This is one of those cases where I would say “don’t judge a book by the cover”. From the cover, you would expect a cute, lighthearted cozy read, but The Garden Plot has much more to offer than that! I was really impressed by this and I only picked it up on a whim. The character of Pru is an interesting complex single expat American living in England. She has returned to England after her mother’s death to make a new start and perhaps find the last remaining family that she has. She is a trained gardener and is looking to find a permament position. In the meantime, she does odd gardening jobs and of course stumbles across a body. Sounds very typical for a cozy, but it’s not.

The plot is enriched by British history, archaeology, gardening and garden restoration. It has less humor and more tension than a cozy usually has. It is a fine mix of the mystery with all of the information and the romantic subplot that makes this mystery stand out. Reminds me very much of another series I really loved by Anthony Eglin, The English Garden Mysteries. I would highly recommend this series to cozy readers and/or fans of the Rosemary and Thyme TV series (if anyone else remembers that one).

Just FYI, an audio book in this series is offered as a prize for the Save Our Cozies Readathon July 16, 2016.