The Garden Club Murder By Amy Patricia Meade: Review/Giveaway

Sep 14, 2019 | 2019 Articles, Kathleen Costa, Mysteryrat's Maze

by Kathleen Costa

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a signed copy of The Garden Club Murder, and a link to purchase it from Amazon, and an indie bookstore.

Delicious Mysteries
Letitia “Tish” Tarragon, perfect name for a chef, is the proud owner of Cookin’ the Books Café and Catering, a marvelous destination that combines the best of two worlds…books and food. Divorced a year ago, she has set up her business in the delightful historic early twentieth century clapboard building in Hobson Glen, Virginia. Her style has been described as a “literary caterer” providing a Midsummer’s Night lawn party, Wonderland tea party, a Christie-inspired murder mystery dinner, or an English Garden luncheon. She also has cookbooks from around the world and a lending library for all to enjoy. Along with the literary theme and delicious food creations, she has a couple of friends to provide her with personal and professional support: BFF Mary Jo “MJ” Okensholt and Julian “Jules” Jefferson Davis, Channel Ten’s weatherman and cocktail designer extraordinaire. A great cast of characters and…murder!

Cookin’ the Books (March 2019)
The Garden Club Murder (Sept. 2019)

mysteryThe Garden Club Murder earns 5/5 Garden Spades…Entertaining Fun!
Tish, along with BFF and favorite bartender Jules, will be spending the weekend catering a garden awards reception at Colton Creek Sixty-Plus Community. Tish’s catering style uniquely combines a literary theme for her events, and the residents are excited to see how The Secret Garden will be incorporated into the festivities. But, it’s the garden competition that holds the most excitement…well, the most competitive anxiety and…murder! Participants have created the most beautiful gardens, but each contestant seems more interested in de-throning retired businessman Sloane Shackleford who has been crowned winner the past five years. Unfortunately, someone literally took out the competition. Tish and Jules we’re enjoying a tour of the best entries with the garden club president, but instead of admiring Mr. Shackelford’s manicured perennials, lotus blossoms, and koi pond, they discover him bludgeoned with the murder weapon nearby…a garden shovel. Few mourn his demise recounting the man’s antics and use of professional gardeners, but there seems more to this murder than a “weeding” out the competition.

And the winner is…Amy Patricia Meade for an excellent, entertaining second book in her Tish Tarragon Mystery series! Amy’s writing style uses vivid descriptive language for the setting, gardens, food, and characters with dialogue that best illustrates tone and the various personalities and a sense of humor I greatly enjoyed. Readers will not be surprised by karma’s choice of victim, but that’s where the obvious ends. Using a third-person narrative (not my favorite perspective, but done very well) Amy provides a reluctant, yet realistic, amateur detective. She’s easy to talk to and the gossipy senior citizens give her plenty of information that it’s hard to avoid a bit of sleuthing. She also doesn’t circumvent law enforcement which I appreciate. There are several suspects with some clever motives to consider, extra mysteries to capture attention, and an “I didn’t see that coming” ending that makes this a favorite book. Personal highlights: Tish and Jules have a very humorous, enjoyable brother/sister-style banter, and Jules thoughts on moving into the community is hard not to find a giggle or two; the plethora of senior citizens are varied, entertaining, and yes, under suspicion; for “fur” friend lovers, you’ll enjoy the victim’s Bichon Frise Biscuit who may or may not have gotten a bad rap in Shackleford’s antics. I loved it, but with all the cleverly named luncheon items and mouthwatering food descriptions, I expected a bonus recipe or two for my own garden party. Just saying…

Be a Big Fan!
Amy Patricia Meade started her writing career with the critically acclaimed four-book Marjorie McClelland Mystery series in 2006 with the first book, Million Dollar Baby, set in post-prohibition. She also penned a two-book Pret’ Near Perfect Mystery that started with Well-Offed in Vermont (2011), and Don’t Die Under the Apple Tree (2012) in her Rosie the Riveter following Rosie O’Doyle Keefe working in the shipyards during WWII. Reviews make these series well worth exploring!

Website – Amy Patricia Mead
Facebook – Amy Patricia Meade, Author

Editor’s Note: We are having trouble with our comments-we can see them on our end but they aren’t showing up on the website so rest assured even though you don’t see it you are entered in the giveaway. But if you feel better about it, just enter via email-details below!

To enter to win a signed copy of Garden Club Murder, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “garden,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 21, 2019. If entering via comment please include your email address, if entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also check our our new mystery podcast! A new episode went up this week.

Use this link to purchase the book & a portion goes to help support KRL & indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy:

You can use this link to purchase this book from Amazon. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the link:

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.

19 Comments

  1. Thanks for the chance! JL_Minter(at)hotmail(dot)com

    Reply
  2. Sounds like a really fun series – thanks for the chance to win

    Reply
  3. Sounds interesting. Count me in!

    Reply
  4. We are having trouble with our comments-I can post one but can’t approve anyone else’s. But rest assured I can still see them so you will still be entered. You can also enter via email-info above.

    Reply
  5. This sounds like a great book. And a literary caterer- wow! Now that’s a cool job. Would love to read this.
    kozo8989@hotmail.com

    Reply
  6. The garden Club Murder sounds intriguing and unique. Thanks.

    Reply
  7. Hi Lorie! I emailed but I just wanted to check and see if y’all are still having issues.

    Reply
    • Comments are good to go know thanks for checking!

      Reply
  8. I love to garden and especially when I am distressed about something. Digging in the dirt, trimming the dead limbs and plants and moving plants, help me to release that tension. Although I am not familiar with Amy Patricia Meade, the cover of her book caught my eye and perked my interest.

    Reply
  9. I missed the first book in this series
    but I’ll catch up before I get this installment.
    thanks for the chance
    txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply
  10. Sounds like a good read.

    Reply
  11. Sounds like a great new series. Would really like to read.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  12. The book sounds terrific, Thanks for your great generosity.

    Reply
  13. This sounds like a good little mystery. Thank you for the chance…
    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

    Reply
  14. This sounds like a great “new” series for me. I am always looking for more mysteries and your book seems to be a perfect fit. Thank you for the chance. Nancy ringo_94@hotmail.com

    Reply
  15. Thanks for the book info and the chance to win! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  16. I try to match restaurants to our monthly mystery for my reading group. I love themes…
    karen94066 at aol dot com

    Reply
  17. Sounds like a interesting book. Thanks for a chance to win a free copy.

    Reply
  18. We have a winner!

    Reply

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