to provide help with a local theater production of Midsomer Nights Dream that is at a local estate.. The estate gardens need to be readied for the visitors so Pru agrees to help..
As she commences to provide her gardening expertise a murder occurs of one of the actors. Pru and her husband are on the case and soon clues abound with suspects falling into place.
This is such a enjoyable series with all the perfect elements of a great long standing cozy series. I love the supporting charcters, the gardening information and the sleuth. The author provided the reader with significant clues throughout to keep one guessing. A very pleasant mystery.
Thank you for the ARC. My opinions are my own..

I enjoy this series, Potting Shed Mystery series, and this is book 7. Marty Wingate really presents a great cozy murder and is very clever weaving in gardening and flower lore. Set in New Hampshire Pru is offered the job of set design for an outdoor production of Shakespeare. When one of the stars is murdered by bee, Pru and her gardening crew set out to find the culprit and see the play finish production. Fans will enjoy this book and it can be read as a stand alone for new readers. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Marty Wingate's seventh book in the Potting Shed Mystery series is Midsummer Mayhem. Pru and her neighbors are excited to have an outdoor performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream at a local estate. When the current gardener quits, Pru is called in to help. As opening day draws near, one of the actors is murdered. Pru's husband, the detective inspector, needs her inside knowledge to uncover the murderer. While I did guess the culprit early on, it did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. I love the characters, setting, and the garden theme, which were just as strong in this book as in previous ones.

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this lovely cozy mystery. I did not know when I chose this novel that it was #7 in the author's Potting Shed Mysteries. That did not present a handicap as this book stands very well on its own. Author Marty Wingate gives just the right amount of back story to make the reader comfortable with the current story.
Heroine Pru is called into help a company that is doing "A Midsummer's Night Dream" outside in the large garden of an English estate. The director wants a variety of plants, small trees, etc. to make the setting as stunning as the beloved Shakespeare play warrants.
Pru's field of expertise is gardens, so despite a lot of demands, she is thrilled to meet actors, both well known and new. One of the actors is found dead and almost everyone in the cast and crew are suspects, as he was disliked by most.
Pru's husband is Chief inspector and they both work to solve the murder in various ways. Marty Wingate has created a beautiful couple from people who are mature and still very much in love.
There are many secondary characters. At first, like Pru, I had trouble keeping them straight, but was able to learn them by their character's name.
If you already love gardening, you will recognize the many varieties Pru uses. If, like me, you have a "brown
thumb', you will finish this novel much more knowledgeable.
This is the perfect book for cozy mysteries lovers. The author takes you on a journey, dropping clues along the way, that has a satisfying ending.

Shakespeare comes to Hampshire. The theater is to be held outside at one of the estates in town. Pru, a seasoned Gardner, had been asked to be the prime Gardner on the set of the play. She was very excited. One of the actors was killed and a new replacement must be found within a week. This book had fancy characters, good plot, and much drama. I enjoyed this book very much. Thank you to Net Galley for providing a copy of this book.

I received this ARC via Netgalley in return for an honest review. I loved this book. If you're a cosy mystery lover for those stories set in England, this is perfect. I didn't realize it was part of a series which show the author does a wonderful job when writing the story - past history wasn't needed. The heroine is both a master gardener and the newlywed (2 years) wife of a Detective Inspector. When offered the opportunity to do gardening at the house next door (owned by absentees but with fabulous gardens) to support a local outdoor Shakespearean company, she jumps at the chance to see the grounds. When she realizes that she's spending more time watching the company than the gardening, she brings her gardening assistant in to help with the work. Then, the actor playing Lysander is killed by bees and she realizes that she is in a unique position to help both her husband and the remaining players. Really well told story and good character development. The number of characters introduced were well fleshed out so there was no problem in tracking who was who in the story. Well done work and I look forward to more by this author.

I've read several of Marty Wingate's Potting Shed mysteries, starring Pru Parke who is a gardener living in the UK. My love of gardening has been one reason for my interest in this series. In this episode, Pru is asked to help with the plants required for staging an outdoor production of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Early in the rehearsals, an actor is murdered and Pru becomes involved in helping her husband, a police detective inspector, solve the case. If you like Shakespeare and mysteries, you'll probably like this mystery. If you're not familiar with this play, however, you will perhaps find the early chapters a bit confusing, as the actors are referred to by their characters' names instead of their own names. It's assumed the reader knows the storyline in the play. That said, I enjoyed reading this installment and particularly liked the humorous bits relating to the fairies.

Midsummer Mayhem by Marty Wingate
Once again Pru finds herself in the middle of a mystery. Pru’s friends and neighbors are buzzing with the news that as troupe of actors will put on an outdoor performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Famed actor Ambrose Grant is on everyone mind except for Pru, who can’t wait to see the spectacular gardens of the private estate where the play will be performed. Her luck gets even better when the estate’s gardener quits—angry with actors trampling his plants. Pru, her gardening expertise well-known, is called in to save the gardens. She creates magical flowery scenes and is also drawn into the excitement of putting on a play. But the play’s suddenly off, when one of the actors turns up murdered. Pru’s husband, Detective Inspector Christopher Pearse, is called in to investigate and relies on Pru’s knowledge to help solve the case. Pru uses rehearsals to investigate. But playing private eye could prove dangerous for Pru, as she closes in on a murderer. A rollicking cozy with Shakespeare to boot, this book will charm readers and have them cheering. This is the seventh book in the Potting Shed series and it’s one of the best.
Review appears in http://mystericale.com/article/fall-2018-reviews/