Currently reading...

and absolutely loving it! As a huge fan of Wingate's cozy mystery series, A Potting Shed Mystery (and her other series, A Birds of a Feather Mystery), I was thrilled to get approved for an ARC of her latest book in the series - thank you, NetGalley!  Last time (in Between a Rock and a Hard Place) Pru Parke was planning her wedding to DCI Christopher Pearse, while tackling a new short-term gig working at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh.  Of course, everything turns to chaos when Pru stumbles upon a dead body and she's suddenly being questioned as the possible suspect. Ack!  In the end, she's finally married to her true love Christopher, and her investigative skills have helped to  capture the real murderer. Talk about a happy ending!

Well, this time round, Pru's Texan roots will be showcased in the latest mystery, The Bluebonnet Betrayal - hurrah!  According to the summary from NetGalley:

"Pru's life in England is coming full circle. A Texas transplant, she's married to the love of her life, thriving in the plum gardening position she shares with her long-lost brother, and prepping a Chelsea Flower Show exhibit featuring the beloved bluebonnets of the Texas hill country. Technically, Twyla Woodford, the president of a gardening club in the Lone Star State, is in charge of the London event, but Pru seems to be the one getting her hands dirty. When they finally do meet, Pru senses a kindred spirit—until Twyla turns up dead.

Although Twyla's body was half buried under a wall in their display, Pru remains determined to mount a spectacular show. Twyla would have insisted. So Pru recruits her husband, former Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse, to go undercover and do a bit of unofficial digging into Twyla's final hours. If Pru has anything to say about it, this killer is going to learn the hard way not to mess with Texas."

How exciting does that sound?  Well, it is!  I am just loving catching up with Pru and her husband DCI Pearse.  And now, I'm off to continue reading The Bluebonnet Betrayal by Marty Wingate.  Happy reading!!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: The Red Book of Primrose House: A Potting Shed Mystery by Marty Wingate

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

In Marty Wingate’s charming new Potting Shed Mystery, Texas transplant Pru Parke’s restoration of a historic landscape in England is uprooted by an ax murderer.

Pru Parke has her dream job: head gardener at an eighteenth-century manor house in Sussex. The landscape for Primrose House was laid out in 1806 by renowned designer Humphry Repton in one of his meticulously illustrated Red Books, and the new owners want Pru to restore the estate to its former glory—quickly, as they’re planning to showcase it in less than a year at a summer party.

But life gets in the way of the best laid plans: When not being happily distracted by the romantic attentions of the handsome Inspector Christopher Pearse, Pru is digging into the mystery of her own British roots. Still, she manages to make considerable progress on the vast grounds—until vandals wreak havoc on each of her projects. Then, to her horror, one of her workers is found murdered among the yews. The police have a suspect, but Pru is certain they’re wrong. Once again, Pru finds herself entangled in a thicket of evil intentions—and her, without a hatchet.

my thoughts:

Marty Wingate's Potting Shed Mystery series is becoming my new favorite.  Its got all the charms of a cozy mystery that I adore - romance, a bit of danger, gardening history, and the English countryside.  Plus, the writing is top notch, the characters are fun and relatable, and the story itself is an entertaining read.  I absolutely loved The Red Book of Primrose House!

Picking up where the last story left off, Pru Parke has settled in to her new role as head gardener of Primrose House.  She' still dating DCI Christopher Pearse - the only quibble in that relationship is the long distance.  Of course they get in a fair number of weekends together, which added a romantic element to the story.  As usual, Pru is working on creating the BEST garden ever when she gets involved in a bit of drama - think jealous gardener, unruly employees, and an unrealistic boss who leaves her notes asking he to climb towering trees.  However, nothing matters after Ned is found brutally murdered in the garden - he was THE man to talk about the history of Primrose House and Pru's top worker.  As she manages to get more and more involved with the investigation surrounding Ned's death, Pru finds herself the victim of several dangerous attacks.  Seems like someone isn't too happy with Pru working at Primrose House.  Oh, and to add even more drama to the mix, Pru finds out some secrets from her past that truly shatter the last remaining images she had of her mother.  Whoa! Talk about a suspenseful and engaging read!  And that is all I will write about the book.  I don't want to give away any more details than necessary to pique your interest - which I'm hoping I did.  Just know that Marty Wingate knows how to write a cozy mystery very well and that you will be hooked from page one.

Check out the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Red Book of Primrose House

GIVEAWAY:
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Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tour for providing me with a copy of this book!