USA TODAY BESTSELLER • In an entirely appealing mystery debut, Marty Wingate introduces readers to a curious Texas ex-pat whose English gardening expertise on occasion leads her to unearth murderous goings-on. 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 … 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 dampened when, two days later, she finds in the same spot a man’s bludgeoned corpse. As the London police swarm her worksite, 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.
Marty Wingate’s captivating mysteries can be enjoyed together or separately, in any order:
The Potting Shed series: THE GARDEN PLOT | THE RED BOOK OF PRIMROSE HOUSE | BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE | THE SKELETON GARDEN | THE BLUEBONNET BETRAYAL | BEST-LAID PLANTS
The Birds of a Feather series: THE RHYME OF THE MAGPIE | EMPTY NEST | EVERY TRICK IN THE ROOK | FAREWELL, MY CUCKOO
Praise for The Garden Plot
“Marty Wingate plants clever clues with a dash of romantic spice to satisfy any hungry mystery reader.”—Mary Daheim, bestselling author of The Alpine Yeoman
“Classy, clever and utterly charming . . . Brew a pot of tea and settle in with this immensely enjoyable mystery.”—Rosemary Harris, author of Pushing Up Daisies and The Bitches of Brooklyn
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Gardener Pru Parke is hoping to start a new life in England. She is hoping for a job at a historic property, restoring an historic garden, but jobs are hard to come by. Pru has been able to pick up a few private clients, including a couple who have hired Pru to redo their back garden. In the course of digging, Pru discovers potential ancient Roman …
It’s always fun to discover a new series where I want to immediately pick up the next book in the series. This was one of those. When Pru moved to England from Texas, she gave herself a year to find a job as a head gardener. Now the year is nearing the end and all she has is a stack of “Thank you for applying, unfortunately…” letters. When she …
I’ve read several of this authors books and they have all been fun and interesting to read. I like the characters and the ENglish garden settings.
If you want to see what it would be like to live live in England and work in a garden there, this is the series! Throw in a few cosy mysteries and it’s just right.
A very imaginative mystery!
Finally a cozy series written by a literate writer. Good story, sound plotting, realistic dialog. Dig right in
The Potting Shed mysteries are very entertaining.
Pru (Prunella) Parke has made the move to live
in England after the death of her mother and the
end of a long term relationship. She decides
she will stay for a year hoping to find a gardening
position on one of the large English estates.
Meanwhile she works a variety of part time gardening
jobs and maintenance. One of these jobs takes her
to …
Liked it so much I’ve bought three more. Reading book two.
Love this series. The characters are ones I enjoy following on their various adventures. The garden and English settings add richness. Quite an original premise. There’s mystery and danger, but not enough to keep you from sleeping at night.
I loved the characters, all believable. The end was a cliff hanger with a wonderful resolution.
I liked this book because of the history and the unusual plot.
Mary Wingate’s “Potting Shed Mysteries” are well written and fun to read. The Garden Plot introduces us to Pru Parke, an American who has moved to England to pursue her dream of becoming a head gardener. Naturally, things do not run smoothly, and Pru finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. One thing I liked in contrast to so many ‘cozy’ …
An American gardener in England, home of exceptional gardeners, is an unexpected twist. Good mystery with interesting characters.
I’ve read the whole series and enjoyed it very much. Characters to love and great plots.
Fun read. Delightful character Development. Enjoy.
I love this series. Great characters and entertaining plots.
I JUST LOVED THE CHARACTERS, FULL OF UNPREDICTABLE ACTIONS
MY FIRST BOOK BY THIS AUTHOR BUT NOT MY LAST I HOPE.
Good book.