BEST-LAID PLANTS BY MARTY WINGATE Blog Tour and Review (Cozy Mystery)

I am thrilled to be kicking off the blog tour for Best-Laid Plants with a review of this fabulous cozy mystery!

Best-Laid Plants: A Potting Shed Mystery by Marty Wingate

Best-Laid Plants: A Potting Shed Mystery Cozy Mystery 6th in Series Alibi (October 17, 2017) 

Print Length: 294 pages 

ASIN: B01MSAATUW

A trip to the English countryside turns into a brush with death for Pru Parke, the only gardener whose holiday wouldn’t be complete without a murder to solve.

Pru and her husband, former Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse, are long overdue for a getaway. So when Pru is invited to redesign an Arts and Crafts garden in the picturesque Cotswolds, she and Christopher jump at the chance. Unfortunately, their B&B is more ramshackle than charming, and the once thriving garden, with its lovely Thyme Walk, has fallen into heartbreaking neglect. With the garden’s owner and designer, Batsford Bede, under the weather, Pru tackles the renovation alone. But just as she’s starting to make headway, she stumbles upon Batsford’s body in the garden—dead and pinned beneath one of his limestone statues.

With such a small police force in the area, Christopher is called upon to lead the investigation. Pru can’t imagine anyone murdering Batsford Bede, a gentle man who preferred to spend his time in quiet contemplation, surrounded by nature. But as her work on the garden turns up one ominous clue after another, Pru discovers that the scenery is more dangerous than she or Christopher could have anticipated.

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

Marty Wingate has done it again!  I have read all the books in the potting shed series of mysteries and she continually and consistently comes up with great plots, unique scenarios, quirky characters and all so brilliantly written!

If you haven't read any of this series I would suggest this is as good as any to start with.  It's easy to jump right in and get to know Texan Pru Parke and her gorgeous British Detective Inspector husband Christopher, both very likeable and easy going.

Pru is getting quite a name for herself in the gardening world and, once again, she is tasked with helping to restore a neglected country garden to its former glory, but before she can meet the owner he is found dead, underneath one of the gardens many statues.  

Though Christopher is in overall charge of the investigation, Pru, finding the body, just naturally gets involved in the pursuit of the killer.  There are several suspicious suspects, including an old girlfriend of Christopher's, lots of red herrings, lots of funny moments, an encounter with a bull called Custard, and plenty of pints drunk in the local pub!

A fun read, a clever plot, wonderful descriptions of the local British countryside, and lots of references to plants, all make this a very entertaining mystery.

About the Author

Marty Wingate is a Seattle-based writer and speaker who shares her love of Britain in her two mystery series. The Potting Shed books feature Pru Parke, a middle-aged American gardener transplanted from Texas to England, and Birds of a Feather follows Julia Lanchester, bird lover, who runs a tourist office in a Suffolk village. Marty writes garden articles for magazines including Country Gardens and theAmerican Gardener. She is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Crime Writers Association. She leads garden tours to England, Scotland and Ireland, spending free moments deep in research for her books. Or in pubs.

 

Author Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martywingateauthor 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/martywingate 
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/453259.Marty_Wingate 
Website: www.martywingate.com 
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marthawingate/ 
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Marty-Wingate/e/B001JS1AIS 
Purchase Links Amazon B&N kobo Google Play

TOUR PARTICIPANTS 

October 16 – Carole's Book Corner – REVIEW 
October 16 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews - SPOTLIGHT 
October 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT 
October 18 – A Holland Reads – GUEST POST 
October 19 – Reading Reality - REVIEW 
October 20 – Christ Reads and Writes – REVIEW 
October 21 - The Power of Words - REVIEW 
October 22 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW 
October 23 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW 
October 24 – Celticlady's Reviews - SPOTLIGHT 
October 25 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 
October 26 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST 
October 27 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT 
October 28 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW 
October 29 – A Chick Who Reads - REVIEW   

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CHRISTMAS ON THE LITTLE CORNISH ISLES (THE DRIFTWOOD INN) BY PHILLIPA ASHLEY Blog Tour & Extract

Today is my stop on the Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles Blog Tour and I have a fabulous extract from the book!

Christmas has arrived on the Cornish Isles of Scilly, bringing mistletoe, surprises and more than a sprinkle of romance . . . Fans of Poldark and Carole Matthews will love this brand-new festive read from the author of the bestselling Cornish Café series.

For Maisie Samson, this Christmas is going to be different. After years working in a busy Cornish pub, she’s moved back to quiet Gull Island where she grew up, to help her parents run the family inn.

But even though she can’t wait for the festive season to arrive, Maisie cannot shake the memories of what happened to her last Christmas – the day she lost everything. She keeps herself busy, setting up the tree and hanging mistletoe ready for her first proper family Christmas in years.

Until a new arrival to the island walks into her bar and changes everything. Australian backpacker Patrick is looking for a job for the low season. When Maisie takes him on, she doesn’t expect him to last the week, but to her surprise Patrick is the perfect fit. Charming and handsome, could Maisie allow herself to hope that she and Patrick could be more than just colleagues?

As Christmas approaches, Maisie finds herself dreading the spring, when Patrick is due to leave. With the help of a little Christmas magic, can Maisie get the happily ever after she always dreamed of?

Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles is the perfect book to snuggle up with this Christmas.

Extract Eighteen from Chapter Eleven, pp 73-74

‘I had a visit from Hugo the other day,’ Maisie said, knowing Jess would be intrigued.

‘How nice for you. Not a social call, was it?’

‘No, although you never know with Hugo. He tried to persuade me to sell the Driftwood again.’

‘Oh God. He never stops trying, does he? What did he offer this time?’

‘The opportunity’ – Maisie bracketed her fingers around the word while sticking out her tongue – ‘to be a tenant and manage the place.’’

‘No way! Don’t give in, Maisie.’

‘Don’t worry. Hell will freeze over first. I just wish so much of what he says didn’t make sense. We’re getting by – just – but Dad’s not well and Mum’s obviously not up to the long hours and stress that she used to take in her stride. Which is another reason why I came home, aside from the obvious one. With the summer staff leaving and with winter to face, I sometimes wonder why we all do it.’

Jess gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘I know. We’ve been through some tough times at the Flower Farm. Remember those years of frost when we were at school and then the wholesale flower market collapsed? That period almost finished Mum and Dad. They were so close to losing everything and having to leave St Piran’s. I don’t think Will and I realised how bad things were, but we do now we run the business . . . but who could ever leave here to work in a city? You tried it.’

Maisie smiled. ‘St Austell’s hardly a city, but I worked in London briefly after I’d finished college. It was great for a few months but I couldn’t go back now. Mind you, not everyone feels that way. Hugo says that the Fudge Pantry and Una and Phyllis have also agreed to sell to Petroc Holdings.’

Jess grabbed Maisie’s arm. She looked horrified. ‘You’re joking? Una and Phyllis? The Jenkins? I’m gobsmacked.’

‘Business hasn’t been too great after the summer we had last year and I guess Mr Jenkins wants to try life on the mainland since their kids moved to Truro. There won’t be many of us left to resist at this rate. Hugo already owns a couple of properties on Gull and I suppose he could buy the businesses piecemeal, but what he really wants is to make us all lose hope and buy the whole of Gull Island, complete, so he can turn it into a mini Petroc.’

‘He’s a megalomaniac,’ Jess said, curling her lip. ‘I’m so glad he’s not interested in St Saviour’s too.’

‘If it was over the water from Petroc, he might be. Gull is just too close to Petroc for comfort. I wouldn’t put it past him to try and build a bridge between the two islands if he can get his hands on most of the land.’

‘If there’s anything Will and I can do, shout up. Help you rally the islanders, dump a pile of manure in Hugo’s gardens . . . anything at all, you know we’re here.’

‘Thanks, hun,’ said Maisie, feeling the thrill of resistance flood her veins. ‘Nothing and no one – and definitely not Hugo Scorrier – will hound me out of the Driftwood or off Gull Island.’

Check out the other Bloggers on the Tour for Guest Posts, Reviews and Extracts

MISTLETOE AND MURDER BY S.L. SMITH

Welcome to today's stop on the Mistletoe and Murder blog tour!

ASIN: B074BHD1TK

Sightline Press; 1 edition

Trade paper, 219 pages

July 26, 2017

Series: Pete Culnane Mystery, Book 4

Genre: Mystery

Auld Lang Syne with a Twist

As Collette Hammond orchestrates an elaborate New Year’s Eve wedding reception for her brother in St. Paul’s historic Union Depot, she never anticipates the evening might end in her own mysterious death. She collapses just before midnight. A fresh needle mark suggests narcotics. St. Paul police detectives Pete Culnane and Martin Tierney are called away from their holiday celebrations to investigate, launching a trip through a labyrinth of intrigue and deception.

“Like its title, Mistletoe and Murder is a story that combines elements which might, at first, seem at odds. But S.L. Smith delivers a tale that interweaves both the bright promise of this iconic season and the dark reality of what it can deliver, especially where police work is involved. Smith understands the territory and mines it to good effect. For those who know the Twin Cities, there’s extra delight in tracking the action across familiar terrain. Don’t wait until Christmas to open this one.”

William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author

Other Pete Culnane Mysteries:

• Blinded by the Sight
• Running Scared
• Murder on a Stick

MEET THE AUTHOR

A lifelong resident of Minnesota, S.L. Smith was born in Saint Cloud and attended Saint Catherine University in Saint Paul. The tall iron fence surrounding the campus provided a sense of security for this small-town transplant. Over the next four years, she grew to love the Twin Cities, in part because of the Minnesota Twins and her love for baseball. After graduating, she rented an apartment a few miles from Metropolitan stadium and rarely missed a home game.

During her thirty-two years with the state department of public safety, she worked with law enforcement and fire officials at the state, county and municipal levels. Those interactions assisted her with writing mysteries, but were just the starting point. Without the help of a friend who spent thirty-five years as a cop, she might never have ventured into writing police procedurals. He contributed to her understanding of the perspectives of her two protagonists, Pete Culnane and Martin Tierney. Thankfully, this friend is still a resource. He proofreads each manuscript and performs a reality check on the law enforcement aspects.

Publishing family memoirs helped fine tune her research skills, and taught her to contact everyone involved. She used that tactic on the first Pete Culnane mystery, Blinded by the Sight, and included those who assisted in the acknowledgments. That paid rich rewards as she worked on books two, three, and four in the series. An investigator in the medical examiner’s office provided a foot-in-the-door with the head of homicide at the Saint Paul Police Department, and with a retired investigator (detective).

The Saint Paul Fire Marshall and an emergency medicine physician patiently and graciously answered her questions. Taking it a step further, I spent four days at the State Fair, while working on Murder on a Stick. While there, I spoke with law enforcement and fire officials. I questioned at least fifty food vendors, and an information booth volunteer. A ticket booth supervisor gave me the lowdown on their procedures. True to form, I was bent on getting the facts right. If I didn’t know the answer, I researched it.

Smith’s books are set in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The protagonists, Pete Culnane and Martin Tierney, are two Saint Paul detectives. (The Saint Paul Police Department calls them investigators.) They’re close friends, but as different as parchment and newsprint. Their banter provides humor in the novels.

All three include a social issue. In Blinded by the Sight, it’s homelessness. For book two, Running Scared, it’s the impacts of a failing marriage on the kids. Book three, Murder on a Stick, addresses a plight faced by many of the elderly. Smith is a member of Sisters in Crime (an organization that supports mystery writers). She divides her time between Minnesota and Florida, to care for her mother. http://slsmithbooks.com

CHRISTMAS AT THE GIN SHACK BY CATHERINE MILLER Blog Tour Spotlight

Welcome to my stop on the Christmas at the Gin Shack blog tour!

Welcome in the festive season with love, laughter and the perfect G&T in Christmas at the Gin Shack – the most uplifting holiday read of 2017!

Gingle bells, gingle bells, gingle all the way…

Olive Turner might have lived through eighty-four Christmases, but she’ll never get bored of her favourite time of year. And this one’s set to be extra-special. It’s the Gin Shack’s first Christmas – and there’s a gin-themed weekend and a cocktail competition on the cards!

But, beneath the dazzle of fairy lights and the delicious scent of mince-pies, Olive smells a rat. From trespassers in her beloved beach hut to a very unfunny joke played on her friends, it seems that someone is missing a dose of good cheer.

Olive knows she’s getting on a bit – but is she really imagining that someone in the little seaside town is out to steal Christmas? More importantly, can she create the perfect gin cocktail before Christmas Eve – in time to save the day?

Purchase on Amazon UK | Amazon US | Kobo

MEET THE AUTHOR

When Catherine Miller became a mum to twins, she decided her hands weren't full enough so wrote a novel with every spare moment she managed to find. By the time the twins were two, Catherine had a two-book deal with HQDigital UK. There is a possibility she has aged remarkably in that time. Her debut novel, Waiting For You, came out in March 2016. She is now the author of four books and hopes there will be many more now her twins have started school. Either that, or she’ll conduct more gin research on Olive’s behalf.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/katylittlelady.author/

https://twitter.com/katylittlelady

https://www.instagram.com/katylittlelady/

Check out the other lovely bloggers on the tour!

CHRISTMAS AT THE LOG FIRE CABIN BY CATHERINE FERGUSON Blog Tour & Extract

Today is my stop on the Christmas at the Log Fire Cabin blog tour and I'm delighted to bring you an exclusive extract

Curl up by the fire this Christmas with the eBook bestseller Catherine Ferguson.

When Poppy’s boyfriend Harrison proposes the week before Christmas and gives her twelve days to decide, she doesn’t know what to do. With the festive season in full swing, it’s make or break time for the couple and the clock is ticking…

Meanwhile, Poppy’s best friend Erin is desperate for the pair of them to fulfil their dream of setting up a dinner party catering company – and when an opportunity arises at a luxury log fire cabin, the girls take their chance to impress.

But they hadn’t bargained on the owner of the cabin being quite so attractive – or having quite such a sexy voice. As the twelve days tick on, will Poppy realise that Harrison is the one for her? Or will it be love in the lodge when the new year comes?

Lose yourself this Christmas in the new novel from the brilliant Catherine Ferguson, perfect for cosying up with by the fire.

EXTRACT

‘Problem customer!’ murmurs my colleague, Maxine, halfway through our Friday-lunchtime shift.

‘Really?’ My heart sinks. I’m so tired. This afternoon, I’ll find out who will be the new restaurant manager, and I’ve been up half the night feeling anxious about it. I’ve been trying to throw myself into my work, as if it’s just another shift, but as my meeting with Mr Hastings at three-thirty creeps nearer, my stomach is growing more and more jittery by the minute.

The last thing I need is a tricky diner using up my last reserves of strength.

Maxine flicks her eyes across the room and I peer over, pretending that I’m checking to make sure everything is looking as it should.

‘She’s complained about everything from the temperature in the room to the flowers on her table not being entirely fresh – and that’s even before she’s started eating!’

As we look on surreptitiously, the woman summons eighteen-year-old Ellie with one imperious finger raised in the air. It’s Ellie’s first week in the job and she’s quite shy and terrified of making mistakes. (I can so empathise with her. I was just like her when I started.)

Ellie darts forward helpfully.

It’s clear that something else is wrong. The woman is frowning and speaking rapidly, and as we watch, Ellie’s face falls.

I catch her in the kitchen and it’s obvious from the tension in her face, she’s desperately trying to hold it together.

‘What’s wrong?’ I ask.

Ellie swallows and looks down. ‘She said I must be stupid because I didn’t bother to find out the soup of the day before I came on shift.’

‘Right. I’ll handle her.’ I walk calmly back into the restaurant, only to be immediately summoned by our difficult diner. Pasting on my best polite and helpful smile, I walk over to her table. ‘Can I help?’

She looks at me frostily. ‘I certainly hope so. This fish is staring at me.’

‘I beg your pardon, madam?’ Feeling slightly wrong-footed, I glance at the contents of her plate.

‘The mackerel. It’s staring at me. I don’t like it. It’s putting me off my lunch.’

‘I’m so sorry.’ Carefully, I turn the plate a half-circle. ‘Is that better?’

‘Are you being funny?’ She peers at me suspiciously.

‘No. Definitely not. I just thought if the fish wasn’t facing you …’

‘Yes, but I’ll still know they’re there, won’t I?’ she snaps. ‘The eyes.’

‘Of course, madam. Would you like me to take it away and remove the head for you?’

‘But then it won’t be a “whole mackerel”. It’ll be a “headless mackerel”, which isn’t quite the same thing, is it?’

‘Um … no, I suppose it isn’t.’ It’s an effort to keep my tone upbeat. What on earth is she talking about?

‘I want a “whole mackerel”, like it states on the menu.’

I clear my throat, stalling for time. I’ve had tricky customers to deal with before, but this one takes the biscuit. I get the sneaky feeling she’s being deliberately awkward just to see how I’ll react. I don’t mind her leading me a dance, but upsetting Ellie by calling her stupid has made me really annoyed. But I persevere with the polite and attentive manner. ‘What would you like me to do, madam?’

‘Sort it out!’ she snaps. ‘Stop that fish staring at me!’

A wave of disbelief and exhaustion washes over me and I almost laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Nothing I do for this diner will be right. Suddenly, tiredness takes over and I do what I never, ever do with customers as a rule.

I resort to sarcasm.

My smile is bright and cheery. ‘Right, well, if you don’t want me to take the rude little chap away, perhaps we could make him a teeny-tiny little blindfold? Out of a basil leaf? Or maybe two slices of lemon tied together with a sliver of anchovy?’

If looks could kill, there’d be two corpses on her plate. She looks as if steam is about to rush out of her ears as she comes to the boil.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Catherine Ferguson burst onto the writing scene at the age of nine, anonymously penning a weekly magazine for her five-year-old brother (mysteriously titled the ‘Willy’ comic) and fooling him completely by posting it through the letterbox every Thursday.

Catherine’s continuing love of writing saw her study English at Dundee University and spend her twenties writing for various teenage magazines including Jackie and Blue Jeans and meeting pop stars. She worked as Fiction Editor at Patches magazine (little sister to Jackie) before getting serious and becoming a sub-editor on the Dundee Courier & Advertiser. Moving south in her thirties, she set up Surrey Organics, delivering fresh organic produce to people's homes – and this experience provided the inspiration for her first attempt at writing a full-length novel.

Catherine’s first novel HUMBUG AND HEARTSTRINGS is very loosely based on Dickens’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL and is a clever, modern tale about the price of friendship, the cost of enmity, and the value of love. She lives with her son in Northumberland.

Check out the other bloggers on the tour

DEATH IN THE STARS BY FRANCES BRODY - Blog Tour and Review (Cozy mystery)

Today is my stop on the Death in the Stars book tour and I am delighted to bring you my review

Yorkshire, 1927. Eclipse fever grips the nation, and when beloved theatre star Selina Fellini approaches trusted sleuth Kate Shackleton to accompany her to a viewing party at Giggleswick School Chapel, Kate suspects an ulterior motive.

During the eclipse, Selina's friend and co-star Billy Moffatt disappears and is later found dead in the chapel grounds. Kate can't help but dig deeper and soon learns that two other members of the theatre troupe died in similarly mysterious circumstances in the past year. With the help of Jim Sykes and Mrs Sugden, Kate sets about investigating the deaths - and whether there is a murderer in the company.

When Selina's elusive husband Jarrod, injured in the war and subject to violent mood swings, comes back on the scene, Kate begins to imagine something far deadlier at play, and wonders just who will be next to pay the ultimate price for fame . . .

Death in the Stars is the 9th novel in the very popular mystery series featuring amateur sleuth Kate Shackleton.  I've read most of them and have loved every one!

Set in Yorkshire they evoke a real feel of the 1920's, of a slower pace of life, when ladies were treated as fragile beings.  But Kate's no shrinking violet, she's tough and clever, and has a mind of her own, even starting up her own detective agency with an ex-policeman to assist her, as well as her housekeeper Mrs. Sugden.

This time, she's in the company of theatre folk, in particular 'The Silver Songbird' Selena Fellini who enlists Kate's help when she's invited to a private gathering to watch the eclipse.

After the death of fellow performer Billy in suspicious circumstances during the eclipse, Kate's naturally curious nature doesn't believe it was an accident.

Frances Brody's attention to detail really make her stories stand out - who knew that there were traffic jams in 1927 as people were anxious to get a good view of the eclipse!  Her characters are so believable and real and the plots are so unique and carefully thought out.  I loved following Kate's thought processes as she tried to discover not only who murdered Billy but if there is a serial killer in the theatre's midst.

This was a time when some of the old performers days were numbered, as talking pictures and gramophone records were gaining in popularity.

Brilliant storytelling, gripping from the first page to the last, I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Kate and her assistants Mr. Sykes and Mrs. Sugden who all work so well together.

If you haven't yet caught up with this series I urge you to check them out.  I can't wait for the next Kate Shackleton adventure!

MEET THE AUTHOR

Frances Brody is the author of the Kate Shackleton mysteries, as well as many stories and plays for BBC Radio, scripts for television and four sagas, one of which won the HarperCollins Elizabeth Elgin Award. Her stage plays have been toured by several theatre companies and produced at Manchester Library Theatre, the Gate and Nottingham Playhouse, and Jehad was nominated for a Time Out Award.

Death in the Stars is published by Harper Collins on 5 October 2017.