I really enjoyed this book! I’m only minusing a star (is minusing a word?) because I knew who the killer was most of the book. I have to give it to the author, mid book I had myself questioning the outcome- but the ending tied up the loose ends quickly. Predictable in that sense, but not overly so. It was a nice quick one to get me out of my reading slump. If you’re looking for a cozy mystery with a little bit more drama than usual, this one is absolutely for you!

The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit

A woman helps to set up a community garden in the Berkshires, only to find a dead body in one of the c plots on opening day.

I enjoyed this book. Many suspects and annoying characters. Good to the last page. I recommmendv this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

A slow-burn, cozy mystery at its best here. It was exactly what I would look for as a palate cleanser after some dark psychology thrillers and deep fantasy.

Exciting, action packed and suspenseful. A real page turner that keeps you guessing. Maggie is a real sleuth when she wants to be.

_The Gardener’s Plot_ by Deborah J. Benoit is a leisurely paced cozy mystery read with quirky characters and a small town mood. It follows Maggie, an avid gardener who recently moved back to her family home in the Berkshires. She is planning on helping with the new community garden when a body is found on opening day--and the organizer Violent is missing. Maggie and her friend Sally start investigating the disappearance, but danger soon finds them. This book will interest fans of cozy mysteries.

The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit

I had a hard time putting down this book. From start to finish I felt like I was on the edge of my seat. I mistakenly thought the book was a cozy mystery when I requested it on Netgalley so part way through the book I was a bit bothered by some of what was happening. It seemed darker than a cozy mystery, but, so far, the book had been like a cozy mystery – very clean, no graphic descriptions of bodies, close friends for the main character, quirky characters, a small town, a fairly straightforward mystery.

Eventually, I began to accept that this wasn’t a light and fluffy cozy mystery but one with a bit more grit to it. Not enough grit to be disturbing or shocking, however.

There is a sad backstory for our main character, Maggie Walker, but I like how she deals with that story slowly as the book and mystery unfold. I like how she has empathy for victims of crime, which is something I don’t always see in cozy mysteries. Sometimes main characters are a bit more flippant about the crime that has occurred.
Maggie Walker is not flippant about what she has been thrust into the middle of, or what she has experienced in the past. She’s very realistic and faces it head-on without bringing the reader all the way down in the dumps.
I loved the friendship between Maggie and Sally.

I think Maggie needs a pet, though, so if there are going to be more of these books, I would like Maggie to have at least a cat so she isn’t rattling around in her grandmother’s old house all alone anymore.

My one negative was that the book dragged just a little bit toward the end for me. It was just a little bit, though, and not enough for me not to want to keep going and find out what happened. I am only adding that so other readers will know that if you feel the same way – don’t give up. Push through because the ending is worth it.
Other readers may not feel that it dragged, however.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own and a positive review was not required or requested.

I rate this light, pleasant cozy mystery 3.5 stars rounded up. It is the perfect mystery for gardeners, with descriptions of flowers, gardens, compost and more. It checks all the cozy mystery boxes: no bad language, graphic violence or gore, and no sex. This book won an award for debut crime novel.
Maggie Walker has returned to her favorite place where she has fond memories of summers with her
beloved Gramma. She gets involved in a community garden project with Violet Bloom. Violet has organized a community garden in a vacant piece of land in the fictional Massachusetts town of Marlowe, set in the Berkshire mountains.
But then bad things happen. She is badgered by a local "real estate" developer, Carl Henderson, who embodies the quintessential definition of shyster developer. In addition she meets and old nemesis, from high school, Catherine Whitacker, who is now married to her old beau Sam Whitacker. To top it off her greedy cousin Simon is demanding more money from their grandmother's estate, even though it is settled.
But then things go from bad to worse when a body is discovered in the community garden. Maggie's friend Violet is missing and Maggie decides to investigate to clear her friend's name.
One quote, describing Violet's house: "Like pretty much everything I'd observed about where Violet was concerned, the walk leading to her front door was a tidy progression of bricks. Well_tended beds sporting spring flowers and emerging perennials surrounded the carpet of green grass at the front of the house."
Thank You Sara Eslami at St. Martin's Press for sending med this eARC through NetGalley.

The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit is a well-written mystery with plenty of suspects and a cozy, small town setting. The main character Maggie is faced with all sorts of challenges, from a cousin who wants 'his share' of their grandmother's estate, to detectives who want her to stop 'investigating', to disappearances and murders. Underneath it all is a detailed gardening theme that will appeal to the green-thumbed.
I found the book a bit difficult to get into and ended up skipping sections of in depth descriptions and repetition of theories, not once feeling like I'd missed something important.
I appreciate getting an ARC of #TheGardenersPlot from #NetGalley, but doubt I will be reading further in the series.

A fun mystery I have already recommended to friends. Like the small town community garden with mystery built in. A cozy that should not be missed.

I like cozy mysteries as they aren't too violent, fun characters and some specialize in areas such as cooking, baking, and in this case gardening. Those who garden should enjoy this one as there is a lot of talk about it. I'm not a gardener so that part didn't grab me as much but the mystery is good.

First in series with this and it did take some pages to set up who is who and why people are where they are. Maggie has a history in town but is back to live there now. There are issues with acceptance, an inheritance but thankfully a friend who makes the story better.

While I thought the start was a bit slow it did pick up and things were solved and well explained, which I ask for in a cozy. The set up allows for a second book but not a cliffhanger.

I loved this cute cozy mystery. We follow Maggie, who’s just found a corpse in her community garden. The corpse of a man who has been annoying the entire town to sell their properties so he can build a new community. There’s no shortage of people who didn’t get along with the recently deceased. But then her good friend, Violet, goes missing and it’s down to Maggie to find Violet and figure out who in her community could be a killer.

I liked Maggie, and loved her relationship with her best friend Sally, but there were a few things that absolutely drove me crazy. In 2024, I find it hard to believe that anyone under the age of 50 wouldn’t have caller ID and wouldn’t make sure to keep their phone on them (especially after finding a dead body early in the book). While I expect a lot of meddling by the MC of any cozy, a lot of the meddling done by Maggie and Sally didn’t lead to anything and could’ve been resolved by some straight communication. Overall though, I really enjoyed the dialogue and the overall development of the characters. I hope Maggie comes back in another caper!

Thank you to Deborah Benoit, NetGalley and St Martins Press for this ARC.

Setting the murder mystery in a local garden plot was interesting. As someone who knows absolutely nothing about gardening, I got a taste of it without being completely lost.

At the same time, Maggie didn't really have any agency. She just sort of flounders along, reacting to things happening. At times, her friend pushes her to solve the mystery after Maggie, and the friend is actually the one who cracks the case in the end. Maggie almost felt more like a side character.

Also, it made no sense at the end that the dog couldn't lead Maggie all the way to where her owner was, because the building had scratches on it from the dog trying to get in. They have this great tracking dog who just decides to give up the search halfway to his destination.

Finally, I was a little sad that one of the victim's was a nice person we actually met. I'm more a fan of the dead jerk trope, or at least someone who never meet on the page.

“The Gardener’s Plot” by Deborah J. Benoit
Definitely a FUN Mystery
Yes, I truly enjoyed keeping Maggie Walker company as we worked our way through this story with the company of her friend Sally from next door. I thought I knew ‘Who did it’ I just didn’t know the how and the why. If you like cozy mysteries… I am sure you will like this one, too! Happy Reading ! !

Deborah J. Benoit’s debut novel combines mystery and gardening in a most enjoyable fashion. Maggie Walker has just returned to her home town in the Berkshires. Trying to fit in, she volunteers to help with the new community garden. Sadly, before they can get started for the year, they find a body in one of the plots. Maggie sets out to help solve the crime and gets herself in peril quickly. The character development and storyline are very well done. The solution was a surprise but the clues were well hidden. I am hopeful that the series is continued. NetGalley provided me with an advance copy but the opinion is my own.

The Gardener's Plot is a debut cozy mystery by Debra Benoit and it.was really enjoyable. The characters are likable and the mystery kept me guessing and had an exciting ending. Maggie Walker buys her Grandmother's house from the estate. Her best friend Sally lives next door. Maggie gets involved with a community garden project headed by Violet. An unpopular man in town ends up dead and Maggie finds him. Then Violet goes missing. Maggie spends a lot of the book trying to replicate Violet's schedule and trying to find her. Maggie and.Sally do some sleuthing and end up on the.killer's radar. The Detective Matt Quinn is a good character and there is a possible romance there. Local policeman Sam Whitaker and his wife add to the story. Maggie's Cousin Simon causes problems. It all keeps Maggie busy. The book moves along at a good pace for the most part. The story has a cozy feel with the town, the friendships, and the sleuthing.. The ending is a bit exciting and two people die. The book was enjoyable and I look forward to more. #TheGardenersPlot #NetGalley #MinotaurBooks #StMartinsPress

Thia mystery was so good. First time reading something from this authors and i was pleasantly surprised how good this was. Love the plot and the developments . The character are really well done. Would definitely recommend

Maggie Walker has returned to live in her beloved Grandmother's home. Maggie spent a great deal of time with her grandmother. She learned about gardening there.

The home is right next door to her best friend, Sally. They have been best friends since they were children.

Maggie loves gardening and she has become involved with the community garden in her small town. Maggie will be the second in command to Violet. Violet is one of the movers and shakers in town. She volunteers and helps with nearly every good cause around.

The first day when everyone is there to begin working on their gardening plots, a dead man is found in one of the plots. And Violet has never shown up for the opening day. She is never late and certainly would never willingly miss the opening day of such an important program for the town.

Maggie and Sally decide to go against what the police would prefer. They will investigate. Maggie is unable to ignore questions without answers. And Sally is ready to join in whenever Maggie is on the hunt for answers.

This is a book by a new to me author. She has done a good job of creating a plot that moves along well. She is obviously familiar with the area of the Berkshires. And it does sound like a lovely green place to live.

The characters are well developed. But, Maggie has the same problem as so many heroine's in mysteries. She knows more than the police. When she finds an actual clue she does not share with police immediately. And no matter how many times Maggie and Sally are told to back off, they do not.

The story is told from Maggie's point of view. And I must say she could cut down on pacing around. And eat a little something, cups and cups of herbal tea can only goes so far.

Yes, I recognized the villain early in the story. But, the journey to the book's solution was an enjoyable one.

Maggie is a strong heroine. She is smart and funny and has good rapport with the townsfolk. It is evident she would be a good friend to all. Sally is a funny and smart woman as well. She has a family and tries to investigate when it will not interfere with family life. She's a good wife and mom.

There are some busy bodies in town. And one woman is a less than stellar human being. In fact, she is rather cringe worthy. I am not sure why Maggie does not haul off an punch her? Or at least tell her to butt out.

I liked this book. I saw evidence that this would be the first in a series. See I can get clues too.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

I don’t think this book was for me as I struggled to get into it, struggled to care and felt mostly bored while reading. I think if it wasn’t for this review I would have not finished it. It might be great for someone else, it is quick read and a cute cozy mystery.

This is an adorable cozy mystery. It has small town quaintness and a host of sweet characters. Our main character finds a body in her garden and and she has to question what she knows about her friend. This is a first time author for me but I enjoyed it and can’t wait to read more.

So I'm not usually into cozy mysteries, but I read this one because I love gardening. That aspect of the story was a lot of fun for me personally. The mystery was intriguing and the plot pulled along enough to hold my interest despite me not being the target audience for this book.