There are moments in life where you meet new people whether they are real or fictional. I was lucky to ‘get to know’ Melissa Craig a bit more. Now though, it’s time to say goodbye. This is the last book in the series and I will miss her a lot.

It’s one of the best cosy mystery series I have ever read and I can strongly recommend them to everybody.
Bees are fascinating creatures, but I do not know a lot about them. What makes them tick? I don’t have the faintest idea and I always look at them from afar and leave them in peace to do what they do best.

In this story they play a very important role and I am glad the author clarified some aspects of their lives. It’s a bit terrifying to realise that something so innocent can have such a disastrous effect on other living beings.

I certainly will remember that trying to teach someone a lesson can seem to be a very good idea at a certain point, but you better think twice before you act and it turns into a tragedy.

I loved this book, I loved the series. The atmosphere the author created is one of a small village where people are always ready to give a helping hand, but where gossip is often still number one entertainment. 5 stars

Thank you

ooks that I haven't read, and so whilst you don't need to have read these books in order to read this one, you do know you are missing out information.

Melissa is settling down to life with her new husband, and her mother in a newly built part of the cottage.  She's given up her amateur sleuthing ways, or so she says.

When a local man is found dead, stung to death by his own bees, she starts to get curious, and when his widow starts to lean on Melissa, she's keen to help.

I found this a typical cosy mystery book, but didn't realise it was meant to be present day for quite a while into the book, with the habits of using a house phone and calling people 'Mr ....' and 'Mrs.....'.  

 Murder in a Country Garden  was published on 8th April 2019 and is available to buy from  Amazon ,  Waterstones  and  Bookshop.org .

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, and so my thanks to NetGalley and to  Bookouture .

I have loved this cosy old fashion mystery this is the series of books for you. Murder in a country garden
by Betty Rowlands is the omg Phew! 12th book in the Melissa Craig series and I have loved reading them. One thing I liked about this series was I never read them in order and I found you could pick these up at any time and get a great feel for these books as they are so easy to read and enjoy.

Highly Recommend this book if you Love Old fashion Mystery who done it books.

Big thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC.

Do you have patrons who love Miss Marple or Murder She Wrote? This is a read-a-like. A clean series with little to no violence or blood, nothing that should trigger people but still a solid who-dun-it.

Book twelve is the one and only book I have read in the series so far. I didn’t have a problem reading the series out of order, it was easy to figure out the characters and enough background clues were given you didn’t need to read the previous books to catch on. The English countryside reminded me of the characters from Doc Martin or Father Brown, making this series a great addition for library shelves.

The story opens with Mel and her mother taking a walk. Mel’s mother Sylvia is recovering from an illness and weak As they walk the lane they hear the humming of bees and see a swarm in the orchard and turn back they notice nothing else out of the ordinary but the bees.

Later a local overbearing man named Aiden is discovered dead in his beekeeper kit at the site of the swarm. Aiden had been mentally abusive to his wife, brother and sister in law. So the three felt sorrow, horror and relief at his passing in such an accident. People in the small town can’t help but gossip about the recent widow Caroline but when her sister in law is hospitalized for bee stings and then dies of a heart attack a few days latter the gossips are thrown into a frenzy with rumors and accusations. Because Aiden kept the family apart no one in town knows the surviving family members at all and when the brother leaves town soon after his wife’s death Mel becomes very suspicious that there is much more to this story but how could bees be used as a murder weapon and what secrets are the family hiding?

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an unbiased review. It is the last of the Melissa George series, and it's a fitting end, and an enjoyable read - certainly makes me want to try out her other series, and I'll miss Mel and her friends! I'm glad she ends up with the man she loves, and who adores her.

Mel is now married and her mother has moved into the addition they built on her cottage. This adds some extra interest, though I still miss having Iris (her neighbor) in the picture. Iris does come for a visit, but does not play much of a role in this mystery.
A neighbor is found dead, killed by a swarm of his bees. Shortly after, another death occurs in the same way. Mel comforts the widow, and in the process becomes involved in trying to learn how this could have happened.
I have to admit that this book was not one of my favorite Mel Craig mysteries. The author seems to be looking for new directions, and the turns taken in this novel aren't really that exciting.

Melissa Craig has returned from her honeymoon with her new husband, Joe.

The renovations to her cottage are now finished and her mother is now living in the annex.

As usual, just as life is settling down, a neighbour dies of bee stings…..then his sister in law dies the same way…..is this just unlucky or is something more sinister at work?

Another immensely entertaining tale, with a range of characters and a twist or two.

I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review

I love this series of books, Mel Craig is now an old friend who I enjoy catching up with.
Well written, engaging, good plots with plenty of twists and turns and fabulous characterisation. What more could you ask for.
I understand that this sadly is the last in the series, I would highly recommend them to anyone who enjoys a great cosy mystery.

One of my new favorite books! This author has such a way with words the pages flew by in no time! I can’t wait to see the next work by this author! This was such a joy to read!

Another entertaining visit with Melissa Craig or rather Melissa Martin now that she is married! It is interesting that she is no longer a mystery writer, but can not keep her mystery mind from getting embroiled in a mysterious death in her community. The plot was well written and was quite interesting how it unfolded and for once I was wrong about the who's of the "whodoneit" while I had figured out who was involved, I didn't quite have the how/why pinned down and must admit that I had lumped an innocent person in with the other villain or villains as the case may be! I don't want to give away spoilers as that ruins the fun! If you haven't read the entire series, you will be find reading this as a stand alone, however you will be missing out on a multitude of entertainment as this is the 12th book. The character development is quite interesting as I really like the main character and how she works through the mystery to come to her conclusions, the auxiliary characters are quite well developed and for the most part quite likeable. I haven't yet decided if I like Melissa as a married woman as I am not convinced that I like her new husband, but doesn't that mean that the author will need to keep writing Melissa stories to convince us of his worth!!! LOL, my not so subtle hint that I am ready for another Melissa adventure!

I have really enjoyed the entire series and am so happy it was revived. Hopefully there will be more books in the series.

I love this series book number twelve is a wonderful addition.Once again Inwas drawn rightbin the characters the twists and turns had me reading late into the night.So so good already looking forward to the next in the series.#netgalley#bookouture.

This was not my type of book and I was very disappointed in it.
I had such high hopes for this book

Bookouture has reissued "Sweet Venom", the 12th book in Betty Rowland’s Melissa Craig cozy mystery series, under the more appealing title of "Murder in a Country Garden."I’ve never read any of the series — indeed, I’ve never read anything by Betty Rowland at all — and I still was able to follow and enjoy this novel.

Melissa Craig, newly married and now Melissa Martin, has given up writing cozy mysteries and the amateur sleuthing that went with it. Yet, old habits die hard. When curmudgeonly beekeeper Aiden Cresney is stung to death by his own bees, it turns out to be more than just a tragic accident. How could Melissa resist poking around? Rowland’s plots and characters never rise to the level of, say, M.C. Beaton or Ann Granger, but the novel kept my attention and I really liked Melissa a lot.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I may have come late to the Melissa Craig party, but I have become a fan of her mysteries. I love how fully fleshed out she is. She’s the author of a highly successful mystery series who lives in the Cotswolds and helps solve murders. While she met with full on resistance from the local police initially, many of them have come to admire her skills and are grateful for her assistance, as long as she is not putting herself in harm’s way. Unfortunately, that is often the case.
This time two deaths that are considered accidental at first do not sit well with her. She is convinced there is more to it and that both deaths by bee stings were well planned murders. There are suspects but she cannot figure out how it was done until the murderer decides she is nearing too close to the truth and tries to use the same “murder weapon” on her. It comes frighteningly close to success.
It is a jolly good story with a terrific twist that would be entertaining in its own right. But it ups it game with some very astute observations on village life and the toxic results of gossip. It all adds up to a great read.
Five purrs and two paws up for Mel.

another book in the murder series. A difficult double murder has to be solved. surprising and interesting to read

It is with a heavy heart that I finished this last in series. I have adored this series but understand that authors must move on to further works. As the 12th and last book I savored this book to enjoy the last read in series. I have read the entire series and highly recommend it as one of my favorite cozy mysteries.
Mel and her husband are investigating a death of a man apparently stung by bees. When a 2nd death occurs they find clues that link the two deaths and a possible suspect list grows. The way they died was shocking and Mel is determined to solve these murders. The clues abound and soon she is on the right track.

This was a wonderful addition to the series. I I have really enjoyed reading the entire series.
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.
I look forward to further work, by the author. This is a charming and enjoyable cozy mystery series.

Enjoyable, entertaining and engaging. These are the characteristics of Betty Rowlands’ cozy mysteries.

A beekeeper is found dead, stung by his own bees. Though the deceased is known to be meticulous and well-informed, initially the incident is thought to be a freak accident. But when the sister-in-law of the beekeeper also dies under similar circumstances, Melissa begins to suspect something fishy is going on.
Was the death of the tyrannical beekeeper an accident? Or did someone had enough of his cruelty and decided to put an end to it? Is there a connection between the two deaths? Who is innocent and who has secrets to hide?

Thanks to the author, Bookouture and the NetGalley for providing me with a copy.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. I so enjoyed this return to Mel Craig's bucolic world. While the 12th book in the series, it's easily read as a stand-alone. This time, Mel and her new husband (and long-time book agent) are revising her latest book and enjoying settling into married life. When walking with her mum, who'd recently moved into a newly built extension apartment of their house, Mel spies a neighbor's bees acting highly agitated. Hurrying home, she's astounded to learn, via the local gossip network, that the beekeeper was stung to death. Slowly, Mel finds herself drawn into the disfunctional family dynamics of the widow, Caroline, and the deceased's brother and his wife, Sarah. Then, a second family member is found dead in weirdly similar circumstances and Mel can't seem to avoid getting more involved, to her husband's dismay. This was a well-done cosy and a 'lighter' entry than some of the more recent. I recommend this addition to the series and commend Ms. Rowlands for building a solid story, continuing the character development and setting up a good solid mystery. I look forward to book #13!

After reading book one in this series ‘Murder at Hawthorn Cottage’, I said in my review’ that the book is ‘The quintessential cozy mystery… the storyline is fast-paced and engaging… builds to an adrenaline fuelled ending, full of action and powerful imagery. An enjoyable, escapist read that I suspect may become my secret addiction.’.

Now, after reading book twelve ‘Murder In A Country Garden’ the end of the series, all these things are still true, and since I have read twelve books in under eight months the stories are addictive.

If you enjoy dastardly crimes, committed in beautiful country settings, with larger than life characters, who all have secrets, but are not all murderers this series is for you.

Melissa Craig is the perfect reluctant detective, with sound knowledge of crime, and how its perpetrators are motivated, from her career as a crime novelist. Melissa is perfectly placed to discover the truth behind the crimes she discovers.

The last book in the series can be read as a standalone, as the story is complete and the main protagonist and characters are well described. The plot is clever and full of twists and the family where the deaths have occurred very mysterious. For fans of the series, we get to enjoy the final instalments of developments in Melissa’s private life, which adds depth and authenticity to this likeable retro cozy murder mystery.

This is an enjoyable end to a lovely series.