I found thus plot had twists and turns, captivating with murder and a glass house
Filled with tropical flowers, and six ancient stones, then murder happened.
It captured my attention to the last page.
I recommend this book and all the author has written.
Thanks to Net Galley and Joffe for my arc.

I am afraid this was not my cup of tea. Far too much history and not enough mystery. A lot of characters to get your head around. I love police procedurals but I skimmed read. about the druids which was more than half the book. It had just enough suspense to keep me reading until the end.

Book Review 📚
Title: Crime in the Garden
Author: Catherine Moloney

One house with a sinister past. What is going on in that house? Tony is the current owner and when he turns up dead, Detective Markham needs to find the killer. Will he find the killer before they struck again??

I thought this book was alright. I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would but detective books can be a hit or miss for me. I haven’t read the other books in the series. Maybe I would feel differently if I had read the others.


Thank you NetGalley, Catherine Moloney and Joffe Books for the eARC!!

Publication Date: August 26th 2025
Rating: ✨✨✨

#CrimeintheGarden #NetGalley

Worthy Addition..
The twenty third outing in the Detective Markham Mystery series finds Markham investigating a most unusual killing. He soon discovers links to the past and Markham does not believe in coincidence- particularly of the nature he unearths. Another expertly penned murder mystery with an enigmatic protagonist, a pacy narrative and a well executed plot populated with a nicely drawn and credible cast of characters. A worthy addition to this long running and most enjoyable series.

In Crime in the Garden, readers are invited into a richly layered narrative that is as atmospheric as it is intellectually satisfying. With a deft hand and reverence for the genre’s traditions, the unnamed author crafts a compelling and cerebral installment in the British cozy mystery canon—one that reaffirms the genre’s enduring literary vitality while offering something refreshingly contemporary.

The setting of the novel—a secluded Victorian-era glasshouse known as Hollingrove Palm House—functions not merely as backdrop but as an active participant in the unfolding mystery. Steeped in local legend and drenched in botanical eeriness, the Palm House is rendered with vivid, almost gothic detail. Its six ancient stones—folkloric artifacts embedded in its floor—serve as the fulcrum around which both the narrative and the reader’s unease pivot. The juxtaposition of tropical lushness with spectral violence evokes a feeling of disquiet reminiscent of Susan Hill or even early P.D. James.

The narrative centers on the brutal slaying of Tony Pardoe, a nouveau-riche tycoon whose hubris is symbolically and literally crushed amidst the very stones he dismissed. From this inciting act, the novel unfurls with measured elegance. Enter Detective Markham—a cerebral, emotionally complex investigator grappling with ghosts of his own. Markham is no mere plot device; he is etched with psychological nuance, his deductive brilliance tempered by private anguish. In many ways, he inherits the mantle of the Golden Age detective, yet with a modern sensibility: wounded, contemplative, and astute.

What distinguishes this novel as a brilliant addition to the genre is its structural sophistication. The narrative echoes with the unsolved death of Mary Priddy, a child whose fatal fall decades earlier occurred in the same location. The temporal layering—past and present deaths mirroring one another—calls to mind the intricacies of a Ruth Rendell or a Robert Barnard plot. As Markham and his team navigate this maze of generational secrets and entangled motives, the author subtly interrogates the British obsession with place, class, and inherited trauma.

Stylistically, the prose is elevated yet accessible, eschewing the saccharine tone often associated with lighter mysteries in favor of something more tonally refined. The dialogue is crisp, the pacing deliberate, and the misdirection masterful. While the novel embraces traditional tropes—the closed circle of suspects, the stately home turned crime scene—it does so with a knowing self-awareness, updating rather than parodying its literary forebears.

Moreover, the novel distinguishes itself through its refusal to shy away from moral ambiguity. There are no cardboard villains here; even the killer, once revealed, is granted a depth that evokes a reluctant empathy. This ethical complexity invites readers to reflect not only on justice but on the societal conditions—greed, neglect, ambition—that cultivate such violence.

Crime in the Garden is, in short, a tour de force of contemporary cozy crime fiction. It honors the conventions of the genre while transcending them, offering readers an intelligent, elegantly plotted mystery that lingers well beyond the final chapter. In placing folklore alongside forensic analysis, and emotional truth beside empirical deduction, the novel secures its place among the most distinguished entries in the British mystery tradition.

Two brutal murders. One glass house with a sinister past. And a ruthless killer who’s ready to throw the first stone . . . Great read!! This book had chilling suspense, brutal murders, mystery, intrigue, action, and a few shocking twists! The storyline was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and Joffe books (my fave!) for sharing this book with me!

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
This was my first DI Markham book and I found it mildly enjoyable. There was a lot of history, I liked that and ended up using Google a lot to delve deeper.. The mystery itself wasn't as interesting and Markham's love life a tad confusing. Maybe if I had read some of the previous books I would have enjoyed this one more?

DI Markham is called to the scene of a suspicious death at Hollingrove Palm House where the owner, Tony, is found dead. Tony clashed with some of the more traditional volunteers who were interested in history, mainly the connection with both King Richard and the druids. There’s a lot of history included in this novel which at times seems a bit much. There are also a lot of characters to keep track of. Markham and his assistant Noakes (who is retired and is consulting on the case) are a great team, but I found the romance angle (is Olivia the woman for him? What about Kate? Maybe Eleanor?) tiresome. Three and a half stars.

Avaliação – Livro de Crime

Nota: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

O livro apresenta uma trama envolvente e bem estruturada, com reviravoltas que prendem o leitor do início ao fim. A ambientação é sombria e realista, o que contribui para o clima de tensão constante. Os personagens são complexos, especialmente o protagonista, cujo passado sombrio vai se revelando aos poucos.

O autor soube dosar bem os elementos de mistério e ação, mantendo o ritmo acelerado sem perder a profundidade psicológica dos personagens. A investigação é instigante, com pistas bem colocadas e um desfecho surpreendente, embora um pouco apressado nos capítulos finais.

Recomendo para quem gosta de thrillers policiais, histórias de detetive e crimes com motivações psicológicas.