The Garden Plot

Potting Shed Mysteries, Book 1

By: Marty Wingate

Narrated by: Erin Bennett

Pru Parke always dreamed of living in England. And after the Dallas native follows an impulse and moves to London, she can't imagine ever leaving - though she has yet to find a plum position as a head gardener. Now, as the sublet on her flat nears its end, the threat of forced departure looms.

Determined to stay in her beloved adopted country, Pru takes small, private gardening jobs throughout the city. On one such gig in Chelsea, she makes an extraordinary find. Digging in the soil of a potting shed, Pru uncovers an ancient Roman mosaic. But enthusiasm over her discovery is soon dampens when, two days later, she finds in the same spot a man's bludgeoned corpse.

As the London police swarm her work site, ever inquisitive Pru can't quite manage to distance herself from the investigation - much to the dismay of stern Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse. It seems that, much as he tries, even handsome DCI Pearse can't keep Pru safe from a brutal killer who thinks she's already dug up too much.

©2014 Martha Wingate (P)2016 Tantor

Couldn't finish this book

Was The Garden Plot worth the listening time?

No, i got bored and couldn't finish it.

Any additional comments?

I with I could have enjoyed it ,but sadly I didn't

Murder and Archeology in a Garden

Pru has been in England for almost a year in which she has been looking for work as a gardener in The Garden Plot by Marty Wingate. Turned down by everyone to whom she applies, Pru is on the verge of returning to Texas when she gets a small local job cleaning up the garden of the Wilsons. After a day of dealing with vines, Pru gets into the garden shed, only to do some digging within the shed and find hints that a mosaic of a Roman horse might be buried there. This really excites Mr. Wilson, an amateur and highly enthusiastic archeologist, who is so thrilled to find ruins in his own backyard. But then the next day Pru goes back to the shed, only to stumble across the body of one of Mr. Wilson's archeological friends.

Pru gets involved in the case, connecting with the Detective Chief Inspector in the case, Christopher Pearse, and becoming romantically involved with him. Noticing that Christopher seems to suspect the Wilsons of the murder, Pru determines to investigate on her own to clear the names of two of her only friends in London.

This book was a fun, light cozy mystery. I needed such a book after reading the more intense The Circular Staircase. The Garden Plot has a fun premise of the combination of gardening and archeology. I really liked getting to learn about the Roman history in England and about some archeological practices. The characters of Pru, Christopher, and the Wilsons are reasonably well defined, though not drawn in too much depth. We do find ourselves cheering for Pru to succeed in both her career and her life.

Erin Bennett performs the audio edition of this book. She does a delightful job of making the book lively and enjoyable. She creates believable voices for the different characters and enhances the reading experience.

I enjoyed listening to The Garden Plot. The story was fun, and we find ourselves invested in the characters and especially the love affair of Pru and Christopher, as Pru nears having to lose what she has just gained because of a lack of success in finding employment in England. I give this book four stars.

Wonderful Cozy Mystery

Loved this start to finish!! Can't wait to pick up the next book in the series. I don't normally write reviews, but this book is so charming, I just had to write one. I love that the main character is older - not in her 20's- but still vulnerable. I love the English setting. I loved the mystery - easy to follow along, but not obvious (at least until the end). And I loved the romance - lots of chemistry and a slow burn, but nothing graphic.
If you are on the fence about this book, I would tell you that it is definitely worth a purchase!

The main character was very unrealistic

It seemed implausible that the main character could be as astute with so many facts and details while simultaneously so obvious about her own safety and the fact that there were people in her basement, a woman stalking her, and her involvement in a murder investigation.

Slow at start but stick to it it will pick up!

A little slow at the beginning but worth waiting for once it picked up steam! Narration was excellent all the way through, making the story come to life.