I'm not a fan of little theater type cozies but I AM a fan of Pru and her gardening expertise. This time around she's been drawn in to fix things when an acting troupe puts on an outside performance of Midsummer's Night Dream. AND, of course, when one of the actors is murdered! Pru, our intrepid amateur married to DI Christopher Pearse, pokes around. It does help, I think , to be at least a little familiar with Shakespeare as there are some "inside" comments but you'll be fine if you aren't. This is also fine as a standalone. It's a classic, with twists, turns, a red herring, and some crazy characters. What makes this series special for me is the gardening information. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is another winner from Wingate.

Midsummer Mayhem was a great mystery with great characters. This was the seventh book in this series, but could be read as a standalone. I hope to read more books in this series.

Midsummer Mayhem is the seventh book in the A Potting Shed Mystery series.

One of Pru’s dreams is coming true, the house next to where she is living has a rather extensive and beautiful garden, but the property is gated and rarely open. The property is going to be the site of an outdoor production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Pru has been asked to take on the set decoration. With the help of her new assistant, Hal, set off to get started on obtaining flowers and shrubs to use as stage decorations. As they are busy setting up, Pru has a chance to observe the actors and they prepare for rehearsals. She is quick to notice that the actor who is playing the lover Lysander seems to be playing that role off stage as well.

Then an actor is found dead from an apparent bee sting and evidence shows that it was no accident. Pru’s husband, DI Christopher Pearce asks Pru to be his “ears” as the police begin their investigation. Pearce knows that Pru can get more information from a general conversation with the members of the troupe than he can. Pru finds that this may not always be the case as she talks with various actors that some seem to be not telling all they know about each others history. Then Pru and Christopher come to learn, at the same time, who the guilty party is and an exciting ending lead to an arrest.

This is a well written and plotted story with a very interesting cast of characters. The series should appeal to those readers who are gardeners or enjoy reading about English countryside gardens. Not being a gardener I find this series very enjoyable and with a quick click on my Kindle, I can get additional information and description from the Kindle’s dictionary.

I will be watching for the next book in this wonderful series.

Three things enticed me to read Midsummer Mayhem: gardening, theater and mystery. I’ve had experience with gardening and did some community theater for a few years. And I love a good mystery.
Pru, a gardener and is married to a small English town police officer, was asked to design and create the set for an outdoor production of Midsummer-night’s Dream. She gets to deal with the quirkiness of the actors, stage crew, and the director. Before the production could get through many rehearsals one of the actors is murdered by an unusual means, so Pru tries to figure “out who done it” while she tends to her job of creating the theater set.
The reader is kept guessing who the villian is for most of the book, which is fun, Although I had some trouble remembering the names of all the actors for a bit I found the book to be an enjoyably fun read.
#Midsummer Mayem #NetGalley

I always did like Shakespeare. Great cover-page.In MIDSUMMER MAYHEM, by Marty Wingate. This Mid Summer Night's Dream turns into a lot more than mayhem when things begin to happen and a dead body comes upon the scene. As the plot thickens, who is the evil person behind this murder? Will justice be served? And why such a cruel fate? A mystery that will take you deep into the heart of a story with a harsh sting and give you the chance to put the pieces of the puzzle together and solve. A five star must read!

An acting troupe is preparing for an outdoor performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream at a local, very private estate. When the estate's gardener abruptly leaves rather than face the cast and crew of the production, Pru is called upon to step in to create the play's forest scenes. When one of the cast is murdered, Christopher relies on Pru's inside knowledge to help solve the crime.

This is book #7 in this series, and I've come to like the series more as it progresses. I like that the main characters, Pru and Christopher, are much older than the MCs in most books out there these days, and I like that they're established and happy in their respective careers. This book gives us a wealth of secondary characters, all of whom have a motive for the murder. As clues emerged, I kept revising my primary suspect, and I finally did guess the right person, but not until close to the end of the book. I will be watching for the next book in this series!

Once again Pru finds herself innocently in the middle of a crazy mystery, with her husband behind her. This time though, he agrees to get all the help he can from her, thanks to having SO many suspects and no true clues. This is one of my fav books in the series, as it is quite twiaty, and reminsiscnet of an Agatha, giving you multiple suspects and motives, all tied up in a play from Shakespeare, in the garden! Agatha would have loved this book I think! It's a true page turner, and perfect for light Fall reading, as Summer is now closed! Don't miss it!

Take a local gardener, mix in a performance of Midsummer Night's Dream and add a murder and you'll have a delightful mystery entitled Midsummer Mayhem by Marty Wingate. Pru Parke loves gardening but gets roped into being the set designer for the outdoor performance of the play. Once famous TV Ambrose Grant is appearing in the play and naturally all of Pru's friends want to come to the set. When one of the actors dies from anaphylactic shock from bee stings, Pru dives right in to find the killer. A very enjoyable mystery.

The next book aboout Abi and the whiskey brewing company she inherited. And as always seh is in the mid of a murder and helpr to find who did it. And then there is Glan, will they to get together? Very detailed despcriptiona of the surroundings, you can imagine and see what they see. Loved this book. Hope there will be more.

Pru Parke's next case begins when she is asked to supply the plants for a Shakespeare Au Naturel production of A Midsummer's Night Dream at a home with a gorgeous garden that she has been eager to explore. Her job description rapidly expands when she learns that she will be doing the set designing. Luckily, she has her new assistant Hal Noakes to keep up with the day to day work of maintaining the gardens. She is very busy getting to know the players and learning their names as well as the parts they play. Her friends are quite envious because one of the players is an actor who is quite famous.

Everything is going quite well until the body of the actor playing Lysander is found in the study dead from his allergic reaction to bee stings. Lysander was not the best loved of the cast. He was lazy and thought he was God's gift to women. It caused some conflict when he tried to seduce all the single women on the cast.

Being on the scene, Pru feels that she has access that her husband Detective Inspector Christopher Pearse doesn't have, and begins asking discreet questions. She learns a lot about all the main players who seem to be acting in a suspicious manner. At one point, she suggests that all of them were working together like an Agatha Christie plot.

This story was entertaining. I loved all the background information about putting on a theatrical presentation outdoors. I loved the plant knowledge that Pru shares. I did figure out who the villain was chapters ahead of Pru but still enjoyed the story.

This is a perfectly serviceable British cozy mystery. The characters are fun and the backdrop of a shakespearean play was fun. I found the mystery really easy to figure out, but I also read a lot of them. Sometimes it's more the journey than the end.

3.5 stars. Midsummer Mayhem is the seventh book in the Potting Shed Mystery series. This can be read as a standalone. As usual, Pru is busy doing gardening but yet somehow gets caught up in a murder. This cozy mystery is a great read for lazy afternoons/evenings. This story involves an outdoor production of a Shakespeare play. Perfect for those interested in the theater as well as just a good story.

I love these kind of fun, easy reads. Midsummer Mayhem follows Prunella “Pru” Pearse, avid gardener, as she takes the job of set designer for an outdoor production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While she is busy creating her beautiful outdoor scenes, one of the cast members is murdered. Pru, of course, must do her best to solve the crime.
Although it took what I thought was a bit too long for Pru to figure out the identity of the murderer, I really enjoyed reading this. I would definitely recommend it.

A Potting Shed Mystery #7

Pru Parker, gardener extraordinaire, is in the thick of things again.

The entire town is excited about the news of an outdoor performance to be put on at a beautiful local estate with gardens to die for. Literally.

Pru is to be the plant set director and along with her helper, Hal, she hopes to do the play justice and keep the actors from destroying the gardens. Which is the reason the normal gardener for the estate abruptly quit!

As she races from one errand to another, she creates scenes for each act of the play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. When one of the actors is found dead among bees, everyone becomes a suspect. 

Pru's hubby, DI Christopher Pearse is on the case and is hoping Pru can ferret out any gossip or clues from the cast. The only problem is they all seem suspect! Secrets abound and Pru may not live to see the play!

A lovely cozy series that I hope to read more of!

Netgalley/November 6th 2018 by Alibi

Pru Parke is a master gardener at Greenoaks Estate, where she lives with her husband DI Christopher Pearse. She works with her older brother Simon, and one morning he tells her that a neighboring estate needs a temporary gardener to help with a Shakespeare troupe that is doing an outdoor production at the place. Since the owners live abroad and the garden is never opened to the public, Pru jumps at the chance. She also engages part-time help from Simon and her helper Hal to keep the estate in top order.

When she meets the members she is immediately taken with the director, Max Stirling, and a couple of the players - Ambrose Grant, for one, who is quite well-known in the industry as also being on television shows; and discovers that her cook Evelyn Peachey is enamored of him; but it doesn't stop there as she finds her sister-in-law Polly and the Reverend Bernadette fans as well.

She also notes drama in the cast that has nothing to do with the play - one of the players, a young actor named Gabriel Gibb who is playing the young lover Lysander has taken it a step further by bedding as many of the single female cast and crew members that he can. He goes so far as to make a play for Pru, only apologizing once he discovers that she's a married woman. But then she also discovers that Ambrose and the costumer designer Miriam have a past neither is willing to talk about but Pru sees they want to; and she tries to decipher a way to help them get back together.

It is only when an actor is murdered that Pru discovers more than one cast member has a past they aren't willing to talk about or admit to, and while she offers to help Christopher find out who had the most to gain by the death, she doesn't realize that digging too deep into the murder could find her digging her own grave...

This is the seventh book in the Potting Shed Mysteries and once again Ms. Wingate has given us a mystery well worth reading. Pru and Christopher are delightful characters; it is endearing indeed to see that he trusts his wife's judgment and allows her to help - somewhat - in his investigation, even though he'd like her to stay out of it.

We also see that their cook Evelyn Peachey, who's also teaching Pru how to cook, is becoming more of a friend instead of an employee. Evelyn has completely warmed to Pru and it's kind of fun to watch her behavior this time out; first when she discovers that Pru has invited him to dinner, and then after meeting him how Evelyn has expanded her cooking to the troupe of actors, sending food every day with Pru.

I like how Pru was asking questions of everyone while being careful not to be invasive of them so as not to make enemies; and I felt that there were plenty of red herrings strewn within - nearly everyone had a reason to dislike the person - although she had to decide whether it was reason enough to want them dead or not.

When we got closer to the end it was almost as if both Pru and Christopher had the epiphany at the same time about who the killer might be, although neither one could actually imagine just how inventive this person was. The clues were there throughout but it is up to the reader to sift through them to find the truth, just as Pru needed to do.

Ms. Wingate is a talented writer who has a way with a story that keeps you interested from the very beginning through the end. She weaves everything so nicely together and creates characters that are animated and believable. Her descriptions of the gardens are just lovely, and makes you want to visit Great Britain just to take tours and be able to see them for yourself.

When the ending comes and all is said and done, it is almost disappointing that there is no more of the tale; but since I always have such enjoyment reading these books I always look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.

One of my new favorite cozy mystery series. I really loved the garden setting and the Shakespeare play. Just the right amount of characters and mystery. I will definitely be reading more in this series. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book prior to release.

Marty Wingate books are a great read and the #7 book of the Potting Shed mystery does not disappoint. The area is exciting as an acting company is planning to produce an outdoor performance of A MIDSUMMER DREAM. Some of Pru's friend hope to see a frame actor Ambrose Grant. Pru is offered the position of garden consultant for the production.q All goes well until the leading actor is murder. Inspector Chris Pearce is the lead detective in the investigation. The ending will surprise you. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND SERIES.

Disclosure: Many thanks to Random House Publishing Groups Alibi for a review w. The opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoy this series--the characters and settings are delightful.
Having the main character a transplanted American in the UK with a British husband works very nicely.
This mystery is fun. An outdoor production of Shakespeare with all the personality quirks of theatre people.I had my suspicions about the culprit, but couldn't figure out the "why",
It comes together nicely with some real drama.

I have read a couple of the books out of this series. Although there is enough pertinent information that you can read this book as a stand alone.
Pru Parke is stuck in the middle of a murder mystery again. She can not seem to keep herself out of these situations. Pru and her brother run a gardening business and a local play company is putting on a huge show of A Midsummer Night's Dream that requires a lot of gardening and flower arrangements being done. Pru is the one who gets the job. This play company has hired a famous actor to be in the play so part of the book is that people are enamored over him. Every thing goes haywire when the most obnoxious actor gets murdered. Pru's Husband Christopher Pearse is the Detective Inspector on this case. He wanted Pru to stay away from the case but she just could not do it and ends up in hot water herself.
I did not figure out who the murderer was. I did think that person was a little weird but never guessed it was the person who committed the crime. It kept me guessing. It was a really good story.
I received this book for free to read from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions in this review are 100% my own.

Midsummer Mayhem, the seventh book in the Potting Shed mystery series by Marty Wingate is due out November 6, 2018. It follows Prunella “Pru” Pearse, gardener extraordinaire, as she takes on the task of set designer for an outdoor setting of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Of course, while Pru is busy creating beautiful woodland scenes, there is soon a murder of one of the cast members, and she cannot resist attempting to solve the case. Is the murderer another actor, or perhaps a member of the crew, maybe an actor wannabe? The identity of the murderer was quickly obvious to me, but it took Pru longer than I expected to come to the same conclusion. Still, she’s a pretty sharp cookie that finds herself in some sticky situations. Somehow she always comes out smelling like a rose.

Midsummer Mayhemis a quick, easy read that gave my brain a break, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Pru and her detective husband, Christopher, remind me so much of the characters on the British TV series Midsomer Murders, that I checked the list of writers on that program to see if this author one of them, but alas, she is not.