Post-retirement aches and pains can’t prevent sixty-five-year-old Lilly Jayne from keeping the most manicured garden in Goosebush, Massachusetts. But as a murder mystery blooms in the sleepy New England town, can a green thumb weed out a killer? With hundreds flocking to her inaugural garden party, meticulous Lilly Jayne hasn’t left a single petal out of place. But the picture-perfect gathering … picture-perfect gathering turns unruly upon the arrival of Merilee Frank, Lily’s ex-husband’s catty third wife. Merilee lives for trouble, so no one is surprised after she drinks too much, shoves a guest into the koi pond, and gets escorted off the property. The real surprise comes days later—when Merilee is found dead in a pile of mulch . . .
Lilly wishes she could stick to pruning roses and forget about Merilee’s murder—until her best friend and ex become suspects in an overgrown homicide case. Now, aided by the Garden Squad, an unlikely group of amateur crime solvers with a knack for planting, Lilly knows she has limited time to identify the true culprit and restore order to Goosebush. Because if the murderer’s plot isn’t nipped in the bud, another victim could be pushing up daisies!
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Julia Henry’s Garden Squad Mysteries debut digs deep into the lives of an older woman and her friends in a small coastal Massachusetts town. Lily and gang solve a murder and cultivate civic beautification – but only under cover of darkness. Henry plants the seeds for a fast-growing series. Take the book to your garden or a public park and enjoy a perfect summer read.
A nice debut featuring a protagonist and a secondary cast of older characters. Several neighbors band together to form The Garden Squad which secretly does good gardening, etc., deeds around town. I felt the plot was more character driven than focused on the murder mystery, however the story was certainly interesting enough to hold my attention. I’m looking forward to the next book!
Pruning the Dead is the debut novel in A Garden Squad Mystery series. I appreciated that the author took the time to establish the main character and her sidekicks who compose the Garden Squad. I like the town and most of the residents (there are always a few bad eggs). Lilly comes across as a do-gooder (I am surprised there is not a golden halo shining over her head). Goosebush is a small town that needs a little TLC. Lilly has not been paying attention the last four years as she dealt with her husband’s illness and then grieving for her lost mate. Now, she is aware that things have not been kept up around town and she has plans to rectify it. Unfortunately, Pat French, the town clerk, has numerous rules in place to prevent the simplest task (like pulling weeds and installing plants around the flagpole). Pruning the Dead is nicely written with steady pacing which makes for an easy to read book. The mystery was very straightforward. It is easy to distinguish who would die and who did the deed before the crime had been committed. The why was equally obvious (insert disappointed sigh here). There was repetition of case details as the Lilly and the Garden Squad got together to discuss the case. Also, that Lilly creates order out of chaos was frequently mentioned along with Delia’s researching skills. The friends like to get together to socialize, eat good food, and discuss gardening. The gardening details are not lacking in Pruning the Dead. There are gardening tips at the end of the book. The story could have used more action (less gardening, talking and eating). The pace slowed down when I was a quarter of the way through and did not pick back up until the end. There is a hint that romance may blossom between Lilly and her new neighbor, Roderick Lyden as Lilly rejoins the living and becomes immersed in town matters. I am giving Pruning the Dead 3 out of 5 stars. Pruning the Dead is a good start to A Garden Squad Mystery series. I will be reading Tilling the Truth when it releases later this summer.
Lilly Jayne is opening up her garden for a garden party for the first time in years, a first step toward getting back into life in Goosebush, Massachusetts, after the death of her husband. Unfortunately, getting back into life in Goosebush includes dealing with her first husband’s current wife. Merilee Frank goes looking for trouble and does a very good job of stirring it up. She makes several scenes at the party, but the real shock comes a few days later when Merilee turns up dead. With the police looking at several people Lilly is certain are innocent, she begins to investigate with the help of her best friends. But can they figure out what really happened?
This is the start of a new series, but I can already tell you I love these characters. Lilly and her “squad” are well drawn, and how much they obviously care for each other made me care for them. I do feel the book could have been a little tighter, especially at the beginning, but it never wandered for too long, and a strong gardening sub-plot helped keep me engaged. I did feel the third person narration head hopped a bit, a personal pet peeve, but that was a minor complaint. I love the setting, a coastal small town. This is exactly the kind of place I’d love to visit if I could. The mystery itself was enjoyable with several strong suspects. I began to suspect where things were going as we got close to the end, but I didn’t have everything figured out until Lilly pieced things together for us.
I enjoyed reading this book very much!!
I loved the characters. Especially Lily!
It’s everything you want in a Cozy Mystery!!!!! Very good!!!!!
THIS was an excellent book – a very good mystery within the genre of the cozy mystery. I had never heard of this writer and I was reluctant to start a new series, but there was just something about the description that drew me in and man am I glad that I took that chance; I enjoyed every second of this book. The main character Lilly and her companion Delia are just so delightful and I love how their minds work and how well they work together, in spite of their age difference. I appreciated how the author dealt with Lilly and how she grieved [and was still grieving] the loss of her beloved husband Alan and how the grief process includes often shutting ourselves off from the world, which had happened to Lilly and she was oblivious was happening in her beloved town and it wasn’t until some things about the town were brought to her attention did she realize she needed to start living. As someone who has dealt and lived with the grief process, this part of the story felt very real to me and I am grateful that the author didn’t try to gloss over it or make it a trite thing; it made the book seem more real and believable to the reader.
The whole book in itself was very real and believable; as someone who lives in a small town [full of many of the kinds of people in this book], so much of this book and what happened – the murder, the “garden squad”, the comradeship – all of those are very real in a small town, along with the gossip, the nasty rumors and all the bad that also comes with a small town. It made me feel like I was just visiting another small town like mine and that made the book even more fun to read. The characters are real and fun and believable. And the mystery was excellent; I had no idea and that always makes it awesome!!
I truly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read the next one!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely love this series! I love the characters are mostly all older, Lilly Jane being post retirement. The characters are fun, funny, interact well, very enjoyable. I can easily relate to to them. Yes I do recommend this book and will be reading more in this series!!
The mystery is a little light and details are repeated, but what I disliked the most was the too perfect main character. Everything Lilly (or her deceased family members) does is perfect. One character finally mentions a “flaw” that Lilly is shy so she sometimes seems stand offish which is not really shown which makes sense since everyone who pops up in the book is well known to her. Everything Lilly had worked on was golden and people come to her to “fix” everything. Her business acumen is mentioned several times. Business acumen??? How did she acquire this? What did she do for work? We get little about her life outside of Goosebush and it was minimal details about her traveling with her husband.
When so much page space focuses on a main character, they have to be likable/engaging. Her perfectness didn’t irk me too badly so I give the book an OK rating, will try the second book to see if it’s toned down a bit.
I spontaneously picked this book up at my library while trolling the New Books shelf. I had previously requested and received a copy from Netgalley which I had forgotten about
Pruning the Dead is the first book in the Garden Squad Mystery series and it has become a top favorite of mine! This is the first cozy I have come across in a long time that felt more serious. I also think I learned quite a bit about gardening (my green thumb is horrible), so I may use some of the advise given at the end of the book and try my hand at it again. That being said, I really loved this book! Julia Henry not only brings her characters to life but she makes them feel relatable. Even though I am a good 30 years younger than the heroine in this one I still felt a strong kinship towards her. This right here is GOOD writing on the authors part!
Lilly Jayne is the MC of Pruning the Dead. She is a 65 year old EX recluse and enjoys tending to her gorgeous gardens and helping out the people in Goosebush who need it. However, she gets much more than she bargained for when her ex husbands wife is found dead at a community park. Lilly Jayne of course does what any other sleuth would do and sets out to solve the murder even though she didn’t care for Merilee in the slightest. Not only that, Lilly Jayne and her posse (the garden squad) begin to uncover some things going on with the town finances. Do the two go together? Or are they separate misdeeds? You’ll have to read to find out!
Pruning the Dead is the PERFECT start to a brand new cozy mystery series and I am excited to dive into the next book which releases at the end of August. I recommend this one to those who enjoy cozy mysteries and those who love gardening!
Lilly Jayne is hosting a garden party. It is a coming out party of sorts, as Lilly is thrusting herself back into society after the loss of her dear husband two years before. While a hundred guests have been invited it is the uninvited attendees that create a spectacle. Lilly’s first husband and his third wife show up, drink too much, and need to be escorted from the property after Merilee shoves a guest into the koi pond. It’s not a shock to many, when only a few days later, Meriee is found dead.
Lilly has little more than a passing interest in the murder until Peter, her first husband, is arrested for the crime. Along with her close friends, Lilly works to prove Peter’s innocence.
After the first two or three chapters I was engaged in the story. Throughout the book there are a lot of details about the town which help the reader picture the setting well. Goosebush sounds like a lovely seaside town, although the local laws seem a bit more like subdivision covenants. The characters are well developed and realistic. Once I engaged in the story the plot moved at a steady pace. I enjoyed this book and plan to read the next in the series. I recommend this book.
I had no idea until close to the end who committed the crime.
while I did enjoy the book, I felt that it was way too informative about Lilly and her family. Those parts kind of meandered quite a bit and in my opinion added not that much to the story. But I began to suspect who the killer was around the middle of the book if not before. So glad that they got the murderer.
It’s a quirky little town that would be fun to live in if it didn’t have those rules and regulations. I would read this one first (the start of the series) because it sets out who all of the people are and how they interact with one another.
I enjoyed the characters most. It’s a cozy. Easy reading. Little violence. A murder mystery but a mild one. I’m sure it’s the first of a series. It’s a feel good book. It could use some attention from a good proof reader.
The characters in this book make it impossible to put down. They become your friends within a sentence, and you can’t bear to part from them. They are diverse, witty, human, loving, sometimes cranky, always loyal and loving, and extremely intelligent. I wish the next five books were available to read immediately! I can’t get enough.
Cannot wait for the next book in the series!
Author Julia Henry aka J. A. Hennrikus aka Julianne Holmes, sure knows how to pen a tale no matter what name she uses. If this first book in the Garden Squad Mysteries is any indication of what the rest of the series will be like, I need to clear my shelves for the next installments!
One of the things about PRUNING THE DEAD that will stand out to many readers is the protagonist, Lily Jayne and her cohorts are older than most series leads and besties. While I enjoy the thirty somethings starring in most cozies (They make me feel young), I enjoyed spending time with a more mature group of characters.
The writing in PRUNING THE DEAD is first rate. The further into the story I read, the harder it was to tare myself away. I was so involved in this book, I didn’t know how late it had become until I realized I could no long see the pages. Not only was it a spectacular mystery with more twists and turns than ivy vines, it was an entertaining story from cover to cover.
And don’t miss the gardening tips at the end. I learned so many new things, I just may be able to keep plants alive now!
Lilly Jane has not socialized much since her husband passed so when she decides to host her garden party again it seems like the whole town is in attendance. This party and the up and coming clean up of the park in town has sparked her decision to get involved again in the community’s issues. On the day of the park’s clean up the body of a woman is found in the shed that was set up to store the equipment they were using. Lilly Jane and her group of friends can’t help but get involved with the investigation to help solve the murder before the town’s reputation can be damaged.
This is a great start to a new series by Julia Henry. The plot is well written and has just the right pace with several twists and turns to keep the reader guessing whodunit. The characters are fun, unique and very likable. The setting of a small town makes you feel like you are apart of their group of friends and you are there solving the crime right along with Lilly Jane and the Garden Squad. I look forward to the next book in the series.
I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.
A delightful new series set in a small, charming town on the Massachusetts coast. Lilly Jayne has been living in her own little world for the past two years ever since her husband passed away. After her ex-husband and his current wife cause a stir at her garden party, she decides to get out again. When she and her friends gather to clean up the local park, her ex’s wife is found murdered and her ex is the prime suspect. With the help of her group of friends, Lilly investigates to find out the truth. Along the way, she and her friends secretly start cleaning up the town’s gardens and helping others. I look forward to reading more of this series!
I had the pleasure of reading this lovely book, the first in Julia Henry’s new Garden Squad series, on a very cold January afternoon. In Pruning the Dead, the reader is introduced to Lilly Jayne – widow, master gardener, benefactress – and the town of Goosebush, Massachusetts. When Lilly’s first husband’s third wife (yep!!!) is found brutally stabbed during the cleanup of the town’s park, Lilly and her merry Garden Squad work together to find the murderer, all while secretly, and under the cloak of darkness, performing good deeds for town residents who are in need. The mystery kept me guessing, and I am certainly looking forward to a return to Goosebush! 5 stars!!!
Pruning The Dead is the first book in the A Garden Squad Mystery series.
This is a wonderful new series and I see where it will become one of my favorite series. The story takes place in the quaint village of Goosebush. The main character, Lilly Jayne’s family was one of the first residents and help settle the little town and were instrumental in making it grow over the years.
Lilly had always been active in the community until her husband passed away a few years ago and has become somewhat of a recluse Since then she has devoted almost all her time to her garden which has residents in envy. Tamara, Lily’s friend since childhood and Delia, Lily’s late husband’s research assistant who has moved into Lily’s house and helps take care of the house, are able to finally get Lily to come out of her shell and host a garden party as she had in the past. As people are arriving for the party Lily finds that her ex-husband, Pete Frank, and his third wife, Marilee, are in attendance. After too many visits to the punch bowl, Marilee has an argument with Tamara is asked to leave.
The next day Lily goes into town and notices how overgrown Alden Park and the Memorial flagpole has become and enlists the help of Tamara, Delia and Ernie Johnson, owner of Bits, Bolts, and Bulbs. As the group, The Garden Squad as they have named themselves begins their workday the body of Merilee in a shed located in the park. Merilee is not well liked in Goosebush so there ends up being a long list of suspects as to who the murderer might be.
Soon Pete Frank becomes the prime suspect. Lily doesn’t feel that he is the murderer, so with the help of former police chief, Ray Mancini and her friends set out to help the inexperienced police chief, Bash Heywood to find the killer.
I felt this was a wonderfully plotted and told story with a wonderful cast of characters. I feel that I would love living in Goosebush with its enjoyable residents.
I’m looking forward to reading more books in this new series. I’m looking forward to learning more about the wonderful residents and the community. I’m especially interested in seeing if Lily and her neighbor, Roderick Lyden will become a couple in the future.
Gardening tips are also included with the book.