The Red Book of Primrose House...Review

About the 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.

Having just read 
The Garden Plot, I was thrilled to jump right back into Pru's life. She has been offered her dream job as the head gardener for an old English estate, whose garden was designed by a renowned landscape designer. Pru is ecstastic at the prospect of restoring the gardens to their former greatness and seeing Detective Inspector Pearse on the weekends.

But Pru can't simply have a normal life. As she works on the gardens, vandals destroy her efforts, her assistants bicker and she walks into the garden one day to find one of them murdered. Pru once again finds herself thrust into a murder investigation, this time with a crotchety detective who resents her involvement. However, Pru is curious and clever and discovers answers and clues on her own, even as her life is once again in danger.

I loved this one more than the first one. Pru and Christopher are terrific together. I love the subplots of Christopher's son and Pru's discovery of family. Pru's new friends are terrific and the story enthralling. I didn't want to put it down and while I had my suspicions of the culprit, I was still left guessing until the end.

Sequel to The Garden Plot, the story can stand on its own, but the character development is richer for having read the first book.


Thanks to TLC Book Tours and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book. You can learn more about Marty Wingate here. You can see other reviews and tour stops here. You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 11/14

* * * *
4/5 Stars

Comments

  1. I love it when a series gets better and better!

    Thanks for being a part of the tour.

    ReplyDelete

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