Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Gardening Can Be Murder by Martha McDowell in exchange for an honest review. This book does a wonderful, in depth analysis of how the garden has influenced, contributed and become a strong structure of mystery writing.

Though I cannot read mysteries (I almost always figure out the ending and it *always* ruins the experience), I still have a distinct love of the genre. This book gave me the ability to scratch the mystery itch, without worrying about ruining it for myself and I was not disappointed.
The various sections (detectives, settings, motives, means, etc.) were extremely enjoyable and thorough, if limited to the western world (understandable, but I would've loved to see a slightly more diverse cross section of the genre). The prose was enjoyably flowery (pun intended, not sorry), and flowed effortlessly, often with a fun sense of humor that makes the reader feel like they're being let in on a private joke.
On top of the mystery aspect, the gardening angle gave me no shortage of interesting facts, from roses to rhubarb, there's absolutely something in this book that you'd be surprised to learn.

As much as I'd like to only sing the praises of this book, I did have some issues with a few things. The author seems to be fairly socially conscious, openly speaking of colonization, concentration camps, etc., but describes a racist trope that targets Travellers without any note. The author may be unaware of the connotation, but I still wanted to note it in my review. The other thing is the mention (and therefore tacit support) of a certain author. I will not mention this author by name, but she is actively harmful to the LGBT+ community, and I want any potential readers to be aware of this. I would also implore authors who want to be allies to not support those who are hurting the community.

I really did enjoy this book, and recommend it highly to anyone interested in mysteries and gardening. Though be forewarned that even I, the person unable to read most mysteries, added to my TBR pile while reading this, so enter at your own risk.

I give this book 4 out 5 stars, with the 5th star being withheld only because of the issues mentioned above. If not for them, this would be a 5 star read for me.


I will post my review to Goodreads and my blog around a week prior to the release date. I will send a link to the review once posted.

At first I wasn't thinking I would find this interesting at all, but then I actually read it. This is actually very informative and worth picking up.

I absolutely loved reading this book. I was completely drawn into the topic and could not stop reading it.

This was a rather engaging book that linked the use of gardening aspects within mystery books. The author goes in depth with detailing the use of poisons. The use of gardens as a location for the murder/mystery is also featured. I loved the illustrations that appeared between the chapters. This is very well thought out book. The author has obviously put in much research in writing this book. Many of the books mentioned were older books; I would have liked to have seen more modern books included.

Gardening Can Be Murder: How Poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels, and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers. What delightful title. Myself, I’m a notorious and prolific murderer of plants, but I love a good mystery and I love the aesthetic of gardens and greenery. While this book is probably most interesting to gardening enthusiasts it’s really fun learning about the history of how gardens play a roll and have inspired mystery writers and their stories.

I loved that not only was it an interesting read but that it also gave me more to look forward to because I came away with a list of books to check out and also some pretty amazing gardens I would love to check out in person one day. The illustrations by Yolanda V. Fundora were also a total mood. They really complimented the content of the book. This is a short but slow paced relaxing read, perfect for a rainy day with a hot cup of herbal tea.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a gardener, I loved Gardening Can Be Murder (even though mysteries are not a preferred genre).

Gardening Can Be Murder describes garden topics with many (MANY) books that span decades. A very nice book list at the back (so that you don't need to worry about trying to capture all the books to add to your TBR (to be read) list.

Not a very long book and it contains many (beautiful) illustrations. I found it "just right".

My favorite part of the book was where the author describes authors gardens.

Once again, I thank NetGalley for introducing me to a "new to me" author/Marta McDowell. Thank you to NetGalley, Marta McDowell and Timber Press the publisher for providing the opportunity for me to review the advance read copy of Gardening Can Be Murder in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is 12 Sep 2023.

A good book for those who live reading mysteries and are curious about the way various writers kill their characters using everyday garden variety poisons.

Could access this title, no kindle edition and got repeated errors when trying to download the pdf. So sad!!

As a fan of murder mysteries and an avid gardener, I found this book fascinating. From the deadly plants themselves to the way clever authors have figured a way for their fiendish villains to administer them to their unsuspecting prey, I was hooked.

this was a great nonfiction book, it had what I was looking for from the description. It's kinda crazy that all these plants can kill you. I enjoyed the way Marta McDowell wrote this and it was so well written and I was never bored when reading this.

Pros: As someone who loves both plants and murder mysteries, I thought this book was so much fun and informative! This book examines plants as a clue or the weapon (poison), gardens as the setting, gardens and plants as metaphors, gardening tools as weapons, and the gardens of authors. Although the author does discuss the plots of murder mysteries, she is very careful not to spoil the books for readers who have not (yet) read them. As I read, I added books and authors to my to-read list and was thrilled to find a list of books at the end!

Cons: This was a very Anglo-centric book in the books and authors it featured. I would have loved to see more diversity, and perhaps this is an opportunity for a follow up book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Timber Press for the opportunity to read this book.

A great book for mystery and garden lovers! It dives into various facets of mysteries that are all about plants. At first, I thought this might just be about poisons, but the author covers detectives who love gardening, settings that involves gardens, motives, and more! A fun book (plus it's full of essentially book recommendations)!