by Kathleen Costa

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook or print copy of Too Mulch to Handle, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Budding for Trouble!
Poppy Lancaster can easily attest to the idea that “green thumbs” may be more a result of experience than DNA. She applies her best efforts perusing her late grandmother’s plant books to educate herself and make a success of the business she inherited, but she continues to be faced with so many challenges trying to bring Hollyhock Cottage Garden & Nursery back to its former glory.

Poppy is embracing life in the small country village of Bunnington, but her new friends and neighbors, customers, and even an annoying ginger tom aren’t enough says Nell Hopkins. Nell has been like a mother to Poppy when her own mother was more carefree in nature and especially after her mother died. Now, she’s Poppy’s housemate and close confidant. She means well, but it’s her love of romance novels, as well as Poppy’s happiness, that causes her to suggest Poppy use a dating app to find a “Prince Charming.” Life in the Cotswolds is not all beaus, blooms, and bouquets; a few “wrong place, wrong time” moments have led to some curious, if not perilous, predicaments, but Poppy has friends, felines, and flair to help her come out smelling like roses!

Too Mulch to Handle Earns 5+/5 Rose Hips…Engaging Cozy Gem!
Poppy’s efforts to reenergize her garden business have shown some success, but getting customers in to buy is imperative, so she’s finally going to hold an “Open Week” event. She’d held off a bit since taking ownership to allow more time for her little garden business to be known among locals and the horticultural communities, but it’s time to reengage and expand her customer base. Oh, no! She’s devastated to see her prize rose bushes oddly infected, and she’s unable to discern why.

Poppy shelves her opinions about mega stores and decides to visit the Mega Garden Town to seek some expert advice. It sure lives up to its “mega” moniker, but it’s also crowded and expensive. She is surprised to witness a woman verbally harassing a young sales rep, Thales Georgiou, over the pesticide he’s selling claiming it does more harm than good. Poppy, however, falls prey to the young man’s pitch, good looks, and flirting, but she regrets her purchase when she’s met outside by the same woman yelling, “You murderer!” Well, that’s just what the police might say. After accepting a date with Thales, he ends up dead, and the alibi she was stuck in the bathroom when it happened is not received well by the detective. Wrong time, wrong place…again!

Bloomin’ Brilliant! H.Y. Hanna has cemented the number one spot on my Top Favorites for 2022 with the newest book in her English Cottage Garden Mystery series. Despite being four years in our time since Poppy bloomed onto the bookshelves, it’s only been a year in Poppy’s: her mother passed away last year, her grandmother soon after, and owning the nursery provided her with this new life. The new life is not without its conflicts and conundrums with predicaments again entangling Poppy as a witness, if not, a suspect in murder. This story pits big agrochemical company against environmentalists, laboratory compounds against organic remedies, and Poppy against law enforcement…always a page-turner! The Cotswold setting is my all-time favorite location with its small village feel, little shops and pubs, and close-knit community in which Poppy is trying to ingratiate herself. The diverse, multi-generational cast of characters are realistic offering knowledgeable mentors, endearing friendships, and romantic opportunities, yet I agree with Nell…Poppy needs someone in her life. Humor is also realistic with clever comments and innuendos, a demanding feline, a pampered slug, and an absent-minded scientist whose inventions are more misses than hits. Gardening ideas and tips are incorporated in the series, of course, so head out into your garden and see how “green” is your thumb!

English Cottage Garden Mystery
Deadhead and Buried (2019) KRL Review HERE
Silent Bud Deadly (2019) KRL Review HERE
Doom and Bloom (2019) KRL Review HERE
Trowel and Error (2020) KRL Review HERE
Too Mulch to Handle (2022)

Be a Big Fan of H.Y. Hanna!
USA Today bestselling author H.Y. Hanna is the author of several of my favorite series: the Oxford Tearoom Mystery always brings a proper English tearoom into my home, Bewitched by Chocolate series sprinkling a bit of magic to all things chocolate, this English Cottage Garden Mystery plants wonderful characters and a clever mystery. All of her series are in print and eBook, but several are produced in audio format giving readers a little extra with the delightful voice artistry of narrator Pearl Hewitt who enriches the already engaging story with varied accents, dialects, emotions, and tone. I always say, “Murder is better with an English accent.”

Facebook – H.Y. Hanna Books
Website – H.Y. Hanna
Twitter At @_HYHanna

To enter to win either an ebook or print copy of Too Mulch to Handle (winner’s choice), simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “mulch,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen August 20, 2022. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. BE SURE TO STATE IF YOU WANT EBOOK OR PRINT. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Kathleen Costa is a long-time resident of the Central Valley, and although born in Idaho, she considers herself a “California Girl.” Graduating from CSU-Sacramento, she is 35+ year veteran teacher having taught in grades 1-8 in schools from Sacramento to Los Angeles to Stockton to Lodi. Currently Kathleen is enjoying year 2 of retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband of 26+ years.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.