Maggie Walker is back in her grandmother’s house, after buying the house before it went on the market since none of the other cousins wanted it. She feels like she’s beginning to get her footing, after her soon-to-be ex-husband’s passing. Along with her friend Violet, she plans on opening a community garden, where the locals can claim a spot for veggies or flowers and cultivate their green thumb. But their plans change when Violet mysteriously disappears on the opening day of the community garden and a body is found partially buried in the freshly tilled soil. Despite repeated requests to “stay out of it and let us do our jobs” from the police, Maggie begins her own investigation, along with her best friend Sally, trying to find Violet and trying to stay a step ahead of the killer.

Overall, a cute cozy mystery, and although I guessed the killer, it still kept my interest. I really like the small-town vibes with it being set in the Berkshires. I think this is the first in a series with this character, and I will be reading more if so. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an ARC of this book; all opinions are my own.

*3-3.5 stars. Not a bad start to a new cozy mystery series. The gardening theme drew me in. It had the usual elements of an amateur sleuth trying to solve a local murder with the police seeming to suspect her! The story dragged a bit in the middle and the whodunit was fairly easy to figure out but it was still a fun read.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc odyssey this new cozy mystery. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Maggie has moved into her Gramma's house after her death. A real estate agent is keen to buy the property. Maggie has become involved in setting up the community garden in the town. On the garden's opening day the real estate agent's body is found in the garden. It surprises everyone. Maggie finds herself a person of interest in the investigation. She decides to investigate on her own. Dangerous??
This is a cozy mystery involving a small town and gardening. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a story that moved along at a brisk pace and was interesting. I would recommend reading this book. It would definitely break you out of a reading slump.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #DeborahJBenoit and #MinotaurBooks for a copy of this book.
#TheGardenersPlot

The Gardener’s Plot is a cozy mystery with a garden – horticultural theme. The novel is author Benoit’s debut mystery and it is quite impressive.

With two murders and a kidnapping, it made this whodunit mystery a very interesting read. The plot is well thought out with enough twists that kept me guessing until the end.

The major characters were well developed. But there seemed to be too many minor characters that diluted the impact they might have had otherwise. The seemingly over abundance of characters got me a little lost and confused on the who’s who at times.

Overall, The Gardener’s Plot is an entertaining cozy mystery for fans of this genre. Four stars.

I was invited to read a DRC and was gifted and early finished copy of the novel from St. Martin’s Press. This review is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

🪴 The Gardener’s Plot - Deborah J. Benoit

3.5 ⭐️ - I liked this one! I was interested in the community garden aspect as I grew up gardening with my Poppy as a little girl. Luckily we never found any dead bodies in the garden tho 😮‍💨. This is a close community, amateur sleuthing, cozy mystery if you’re looking for one with a little sunshine.

I liked this one. I enjoyed the characters a lot. They felt relatable, realistic, and enjoyable. Aside from the murder mystery in their lives. I loved the friendship and growth between Maggie and Sally. It lost me a little in the middle with the pacing, but the end picked up quickly, mysteries were solved, and the showdown was exciting. I recommend this one if you want a mystery on the lighter side (am I allowed to say that about a murder mystery?).

Thank you Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Minatour Books for the early ARC and audio copy! You can dig this one up on 11/5!

Maggie Walker is just settling into her new old home and is starting to get her life back on track. She’s ready for a fresh start and when she is asked to help get the community gardens off the ground she jumps at the opportunity. Now that the big day is here nothing is going as planned. Violet Bloom, the woman in charge of the gardens, is nowhere to be found and Maggie finds a boot connected to a body buried in one of the garden plots. The opening day has turned into a nightmare and when Maggie realizes her friend is missing and she may have been the last person to see her she is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery stopping at nothing to find her find and the murderer.

Cozy mysteries are my go to genre and I am always looking for new authors and series to discover. I had never read anything by Deborah J. Benoit, but this book definitely has me interested in reading more by her. I was pulled in from the very beginning of this mystery and loved the journey I was pulled along on as Maggie searched for the truth. I liked the town and characters that were set up in this mystery and found this to be a fun, fast paced mystery. It kept me guessing the whole time and I was surprised at the end when everything was revealed. I would love to see more books with Maggie as the lead and will need to check out more by this author. If you are a cozy mystery fan who likes gardening this is a good book to try.

This is the best debut cozy mystery I have read in some time. It is the winner of the publisher's first novel award and I can see why. Benoit has created a number of interesting characters. I like Maggie. A gardener at heart, she is living in the freedom of her near-ex being accidentally killed before their divorce was final. She has returned to the town familiar from her youth. That reveals friends and enemies. I like Sally, neighbor from childhood, now an aggressive sidekick who is as determined to solve a murder as Maggie is. But there are also those who despise Maggie. Catherine, wife of the town chief of police, has been at odds with her since grade school. Benoit provides readers with good character construction of both friends and foes.

The plot has a good balance of mystery investigative development and character thought and action. Benoit's writing style is quite good with some clever word construction along the way. There is a serious dose of suspense near the end that made me want to know how the last scenes worked out. I do wish there had been a few more gardening tips though I really appreciated her description of planting tomato starts.

A great cozy mystery with well drawn characters, a well constructed plot, a good dose of heart pounding suspense near the end, and the potential of a romance in the near future. I do hope there is another in this series as I liked this one so much. I will be eagerly watching for it.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Pascal said “All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”. Maggie could have been fine if she could continue gardening in her backyard instead of setting up a community garden for everyone's benefit (!). Look what that got her? Boot with a foot in it (and rest of the body connected to it)

She further could not sit still and decided to solve this mystery on her own. She did not wanted to be the person of interest as she was the one who dug the body. She did not want her not missing friend to be the one either. But where was her friend? Who would want to kill someone in that quiet town? Most importantly, when was this cousin gonna shut the f*ck up about the proceeds from the house?

Another example of "wholesome" sleuthing by ordinary people trying to clear their names. Is it a sign of people not trusting police to solve these murders and not finding the right people or is it just because of the curious nature of people? Whatever the reason is, it is another one for curious minds.

Maggie has moved into her Grandmother's Victorian home and is busy getting the flower beds back in shape. She's also helping with the new community garden. When the head of the garden goes missing and a dead body shows up in the garden, Maggie is ready to ask questions and find her missing friend. A good introduction to A new series. A gentle cozy mystery with good characters and plot. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series.

I had high hopes for this one. The plot sounded great. Unfortunately for me the characters fell flat. I pretty much couldn’t stand Maggie or Sally, and the rest were frankly unforgettable. There were several storylines that just didn’ need to be included or that wrapped up with zero oomph. There were a ton of details that didn’t need to be included when they could have been used in other parts of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. The Gardeners Plot publishes November 5, 2024.

A nice cozy debut that I suspect heralds a new series. Maggie, who has inherited her grandmother's home and her green thumb is more than a little shocked when a body is found in one of the community garden plots on the day the garden is opened. And where is Violet, who is the leader of the garden? This has all the nice small town cozy vibes, with multiple suspects (and villainy) a real estate issue, a friendly law enforcement officer, and a garden. It's just twisty enough to keep you guessing. Maggie makes for a good intrepid amateur. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good read and I'm looking forward to more from Benoit.

this small town mystery has our main character Maggie & her best friend Violet planning on opening a community garden but on the day of the grand opening, Violet is no where to be found & there’s a body found in one of the gardening plots..
we then follow maggie attempting to investigate the disappearance of Violet & deal with the shock of the dead body in her community garden!
this book is full of gossip and some pettiness, which is always welcome in a suburban mystery! it was entertaining and i personally really enjoyed the gardening aspect, but imo the twist fell a lil flat for me. i did find the writing style entertaining & easy to follow!

I really enjoyed “The Gardener’s Plot” by Deborah J. Benoit. I originally chose this book because of the setting in the Berkshires. When a dead body is found at a local community garden, one of the leaders, Maggie Walker who has recently returned to town, can’t resist some amateur sleuthing. I loved the small-town setting and how the cast of characters and town gossip played into it. Good mixture of suspense and a cozy setting. I hope that Benoit decides to make this into a series, because I appreciated Maggie’s character and would like to see more of her and her friends. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the eARC.

This is a wonderful cozy mystery. The story is second in the series and set in a small town. Maggie just wants to settle into her home and be able to garden. The characters in the story are fun and interesting. The plot is intriguing and will grab the attention of the reader. The dialogue flows well and is easy to read and understand.

After losing her cheating husband and her beloved Gramma, Maggie Walker buys her Gramma’s old Victorian and moves back to Marlowe. She reunites with her old friend Sally and makes a new friend Violet. Violet and Maggie have been working hard to bring a new community garden to Marlowe, but on opening day Violet is a no show and isn’t answering her phone. To top it off a boot is discovered sticking out of one of the freshly tilled plots. When Maggie tugs at it, she finds a big foot too.
In this heart warming cozy mystery a curious woman is determined to find her missing friend. She keeps digging for clues despite the danger to herself and her best friend.
I really enjoyed this story with its smart, competent amateur women detectives. They give the pros a real run for their money for sure. I guessed the identity of the murderer fairly early on, but I still loved the book. With its small town charm, warm friendships and enthusiastic gardeners this one is a winner. 4.25 stars

*Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It is a beautifully crafted tale that leaves readers with a sense of tranquility and a deeper appreciation for the natural world. Whether you have a green thumb or not, this book is sure to cultivate a lasting impression.

Master Gardener Maggie Walker has returned home to Marlowe, a charming small town in the Berkshires, and is restoring her grandmother’s house and gardens. When super volunteer Violet Bloom asks her to help plan a community garden, she eagerly agrees. When the opening day for the garden arrives, Violet is a no show and there’s a body buried in one of the plots with only a boot sticking out of the soil. Small town gossip abounds. Who is buried in the garden? Where is Violet Bloom? Why is someone trying to buy up houses in Maggie’s section of town? Cruel gossip spreads that Maggie herself is responsible. She’s questioned by handsome detective Matt Quinn who has other suspects in mind. Then there is another murder that Maggie has a personal interest in solving. Can Maggie find the murderer before she becomes his next victim?

The Gardener’s Plot is the first in a new series by the talented Deborah J. Benoit. Maggie Walker is a delightful character, the Berkshires location shines and the plot is stronger than expected for a cozy mystery. I am looking forward to what Maggie does next. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Deborah J. Benoit for this ARC.

This is a lovely cozy mystery. If you enjoy gardening and sleuthing this book is perfect for you. I enjoyed Maggie’s character and thought that she did a great job piecing together what happened to her friend Violet. I think readers will enjoy going along for the adventure.
Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Overall, this was an enjoyable cozy mystery. However, the mystery tended to feel like b plot to gardening. I understood based on the title that gardening would be evolved. I didn’t expect this to feel a little like a “how to” guide. I wish the side characters were fleshed out more as well some of the background/history.

This is such a charming garden based cozy that all cozy readers will enjoy. I loved the setting of the Berkshires and a community garden project.

Our main character Maggie Walker has signed onto participate in a community garden. Much to her chagrin she discovers a body buried at the community garden. The mystery deepens as she discovers not everyone liked the victim along with red herrings and suspects abound. I loved the garden, the atmospheric setting in the Berkshires and the humor infused throughout this books. A fun cozy read that I highly recommend. This is a cozy mystery done to perfection with all the perfect cozy elements we readers love. Well done to the author.