This book was readable, but otherwise, bad. I kept reading because I wanted to confirm what I suspected to be the truth all along, but it angered me the whole way through. Maggie is not an amateur sleuth because there was no context at all to explain that she’d be even remotely good at digging up answers about what happened, and yet she persists. The characters are very under developed, and they all have insanely hokey names. There was just so much lacking in this. The cover is pretty though!

The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J Benoit was a wonderful cozy mystery set in a small town. This is the first book in a new series. It was a well thought out plot with many twists and turns. Just when you think you have the mystery solved, the author throws you off again. A very enjoyable read. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this early. Much appreciated.

The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit is an enjoyable cozy mystery debut, set against the charming backdrop of the Berkshires. Maggie Walker’s return to her childhood town for a fresh start takes a dark turn when she stumbles upon a corpse in the community garden. What follows is a lighthearted yet suspenseful whodunit as Maggie steps into the role of amateur sleuth.

Benoit’s strength lies in her vivid descriptions of the small-town setting and the sense of community that comes alive in the garden. Maggie is a likable protagonist, with a relatable mix of curiosity and determination. The ensemble cast, from quirky gardeners to nosy neighbors, adds charm and humor, making the town of Marlowe feel warm and inviting—even in the midst of a murder investigation.

However, the pacing can be uneven, with the plot occasionally meandering as Maggie navigates through red herrings and minor subplots. While the mystery is engaging, seasoned cozy readers might find the reveal predictable. Additionally, some characters, particularly Violet, could have used more depth to make their motivations clearer.

Overall, The Gardener’s Plot is a solid start to a promising series. It’s perfect for readers seeking a gentle mystery with a picturesque setting, but it falls short of delivering a truly memorable twist. A pleasant read, but not groundbreaking.

The Gardener’s Plot is the first book in a new series from Deborah J. Benoit. Maggie Walker is a master gardener who has moved into her grandmother’s house in the Berkshires. Her greedy cousin and an unscrupulous land developer are trying to get her to sell the house, but Maggie refuses.

On the day she and her friend Violet Bloom are opening their new community garden, one of the gardeners finds a dead body in his plot. It’s the body of the land developer. Maggie would let the police handle it if it wasn’t for the fact that Violet disappeared on the day of the murder. Violet becomes the police’s prime suspect, but Maggie is convinced that she didn’t do it. She and her best friend decide to investigate the murder and clear Violet’s name while, hopefully, finding their friend.

The book is a fun, entertaining mystery with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. The characters are likeable and relatable, and the mystery is solved in a rational way that makes sense. All in all, it’s a great book. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

I received an advance review copy of this book and am enthusiastically leaving this 5-star review.

The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit is a wonderful small town, cozy mystery.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and had plenty of twists to keep engaged right to the very end.
I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future,

The first book in a new series written for people like me. Gardeners who love cozies! The community is populated with characters I'd meet in my local farmer's market or community gardens. The mystery turns a couple of questions into a full blown harvest of suspects. Loved it!!!

A double win in my opinion…..found a new author and great start for a cozy murder mystery. Maggie has returned home to start anew in her beloved grandmother home. First of the grandchildren to put an offer in for the home of many fond memories. As a master gardener she gets involved with the community garden plot with her new friend Violet. On the opening of the garden, Violet leaves a note that she is running late. Very unusual for the head of the project, so Maggie starts belatedly without her. When one of her fellow gardeners complains about a boot in his plot, Maggie goes to retrieve it. It takes a mighty tug and then she sees a foot! Where is Violet? She really doesn’t want to deal with this. Really where is her friend?
I was turning pages trying to guess who dun-nit. Good pacing of the storyline, there are quite a few characters, but that is the normal to introduce the characters. Really enjoyed reading #TheGardenersPlot and looking forward to the next book.

I thought this was a cozy mystery, and it is, but it's more complex. Maggie has moved into her Grandmother's house in a rural section of Massachusetts, after purchasing it from the estate. Her almost ex-husband was killed by a hit and run driver. Now, not only does she need to deal with a land developer who wants to buy it, but a cousin who feels that he didn't get a fair shake. Then a murder takes place and Maggie is the center of gossip and perhaps is a person of interest. And one of her gardening club members goes missing.

I thought the book was engaging and interesting.

This book will appeal to cozy mystery lovers, but it will be especially appealing to those who love to garden because a community garden is the set piece for this mystery.

Maggie is happy to be back in a place that brought her so much happiness in her early years. Violet
Bloom is another gardening enthusiast who has taken Maggie under her wing as they are preparing to open a community garden. On opening day, Violet is nowhere to be found and the others are getting a little restless. Maggie opens the gate to allow the gardeners into the garden, but they are about to get the shock of their life when a pair of boots is sticking out of the garden's soil. A murder has soiled their little slice of heaven.

This was everything you look for and want in a cozy mystery with the small town, community feel where everyone knows everyone's business, or at least thinks they know the business. You have the little mean girl clique who always have something to say. Maggie is nosy, but observant, and she is determined to find her missing friend. Her armchair sleuthing is going to get in her trouble.

This was an interesting book to read as I learned some tips about gardening along the way. The mystery was well-written and the characters were interesting as well. A few times along the way, I stumbled over characters trying to place who each character was to the story, but I still enjoyed the book as the most important characters were spotlighted enough to understand everything.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

THE GARDENER'S PLOT by Deborah J. Benoit is a twisty, wonderful mystery as cozy as it is replete with relatable characters and surprising, yet logical moments in the beautiful Berkshires setting where a terrific community garden idea is upended when a dead body is discovered. Maggie is suddenly in the thick of way more complications than she anticipated when she moved to this bucolic town where memories are long, deep, and the disappearance of garden leader Violet is a mystery she is compelled to figure out. I enjoyed every moment of this story, especially appreciating the genuine voices of believable characters. Add in the gardening and small town and I am over the moon with a story from a talented new writer. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

Mystery | Adult
[Cover image]
I’m still enjoying some gentler cosy mysteries after a series of thrillers, including a couple of rather gruesome ones! This is Benoit’s first novel, and it won the First Crime Novel Award from the Mystery Writers of America! Benoit delivers exactly what I expected – a gentle murder mystery, set in a small town, with generally appealing characters and a promising sleuth protagonist in the form of Maggie Walker. She moved back to the Berkshires in Massachusetts, into her grandmother’s old home, which she bought from the estate, and is slowly rebuilding her life after the sudden death of her almost ex-husband. (There is a story there that is only partly revealed…) An avid gardener, Maggie agrees to help Violet open a community garden. But when a body turns up in one of the plots before it even opens, and Violet is nowhere to be found, Maggie finds herself the talk of the town – and not in a good way. There are old flames and old enemies, her best friend Sally, and new pals too. I really liked all the characters, and enjoyed the slower pace of the mystery, though I can see it might be too slow for some readers. Maggie’s temper gets her into a pickle or two, which makes her even more appealing. The identity of the murderer was a surprise to me, which is always fun. A good choice for fans of easygoing cosy mysteries, and I’ll be looking for the sequel as this appears to be the first in a new series. My thanks to Minotaur Books for the advance reading copy provided digitally through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203578860

I was drawn to this because of the gardening theme which is unusual in the cozy mysteries I have read. There were interesting characters, a small town setting, and a mystery with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. This was a good debut novel and I hope it is the start of a series.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I enjoyed The Gardener's Plot as it is a little different from other cozy mysteries I have read and I especially liked the gardening aspect. Maggie is back living in her grandmother's home in the Berkshires after the death of her husband in Boston. She is a master gardener and loves working in her yard and working as the assistant director of a local garden where people can plant their own little garden plot as they wish. Thinking life would be slower and simpler in her small hometown was a mistake. Life is typical small-town life sprinkled with spending time with her best friend Sally and her family and seeing other old acquaintances, some great but some not. But then two murders, an annoying cousin, missing friend, and being a person of interest can put a damper on things. Things get a little tense when Maggie and Sally do their own investigating. I hope this will be the start of a new series.
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts.

I finished this ARC for The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit and I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. It features Maggie, our FMC, who has gone through a rought patch and moved 'home' to Marlowe. Her grandmother died recently and Maggie bought her home from the estate. Maggie is a writer and a gardener and the town is about to open a community garden. Maggie volunteers to help and she is working with Violet Bloom on the project. On the morning the garden is supposed to open so everyone can begin gardening, Violet leaves a note for Maggie on her porch that she is running late. So, Maggie opens the community garden, and they find a body. And, Violet is missing. I really like the character of Maggie, for purposes of this story, and any future stories, it is convenient that Maggie hates her cell phone and does not typically bring it with her. Maggie has a great best friend who lives next door with her hubby and young kids. And, the built-in mean girl from high school who is now married to the police chief and the high school boyfriend of Maggie. There is even a hint, the barest whisper, of a possible romance for Maggie, but it is very faint. I enjoyed this read and give it 3.75 stars. If there is another book featuring Maggie, I will read it. Thank you to #netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my advance reader copy. This book comes out tomorrow, November 5th!

The Gardener’s Plot was a mystery about a woman who inherited her grandma’s house, got involved in the community garden and found herself mixed up in a murder investigation. This book was just fun. It was highly entertaining watching the main character, a strong female lead, and her best friend take on their own investigation while also trying to keep their own names clear. It was suspenseful with so many red herrings and just had that cozy mystery, small town vibe.

The Gardener's Plot may be crippled somewhat by a few tired cozy mystery cliches (the high school enemy, the hunky detective, the cheating ex-husband, and an amateur sleuth who thinks she's ten feet tall and bulletproof). Still, I'm smart enough to realize that what may make my eyes roll back in my head can be exactly what other readers are looking for.

Although I did start this review with a grumble, Benoit's book is an enjoyable read. I like Maggie Walker's attachment to her friends, her persistence, and her love of gardening. There's also a good, solid cast of locals who should provide plenty of fodder for future stories. There may be plenty of formula in The Gardener's Plot, but it's a good formula that should make for a long, healthy growing season.

The horticulture references in The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit went over my head, but the book didn’t really dig that deep into garden jargon, so brown thumbs are welcome. Maggie Walker is back in her hometown after the death of her estranged husband, where some things have changed, but small-town gossip and high school grudges are still going strong. She runs into Catherine, a high school bully who never got past being a mean girl (I don’t know how Maggie refrained from calling her Cathy, Katie, or Cat every time she saw her just to get under her skin), greedy developers, an entitled cousin, assorted power struggles and of course, a murderer. Fortunately her buddy, Sally still lives next door – now with a family – and she is only too eager to act as her sidekick.

On the day Maggie shows up to open the community garden with her friend, Violet Bloom (Really?), there is a body in the garden and Violet is missing. If murder was the only crime, Maggie probably would have left it to the professionals, but nobody knew where Violet was and few seemed very concerned other than Violet’s husband and Maggie. This was despite Violet missing several commitments which was very much out of character.

One thing The Gardener’s Plot did very successfully is maintain an ongoing sense of menace. I was much more worried about Maggie’s welfare than she was. It seemed like there was no limit to the threats facing her. I was worried she would be assaulted or killed, framed for murder, lose her house through lawsuit or fire, arrested or kidnapped, or lose friendships or respect from lies and misunderstanding.

The ending was surprising to me, but not a “no fair” kind of surprise. I had several suspects in mind, but this was not one of them.

This book is Benoit’s debut as a mystery writer. I’m hoping A Gardener’s Plot is the first in a series; the author has set the stage for that to be the case. Fans of cozies will enjoy this one.

I received this Advanced Reader Copy of The Gardener's Plot from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit is a delightful mystery, full of small-town atmosphere, including a sense of community, but also some negatives like vicious gossip and social power plays and perfect for those who love gardening and cozy mysteries.

Maggie Walker moved back to her hometown of Marlowe, where she volunteers to help Violet Bloom set up a community garden. When opening day arrives, Violet doesn’t show up and one of the gardeners complains about a boot in his plot. When Maggie pulls on the boot, it turns out that a body is attached to it. The police keep asking questions about Violet while Maggie doesn’t believe her friend is the killer; which means she needs to do some sleuthing to prove it.

This is an entertaining, well-written, murder mystery novel. It has a likable, intelligent, strong and capable female protagonist, small town drama, supportive friends, a loyal canine, murder, mystery, intrigue, the beauty of gardening, and a satisfying conclusion. I am looking forward to reading more mystery novels featuring Maggie Walker.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#TheGardenersPlot #NetGalley #StMartinsPress

Good start to a new series. I liked that, despite the murder, the story continued to focus on gardening rather than losing the theme in the investigation as some often do. It took me awhile to warm to Maggie but she grew on me and I was intrigued by the myriad of tasks she had to keep up with, especially her various fights for her property from developers and family alike. There was quite a bit of repetition in the book but hopefully that will be smoothed out if this is a series.

Maggie is thrilled to be back in the small town where she spent so much time as a child. She loves gardening and is excited to help Violet get a community garden off the ground. But when opening day arrives, Violet is nowhere to be found – and Maggie finds a body in one of the garden’s plots. Violet’s absence catapults her to the top of the police suspect list, but Maggie is convinced her friend is innocent and sets out to prove it.

This appears to be the author’s first novel, and it was a pleasant surprise. The small town atmosphere is alive and well, with many of the stereotypical residents – the gossip, the town bully, the cliques – but it all worked. I liked Maggie, and I liked the tidbits about gardening and plants.

I wasn’t surprised to learn who the victim was, and there were plenty of suspects to consider. Thanks in part to the red herrings scattered about, I kept changing my mind about who the killer was, but I started to suspect one person more than the others a bit before Maggie and the rest figured it out. I did not work out the motive, but it made sense given the character.

There’s nothing on Goodreads or Amazon to indicate that this is the first book of a series, but I hope it is, as I would love to read more about this town and these people, and maybe pick up more gardening hints too.