A festive fall is in full swing in Goosebush, Massachusetts, but when a snoopy reporter is felled by foul play, it’s up to Lilly and her Garden Squad to spook out a killer . . . Between hosting a haunted house on her lawn, serving on the town’s 400th Anniversary Planning Committee, and prepping for the Fall Festival’s 10k fundraiser, Lilly’s hands are full. She doesn’t have time for prickly … time for prickly newspaper reporter Tyler Crane, who’s been creeping around town, looking for dirt on Goosebush’s most notable families . . . until he’s found dead on the race route moments before the start.
An unfortunate accident? Or did Tyler unearth a secret that someone in Goosebush is willing to kill to keep? By planting nasty rumors and cultivating fear, Tyler sowed a fair share of ill will during his brief time in town. Weeding through the suspects will be thorny, but Lilly and her Garden Squad are determined to root out the autumnal assassin before the Fall Festival flops . . .
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Fall has arrived in Goosebush, Massachusetts, and Lilly Jayne is busy with the two weekend fall festival. Kicking things off is a 10K through town. Lilly and her friends Delia and Roddy are making sure the path is clear before the race starts when the find the body of reporter Tyler Crane partially buried in a pile of leaves. Tyler hasn’t been in town long, but he’s made several people upset as he has dug to uncover family secrets. He was teasing new stories coming soon. Was one of those the reason he was murdered?
I really enjoyed getting to visit these characters again. Lilly leads a large and diverse cast of characters, and they are all charming. They are also distinct, so it is easy to keep them all straight. The book reintroduces us to the characters and town while introducing Tyler and the suspects. The pacing is a bit off early on, but the time is being put to good use as it sets up the mystery. Once Tyler is found dead, we are off with suspects as strong as the main characters and many secrets for Lilly and the others to uncover before we reach the climax. Meanwhile, we get some advancement in storylines introduced in earlier books. I suspect we’ve got some seeds that will bloom in future books here as well. I wish I could garden as well as the characters in this series, but I can dream while I read these fun mysteries.
just adore this series. It is really growing into its own. I just love Lilly and Delia. They make great housemates, friends, and partners in crime. Great murder/mystery plot as well.
I recommend all four books.
A fun Halloween-themed book! Goosebush is having a 10k run/walk and a fall festival complete with a Haunted House in Lilly Jayne’s front yard. In the days leading up to the 10k, a reporter is hounding residents and threatening to go public with possibly scandalous stories. The morning of the 10k, Roddy, Lilly, and Delia find the reporter’s body in a pile of leaves on the path. Following the murder, the reporter’s stories continue to post on social media. Lilly and her Garden Squad friends try to figure out what is going on and whose story might have lead them to kill the reporter. I love this group of friends and their love of gardening. They are a fun group of people and I think it’s so nice how they go around in the night helping to fix up garden areas. I found this story to be intriguing and I look forward to more fun stories about the Garden Squad! Fun series that I highly recommend!
A great entry in the Garden Squad series.
For the most part, this series feels pretty real. The main character, Lilly, is not afraid to say she doesn’t like someone but does try to be kind. Something we all could strive to be better practicing. I enjoy she is a lady of a certain age but shows that age is only a number.
I want you that reading this series will have you looking at your own backyard and thinking of improvements. If I had Lilly’s backyard and three seasons room I’m not sure I would ever leave the area.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Kensington, through NetGalley. Any opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
DIGGING UP THE REMAINS by Julia Henry is the third book in the A Garden Squad Mystery series. It’s the delightful story of Lilly Jayne and the Garden Squad as they prepare for the two-week long festive fall in Goosebush, Massachusetts.
When nosy reporter, Tyler Crane starts ruffling feather while digging up dirt and uncovering secrets for his post, he has more than one local resident irate with him making threatening remarks and making displays of rage towards him. Tyler’s attempts of blackmail even extended to Lilly Jayne.
When during preparation for the 10K event with Lilly Jayne and Delia Greenwood (Lilly’s house companion and great friend despite the age difference), Roddy Lyden (Lilly’s neighbor and friend) found the body of Tyler Crane hidden amongst a pile of leaves. The list of suspects is long and varied. Although Police Chief Bash Haywood was notified immediately and he’s quite capable, Lilly Jayne knows that he would need and greatly appreciate any help she could furnish so she puts out feelers to the Garden Squad to keep their eyes and ears open and to document what they could through photos.
Although there is a murder to solve, time does not stand still and the fall festival events need to continue on its course. With the race behind them, they can concentrate on making the event a success like the contest for the design of the Alden Park, the Halloween Stroll, and the haunted house to be displayed on the front lawn at Windward, Lilly’s home.
They’ve been unable to locate Tyler’s phone, which seems to be preset to post hints to the dirt he’s uncovered. Can they find it before more secrets are revealed hurting the people he held ransom with his blackmailing threats? Were they the reason he was murdered? Can they mark off suspects fast enough as their alibies check out to find the guilty party before more harm is done? Are some secret worth killing over? Or was it just an act of temporary rage?
Julia Henry has managed to not only include the fall season in this delightful cozy mystery putting us in the fall state of mind, but she also makes us fall in love with the characters that live in Goosebush all the more. Who wouldn’t love a neighbor or friend like Lilly Jayne!
DIGGING UP THE REMAINS is a wonderful book that those that love cozy mysteries or just a great book will love any time of the year. It has definitely put me in the frame of mind of great anticipation of all things fall – cooler weather, gorgeous fall colors, costumes, and great friends gathering for fun and parties. Highly recommend this author, this series and this book – all one of the three will give you great enjoyment! I will most definitely be looking forward to book number four in this series and more adventures with Lilly Jayne as well as more books by Julia Henry.
This was a really good story. I really like the characters. I like that Lilly is close to my age.
Goosebush and its residents are getting ready for a two weekend fall festival. Not all of the residents are happy with the changes taking place within the small community. When a reporter/blogger begins stirring up trouble by digging into the secrets of the locals. When the reporter turns up under a pile of leaves dead after hinting at big reveals to come about the most prominent citizens Lily and Delia begins investigating the crime.
This is the third in the Garden Squad series. I love the idea of Guerilla gardening. The garden squad identifies areas around town that could use the addition of plants. They get together and do the clearing and planting in those areas. As of this installment no one has yet to figure out the identity of the undercover gardeners.
The past and present collide as they investigate the identities of bodies found in a mass grave. The identity of those bodies may effect one of the founding families. Perhaps that is why they reporter was murdered. As more gossip comes to light more suspects are found.
I enjoyed the characters as well as the mystery it had several twists and turns. The history and plant identification inserted thru out the story added to the well rounded story. I found the subplot of an all inclusive historical archive very relative to the issues of the day. The writing style was fresh and witty.
I recommend this book. I enjoyed it so much I am going to get the first two in the series from the library,
I have really liked these books – the first one was a real surprise and I have been really excited to dive into each one that has come out since. I really like Lilly and Deliah and Roddy and their crew of friends [I am particularly fond of Ernie – what a lovely character] and all the escapades that they all get up to along with solving murders. I love The Star [EVERY town should have a place like this; I know I’d barely live at home if we had one where I live] and how welcoming it is to everyone [even creeps like Tyler Crane] and how its the hub of the town. And I love all the gardening stuff as I am unfortunately, cursed with a black thumb, but I love plants and flowers and gardens, so this is the best of all the worlds.
That said…this book really kind of fell flat for me. I felt that a lot of it just wasn’t fleshed out enough and we are left hanging with much of the story. I would have liked a little more backstory of some of the characters, a little more fleshing out of the story and a much better reveal [like, WHY WHY WHY this person was really the murderer – it was very anticlimactic in my opinion]. I felt like there was just too much going on and not enough time and pages to try and flesh them out to make a full story. Which was really disappointing as this was one book I was truly looking forward to. I was very happy to spend time with all of them, but even Lilly felt flat in this one and while I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it either. It will not stop me from reading more of course; I am way to invested in these characters now to just give up after one tepid story, but I do hope that the next one is back on track with the first two.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It’s Fall in Goosebush, Massachusetts, my favorite time of the year. The air is getting crisp and the colors are ablaze in red, yellow and orange. The perfect time for Goosebush to celebrate its Fall Festival complete with loads of Halloween decorations, a haunted house and a 10K run through town. Too bad it also includes murder. Lilly and her Garden Squad are very busy getting things shipshape for the holiday fun and that includes making sure the route of the 10K is safe. Along the way they uncover the corpse of a much disliked reporter buried in a pile of leaves. Due to his nosy nature for trying to dig up dirt on the local families, he had made it known that there were more secrets to be revealed and somebody wanted to put a stop to that. The suspect list isn’t a short one but Lilly and her fellow gardeners are up to the task of tracking down the killer.
I come from a long line of master gardeners but, alas, the gene skipped me, giving me a very brown thumb. This series lets me hang out with a great group of gardeners, people I would love to have for friends and neighbors. The puzzle has depth and had me guessing wrong, the characters are well developed and the ending satisfying. It also works fine as a stand alone.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
This was the first title I read in this series, and I didn’t feel like I was lost, but I do want to start from the beginning because the characters, writing, and story arc are very well done. Super busy Lilly has no time for Tyler Crane and all his innuendos and attempted bribes. The “reporter” seems to be turning up every stone he can to find the things the residents of Goosebush have either hidden or forgot about. When his body is discovered in a pile of leaves that are being moved just before the start of the race, Lilly and the rest of the Garden Squad set to work to figure out who the killer was…
This isn’t the first time that Lilly has solved a crime in the town of Goosebush and by now even the police are asking her to keep her ears open for any news. Tyler’s been going around the small town of Goosebrush, blackmailing residents into telling him stories about other residents, so there’s really a large number of people who would want him dead. He attempted to speak to Lilly and threatened to post about her garden and the secret it holds. There’s a long line of suspects, but very little in the way of actual evidence though. Will Lilly and the rest of the Garden Squad really be able to figure out who was behind the murder?
I thoroughly loved the story and the characters. Even minor characters are fully fleshed out and are not flat. I like Lilly as the protagonist, but I loved Delia and her thirst for knowledge. I was surprised by the killer, figuring it out just before he was actually revealed. The writing is great, the characters are wonderful, and the town is just too cute. I wish I could actually visit!
**I was given an ARC of this story from the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.
I love this group of friends, starting with Lilly and Delia. This is an awesome group who look out for each other and always have each other’s backs. I felt like I was one of this group as I was reading the story. I could feel their pain and joy. This is an interesting group of folks, with different backgrounds and challenges in life. I think you will enjoy getting to know them. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
Julia Henry has written yet another great cozy mystery in the Garden Squad series! Digging Up the Remains (the third book) is set at Halloween, and when unscrupulous reporter Tyler Crane is found dead smack dab in the middle of the Fall Festival there are suspects aplenty. Did he provoke the wrong person? Uncover a secret he shouldn’t have? Lilly and her fellow squad members are in a rush to discover whodunit before anyone else is harmed! A+++
Digging Up The Remains by Julia Henry is a Garden Squad mystery and is full of real people. The heroine/protagonist is a 65 year-old woman who thinks things that many of us think about those around us but is too well brought up to say aloud. She is extremely entertaining. There’s been a reporter hanging around lately but he isn’t looking for news, he wants gossip. It is his aim, apparently, to blackmail people into revealing secrets that are juicier than the ones he already has. Everyone is on edge because everyone has secrets. To make it worse, he teases using social media, unpleasant gifs and such. It has become quite the headache. Then, he turns up dead. But he keeps posting. Dreadful business and right in the middle of the Fall Festival.
Digging Up The Remains is a totally character-driven cozy mystery. Everyone has a story and a personality. Some are permanent fixtures in the series; some are not. All the characters are totally relatable and reminiscent of someone the reader knows. This makes it a totally endearing read. Added to that is the genealogy and curiosity for things in the past. The problems from the past don’t always have a solution, or at least it hasn’t been uncovered yet, but it makes for a more fun story. This subplot involves descendants of John Howland of the Mayflower and for a good portion of the book is the driving force for one of the many characters. Lots of gardening and garden club stuff as well, which makes for wonderful pictures in the reader’s head. Lots of people help solve this crime, but solve it they do and go on to enjoy Halloween, before delving into winter. It was an enjoyable read. I recommend it.
I was invited to read a free ARC of Digging Up The Remains by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #digginguptheremains
This book is set in the small town of Goosebush, MA where a small group of known as the Garden Squad secretly improves the appearance of the town. This book deals more with the group working on a Halloween town festival which goes over several weeks. Of course, there is a murder to be solved, but there’s so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and their interactions. The town is interesting with lots of possibilities. This is my first read in this series but it won’t be my last.
Digging Up The Remains is the third book in the A Garden Squad Mystery series.
Halloween is coming up in a few days, and Lilly and Delia are busy planning a haunted house at Lilly’s home and putting the finishing touches for the Fall Festival’s 10k fundraiser.
Lilly and Delia head out about an hour before the 10k begins to make sure the course is free of leaves. They come upon an area the needs raking and sweeping. As they are finishing up, they find the body of Tyler Crane. Tyler had been an up and coming journalist but had recently started a blog where he would dig up dirt on prominent people and post these to the blog he uses. Tyler had claimed five residents of Goosebush to have their “secrets” exposed, one of those is Lilly. She’s not overly concerned that it would be told, just wishes that it not be made public. Lilly and Delia set out, along with the help of the Garden Squad, to find the killer and to stop any more postings. Soon, the police will be asking Delia to help dig into how posts are still be made with Tyler dead.
The book is well-written and plotted. The characters are well-developed and very believable. I particularly like Lilly and Delia. Despite the age difference, they work very well together. The Garden Squad members are engaging in that they each different areas of expertise and are so eager to help each other.
The book also contains helpful gardening tips.
I’m eagerly awaiting the next book in this informative series.
This is a fun cozy mystery that can be enjoyed as a stand-alone or part of the series. I missed the second book in the series; I had no issues picking up this one. I love Halloween themed cozies, so I was excited to read this one. Roommates, Lilly and Delia, are the perfect duo to host a Halloween event. The setting of the historical small town is charming; the author paints a beautiful picture with her description. The mystery is engaging with the twists and turns and well place misdirections. I look forward to more in this series.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way, I have been influenced by anyone.
small-town, senior-citizens, murder, journalist, extortion, friendship
The paparazzo is one really bad dude who will do anything, including blackmail to get what he wants. No surprise then when his almost warm body is found under a mess of leaves near the path of the town’s 10K race signaling the beginning of the Fall Festival. The Garden Squad is a group of friends who have lived in the area and have known each other for enough decades that many are retired.
I think that this is one of those series books where the reader really needs to have read prior installments. It really doesn’t stand alone well. Still, it’s a good fun read full of twists and red herrings, and some really delightful characters, and I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!