A very interesting story about growth and well secrets and lies. Feel like so much of what I want to talk about would be a spoiler but this book was so good and I really enjoyed it. I couldn’t put it down.

In The Gardener’s Plot the characters are well developed, realistic and interesting. The gardening theme is perfect. Even though there are murders this book still has an optimistic thread running through it.

I'm not much of a gardener but I love flowers, so decided to give this one a chance. I'm so glad I did. While I have to admit to finding Maggie Walker's questioning style pushy and rather obvious, I liked her. Like many, she's making a new start by going back to known places, ie living in her late grandmother's home, and dealing with both old friends and enemies as well as trying to make new friends. She's a master gardener and has started writing a gardening column for the local paper, so she seems to be on the right track. Even more impressive, she was tapped to help organize the local community garden. She's excited about that...until she discovers a boot in one of the plots. A boot attached to a foot. Uh, oh.

Without giving away the plot, I will say that while it seemed slow in spots, my hunch is we were getting valuable background for future book in a series. At least I hope so. I liked Maggie, pushy and occasionally fractious as she was when confronted by the standard operating procedure of the police. There seems to be a history with local police chief Sam, one that has lead to Sam's wife Catherine being openly hateful to Maggie. And, oh, that detective, Matt Quinn. While grudgingly admitting he's good looking, Maggie seems at odds with him the entire book. Well, almost the entire book. Love the possibilities the ending offers. Like Maggie, Sam and Matt seem to be good people, caught in the middle between their softer side and the bureaucracy of police procedure. Maggie's friend and neighbor, Sally, is there for Maggie, even when she fears it might put her family in danger. And, yes, danger is lurking. Not one but two murders occur. Even worse, Maggie is with Sally when they stumble across the second body thanks to Sally's dog Dreyfus. And that's just the beginning of the action, which also involves snotty encounters with Catherine, cranky garden plot owners, Maggie's annoying pest of a cousin, and a growing fear that this isn't over simply because the bodies have been discovered. Trust me, it isn't.

You don't have to be a gardener to enjoy this one, either. In fact, if you read carefully, you might even pick up a few helpful tidbits. Maggie and Sally, the featured characters, are quite likable and seem to work well together, showing promise as amateur sleuths. Maggie seems to recognize at the end that her probing questions may have help create the danger Sally and she faced at the end, too, so it'll be interesting to see how that balances with her natural curiosity and need to know. Bottom line, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and am looking forward to the next. Thanks #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for the early introduction to Maggie and the cast of characters that surround her. And, oh, I definitely liked the role the K9 police dog played at the end. What can I say? I'm a dog person. Grin.

I love cozy mysteries and I was looking forward to reading the debut from this new author. It was a fun read though there were many characters to keep track up. Maggie Walker moves back home into her grandmother's house that she inherits, for a quiet life. She didn't expect to deal with a murder mystery and a missing friend. It was a easy read and loved the gardening focus of the book - right up my alley.

Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I have been provided with a review copy of this title from NetGalley for an impartial review. This book was just so easy to get lost in. I completely got lost in the story and I just loved getting to see these new characters come together. I just absolutely love this story and I just didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

The garden was an interesting setting for this cozy mystery. It took me a while to get through this book, which I think is partially due to the pacing and partially to trying to keep track of all the characters. Overall, a decent cozy mystery and I’ll be interested in what this author does next.

This story intrigued me and seemed like the perfect fit to read as we get into fall. Maggie Walker, recently moved back to her hometown and is helping with setting up a community garden. Benoit is a strong writer and it shows in her characters and plot. I felt like I missed some of the character introduction of Maggie, leading to a struggle to connect with the character. This is a cozy, but it did seem to have some darker elements to it that I wouldn't necessarily call cozy. However, I enjoyed the story and would read more of hers in the future!

I liked the idea of a community garden plot shared by several people.
However, the book turned out to be just another gardening cozy mystery with a fairly simple plot. I have read so many of those and was disappointed that the novel did not have a more complex story with more developed or unique characters. Gardeners and readers of this genre will enjoy adding this book to their reading list, however.

Maggie moved into her beloved grandmother’s house in Marlowe, Massachusetts. The place she grew up in, where she and her best and oldest friend Sally played, surrounded by a huge woods area behind both properties.
Now when Violet invited her to join the community garden project she said yes immediately. “She suggested edible landscaping along the perimeter and plots for individual gardeners, plus a large plot that all would work, its produce to be donated to the local food pantry”
All was according to plan until the day scheduled to start, Violet was missing and without a clue why. When a volunteer discovers a boot under one of the plant beds, not only that but a body of the man who was trying to buy many local properties to start some development plan.
Maggie and Sally have a goal, they need to find why their friend disappear and cross her off the suspect list. As they set their minds to accomplish the plan they put themselves into danger.
I loved this mystery, is one of my favorite genres and as it combines my other passion my vegetable garden, this book was one of my favorites.
It is my first book by the author and I would like a sequel just as I enjoyed the small town atmosphere and the friendly neighborhood.
Thanks to Minotaur Books, netgalley and Deborah J. Benoit for the advanced copy.

enjoyed the gardening aspect of this story. It seemed like a pretty typical "cozy" mystery other than that. Just once, I'd like to read about someone who took the advice and did not investigate on their own, thereby saving themselves or their friends so much grief. I was able to figure out who did it before the end. Thanks for the preview copy from St. Martin's.

*The Gardener's Plot* by Deborah Benoit is a delightful mystery that blends gardening with intrigue. Set in a charming small town, the story follows an amateur sleuth who uncovers secrets hidden beneath the surface of a seemingly peaceful garden community. Benoit’s vivid descriptions bring the garden to life, while her engaging characters and clever plot twists keep readers guessing until the end. The book offers a refreshing mix of humor and suspense, making it an enjoyable read for mystery lovers and gardening enthusiasts alike.

3.5 Stars
The Gardener's Plot is a cozy mystery. Maggie's life is turned upside down when her soon to be ex-husband is killed by a car and her loving grandmother dies. She decides to move back to small town Massachusetts and into her grandmother's home. She quickly becomes friends with a Violet a fellow gardener who is planning a community garden. On opening day of the garden, Violet is late and as her assistant, Maggie opens the garden only to discover a dead body in one of the plots.

I enjoyed the gardening aspects of the story and Maggie is a pleasant character along with her next door neighbor. They run into some issues with the cops investigating the murder when they decide to do some sleuthing and try to find out what happened to Violet who disappeared the day of the murder.

It's a comfortable small town murder mystery with the required nasty bigshots in the town along with lots of pleasant business owners and friends. Some nice plot twists
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

An entertaining and enjoyable debut novel of avid gardeners, Maggie and Violet in particular, a community garden and an unexpected dead body. This was quick read with likable characters, a stuffy detective and a smart dog. I look forward to reading what Maggie will “dig up” next.
Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the early copy. This review is my personal opinion.

When Maggie Walker moves back to her hometown and into her grandmothers house that she inherits, she never imagines that she’d have to deal with murder and a missing friend as she’s setting up a community garden in the small town. The Gardener’s Plot was an easy, atmospheric, cozy read. The gardening aspect, the mystery, and the puzzle of figuring out the crime kept me entertained. Overall, this was a 4.2 star read for me, and I will read more by this author.

Maggie has recently bought her deceased grandmother's home and moved back to the town where they had lived. She has become fast friends with Violet and is helping her set up the community garden. Unfortunately, on opening day, the normally reliable Violet leaves a note saying she is running late and Maggie has to start the opening alone. When one of the community members begins tending to his plot, he finds a boot which Maggie soon discovers is attached to a dead body. Violet never appears and she believes the police are more interested in finding her for questioning than being concerned about her disappearance. She and her childhood best friend, Sally, start asking questions and retracing Violet's steps in hopes of finding her.

While I enjoyed the concept and the bits of gardening woven through, I found this book to be way too redundant and slow. I would fall asleep as I was reading it, which is abnormal for me. There was a huge clue to the murder's identity that Maggie didn't seem to catch that really irritated me. In general, most of the characters felt flat. That said, I definitely found this to be a cozy mystery since I didn't feel any real sense of danger until near the end.

The Gardeners Plot is about a woman named Maggie Walker that sets up a community garden and finds a body in one of the plots. When people keep asking about her friend, she sets out to figure out what happened.
I liked this book. The book went smoothly, it didn’t feel rushed. I liked how you learned about gardening and the how got an idea for how the character’s personalities are. I enjoyed reading the book and how it didn’t end with you needing answers.
I would recommend this book to anyone the likes cozy mysteries, gardening, and amateur detectives.

“The Gardener’s Plot” by Deborah Benoit is a delightful cozy mystery set in the charming Berkshires. The story follows Maggie Walker, who returns to her childhood town to help set up a community garden. Things take a dark turn when she discovers a body buried in one of the plots on opening day. I couldn't even imagine.

Maggie is a relatable and engaging protagonist, and her determination to uncover the truth about the murder keeps the plot moving at a brisk pace. The small-town setting is vividly described, adding to the book’s cozy charm. Benoit does a great job of balancing suspense with lighthearted moments, making this a thoroughly enjoyable read for fans of the genre.

Maggie is helping to set up a community garden when she finds a dead body in one of the garden plots. Maggie's friend Violet has disappeared and the police want to talk to her. Maggie is determined to prove her friend's innocence! This was a really good cozy mystery and I enjoyed the characters. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

This was such a delightful surprise! I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the mystery!

Maggie inherits her grandmother’s home in the Berkshires and is eager to share her interest in gardening with her new neighbors. Naturally, a master gardener would be involved with the community garden and its quirky characters. After a dead body is discovered, suspects, theories and motives become rampant in this small town.

Deborah Benoit is a new-to-me author and The Gardener’s Plot is the first of three installments. I am looking forward to reading them.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received an advance galley through NetGalley.

Maggie has moved back to her small hometown, into her late grandmother's old house, soon after the death of her about-to-be ex. Gardening is her passion, and she's been looking forward to opening a new community garden with her friend Violet. However, when the garden opens up and boots--and a whole male body--are in a tilled bed and Violet is missing in action, Maggie sets out to find her friend her defiance of the authorities.

The small town setting and garden theme add fun to this cozy. I found the pace to be slow, though, and the cast didn't fully come to life. The murderer was someone I didn't expect, which is a nice surprise.