The Gardener's Plot takes place in the town of Marlowe, MA. Margaret (Maggie) Walker is the main character. She inherited her grandmother's house and has moved back to Marlowe. She came as a child to visit her grandparents. Sally Kendall is her best friend and neighbor along with her husband, Dennis. Carl Henderson is a realtor who is very interested in buying her house and property along with others on her road for his development, Marlowe Community Gardens. She is co-working with Violet Bloom in opening a garden plot with spaces donated to townpeople for gardening. Howie Tucker owns the hardware store and donated the land to the town. Frank Wellman was hired by Violet to till the garden. Maggie met with Violet on Friday to go over the opening and was to meet her on Saturday for the grand opening. When leaving she found a note attached to her door from n aViolet telling her that she would be a little late and to go ahead without her. Upon arriving Maggie finds a line of people ready to do their plots that will be assigned to them. Roy Hanson has three plots,

Maggie waits awhile but when Violet does not show she unlocks and opens the gate. When Roy goes to do his plots he finds that it is churned up and complains to Maggie. She goes to check and finds a boot sticking out of the ground. She pulls it and it comes off showing a foot. The police are called. Sam Whitacker the chief of police arrives. He and Maggie had been an item while at highschool but remained friends. Catherine Witacker, his wife, does not like Maggie and makes her life miserable when she sees her. Detective Matt Quinn is a state policeman who later questions Maggie. The body is later adentified as Carl Henderson. Maggie and Sally are not satisfied with the answers from the police and the disappearance of Violet that they do their own investigation to find Violet.

This is where the story takes off but has so much going on that it is hard to put on paper. I will leave it to the reader to enjoy to the surprising end of who killed Carl and later Violet as well as the kidnapping of Sally. The story ends with a backyard picnic at Sally's house. Matt gives Maggie a liliac bush as a present which opens to the discussion of gardening.

I enjoyed the book and hope the author makes it into a series.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC.

This novel effectively captures the charm of small-town life while weaving an intriguing mystery. However, some readers might find the pacing slow and the mystery predictable. Overall, The Gardener’s Plot earns three stars for its cozy atmosphere, relatable protagonist, and the author’s passion for gardening, which shines through the pages, despite some conventional elements in the mystery genre .

Second chances and intrigue
I loved this book. Ms. Benoit perfectly scripted a tale of a woman returning home to rebuild her life after betrayal, only to have to face down a childhood bully and figure out why she can't get in touch with her new friend Violet,,,and why someone desecrated one of the new garden plots,
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC gratis and highly recommend

This is a really, easy read mystery. I would have liked to have a little more backstory on the characters, But it is a well-constructed story that is a nice cozy mystery. A cool setting, bodies, plenty of suspects, gardening and a hint of romance to come, what more is needed for a good cozy mystery.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley, Minotaur and St. Martin Press.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

A volunteer at a community garden finds a boot and a body at the opening. Soon it becomes a case of murder as her friend is kept questioned by the authorities. She doubts that her friend was involved as she finds herself sniffing out the clues to find the killer. It was an interesting read.

I just reviewed The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit. #NetGalley. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked the plot and the characters. It kept me guessing up until the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for the access to read this early!

When someone turns up dead in the new community garden and Maggie’s friend goes missing, she’s starts asking questions! A cute theme for a cozy mystery with gardening - it’s what drew me to it in the first place!
I would’ve liked to have seen more depth to the main character, Maggie, to help feel more connected to her.
Often times she seemed abrupt with less persona than other characters which made the connection to her and the full story difficult.

This definitely had the bones of a good cozy mystery, but fell short. I felt very disconnected from the narrator and I had to skip through the repetition. The idea was good enough that I finished the book to see what happened but the whole thing was very bland and wishing there was more time with expanding on characters and their relationships rather than rehashing the same plot points 1000 times.

I received this from net galley in exchange for a review.

Coming in November 2024 and currently available for pre-order, The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit, is a cozy mystery title about Maggie, a woman who recently inherited her grandmother's house in the Berkshires and finds a body on opening day for the community garden she helped organize. Meanwhile, her friend Violet, who led the community garden effort, has gone missing. Maggie and her neighbor's search for Violet lead them to another body and the killer.

Overall, this is a well-structured mystery that sits nicely in the cozy genre. After all, we've got bodies, lots of suspects, gardening, an idyllic setting, and the hint of future romance. It is somewhat predictable - I guessed the killer well before the climax. And, there were some character choices that are a little too convenient, like, how Maggie did not immediately worry that the body she found was the missing Violent or how conveniently she never has her cell phone on her, as well as some dated pop culture references to 80s and 90s tv shows like the A-team and X-Files. Nevertheless, it's a fun read that's definitely worth picking up!

A small town, gardening, and murder come together in this cozy mystery by a debut author

After years in the city and the death of her adulterous husband, Maggie returned to the small town where she was raised by her grandmother. Her tranquility is rocked by the discovery of a body in the community garden where she is the assistant director and the disappearance of Violet Bloom the garden’s director. Maggie and her best friend are both curious and worried and decide to investigate.

Liked:
- Wholesomeness! It was refreshing to read a story without swearing.
- The potential for a series. I would like to get to know the characters better.

Didn’t Love:
- Characters were simple and not well-developed.
- The plot was predictable and the mystery obvious.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for an ARC. This review reflects my honest opinion.

Small town sleuthing. The garden theme is on point and makes for an appealing book for garden lovers. This isn’t a murder investigation with blood, gore, or scary anticipation, so no need to be scared of being in your local garden plot after reading! It is a very slow read that took me forever to get into. And I considered not finishing many times.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Releases on November 5, 2024.

Thank you Deborah (same name as me!! 😊), NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this advanced copy!

I really like this book a lot. Maggie bothered me a tiny bit in a couple parts but otherwise she was a really good character and I hope there are more Maggie Walker books to come. I love reading books from a series.

This is a really good, easy read mystery novel.

Thank you again for this good read! I am excited for the next Deborah J. Benoit novel.

"The Gardener's Plot" is a good mystery that kept me interested through the entire book. I thought the story was written well, and it had a twist that I definitely didn't see coming. It isn't a graphic or gory book, so I believe it is appropriate across age ranges starting with young adult. The book moves at a good pace, although I would have liked to have a little more backstory on the characters. The author does a great job of describing the scenes, making it easy to get immersed in the book. The story was good at keeping me guessing and wanting to read more, with each chapter building on the last. I think that "The Gardener's Plot" is a great read, especially if one likes plots that keep you guessing. It’s a mix of mystery, interesting characters, and plot twists that I believe will appeal to many readers.

If you love a small-town feel, gardening and enjoy a cozy mystery read, The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit is for you.

I gave this mystery a four-star rating!

The story centers around newly widowed Maggie, who purchases her late Grandmother’s home, hoping to make a fresh start. She rekindles old friendships and volunteers in the Community Garden Club.

Things quickly take a turn when Maggie discovers a dead body buried in one of the community garden plots. The slow-burn mystery ups the ante when Maggie’s friend and president of the Community Garden Club also disappears. Maggie also starts receiving threatening letters from a troublesome cousin and faces off with an old high-school female nemesis.

I enjoyed the story and following along in Maggie’s footsteps and she worked to retrace her friends steps leading up to her disappearance and uncovering the truth behind the small town secrets that haven’t remained buried. The last quarter of the book amped up the pace and had me flying through the pages.

I would recommend this book to those who adore an old-fashioned mystery style read.

This ARC was provided by NetGalley for my honest review and opinion. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books.

A cute cozy mystery. Benoit does a good job of creating a story that draws you in, with characters that are quite likeable. I would read more from her.

The Gardener’s Plot
The Gardener’s Plot, by Deborah J. Benoit, is a smoothly written cozy mystery set in the Berkshires. Margaret, a master gardener and writer, returns to the small town of her childhood, helps to set up a community garden, and finds a murder victim buried in the plot on opening day. Frustrated that police can’t find her friend who disappeared on that same opening day, she turns to a bit of her own sleuthing. Revelations, clues, and personal danger ensue.

I found the book enjoyable enough. The characters were women who took action on their own and thought for themselves (mostly). It’s a book for days when you just want an easy read that solves a mystery and ends in hope. Don’t expect more, and you’ll be satisfied.

Thank you, Minotaur Press, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
#TheGardener’sPlot #NetGalley

What a promising debut for a series! I like Maggie and the small-town setting. The plotting is good, and I actually feel a bit sad about the resolution. I like it when characters are not all good nor all bad, and the ending of a book is a bit bittersweet.

I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Deborah J. Benoit’s debut, The Gardener’s Plot, is a Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award winner. Not only does it introduce an interesting amateur sleuth in the cozy, but it has a gorgeous cover. The story is set in the Berkshires, and gardening is an important part of the story.

After Maggie Walker’s grandmother dies, she bought the family house, and moved back to Marlowe, Massachusetts. She grew up at her grandparents after her parents abandoned her there, and that house always felt like home. Maggie’s ready for a change after her ex-husband’s death. She’s living next door to her best friend, Sally Kendall, and she’s eager to work in her Gramma’s garden.

Gardening has introduced Maggie to others, including Violet Bloom, the director of the new community garden. On opening day, though, Maggie finds a note saying Violet will be late, so Maggie opens the garden, only to find a boot and a foot in one of the plots. Welcome back to Marlowe, Maggie!

Although the police chief is a long-time friend, the Massachusetts State Police are in charge of the investigation. The victim was disliked by many in town, but Maggie’s disturbed by the direction the investigation takes. Why are the police asking questions about Violet instead of looking for a killer? Where is the missing woman?

Maggie might have stayed out of trouble, but she’s concerned about her new friend. She intends to find Violet, even if the police seem interested in her as a killer. Together with Sally, she starts asking a few questions around town, to the displeasure of the state police detective and the chief of police.

The Gardener’s Plot is a solid debut. Maggie and Sally seem to be always in trouble with the police, but they have a valid reason to search for Violet Bloom. They support each other during their search. Cozy readers who are also gardeners will appreciate the descriptions. And, other cozy readers? Well, here’s a line that sums up every cozy mystery; “Never underestimate the power of a small-town grapevine.”

Unearthing a body was not on any gardener’s agenda for opening day of the community garden. When Maggie takes charge of the situation by keeping everyone back and sending someone to call 911, she may have dug a deeper into a deadly plot than she realizes.

Taking up residence in her late grandmother’s home and tending to the her beloved garden, Maggie is still relearning to navigate the small town she used to know so well. When the community garden plot turns up the body and a woman goes missing, Maggie and her close friend Sally begin their own amateur investigation and find out there’s a lot more dirt to discover. Will they locate their missing friend? Will anything they learn be useful to the official police investigation? Maggie only hopes that the unwelcome and sinister threat can be uprooted before it can blossom into something worse.

The Gardener’s Plot was an enjoyable and pleasant read. The characters and small town vibes were charming and loveable, making me want to get involved at my own community garden. It was honestly lovely to read a mystery novel where there wasn’t a ton of blood and gore, or suspense that had me shaking in my shoes.

Recommended for people who love sweet, small town, charming murder mysteries, à la Murder She Wrote.

Many thanks and appreciation to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to read! This was my genuine, honest review.

Cute little cozy mystery. It was a little bit slow for me and I wish it had a little more backstory on the protagonist. I do love a citizen detective that wants to protect their home town so the author had me hooked there!