3.5 stars
This is a fun and intriguing mystery. I loved the descriptions of the gardens and really enjoyed how Steph was able to share her knowledge and experience in such a wonderful setting. Each of the characters had an interesting story and the mystery for Steph to solve was cleverly linked.

Loved this book. Steph and Mouse were really likeable characters. The plot kept me intrigued and the twists, turns and red herrings were enjoyable. Also enjoyed the gardening details, unusual for a cozy crime book. Highly recommended.

Steph begins her dream job as a gardener in an affluent gated community.
She starts to notice that below the surface things aren’t as they first appear there are lies , deception and blackmail behind the shiny facade .
The families are being blackmailed and Steph is being blamed she is trying to clear her name and find the culprit in order to keep her job .
Steph with mouse her trusty canine companion embark on a sleuthing mission that places both of them in danger .
I really enjoyed the start of this cosy mystery series , the main character is amiable and the writing makes for an easy read .
Looking forward to see what Steph does in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and Embla Books.

A very readable start to a new cosy mystery series, following Steph, a gardener, as she starts her new job at an exclusive gated community. She soon discovers lots of secrets and finds herself in the middle of a mystery that will threaten her own safety. Full of gardening descriptions, you feel as if you re learning at the same time as trying to work out the mysteries of blackmail, murder, deception and lies.

I've become quite fond of cosy crime mysteries lately - I think perhaps an overload of too graphic descriptions of misery and death (and usually of women) have pushed me away from my usual go-to reading choices, and this novel met my needs perfectly. A cast of interesting characters - with secrets abounding - an unwilling investigator with potential to run and run, and nothinig revolting to give me nightmares.
Well written, with lots of gardening detail for those who do or don't garden, and a believable twist you'll appreciate.

I first heard of this book when the author attended an 'Ask The Author' event at Brightlingsea Literary Festival and I thought the premise sounded intriguing. When she read an excerpt from the first chapter, I was hooked and determined to read the book, so it's fair to say that I approached this review with a reasonable amount of both expectation and excitement.

I wasn't let down.

Within a couple of pages I was immersed in the story and I read the whole thing pretty much in one sitting. Steph has a mysterious past of her own and although we find out a little bit of her history, there is clearly much more to be revealed and this first book beautifully sets up her character/story arc for the books to come.

As for the plot of this book, it had me guessing right until the end. I'm quite often able to work out at least a part of the solution, but in this case I had no idea who the guilty parties were until they were revealed. Everything made perfect sense but there was enough kept back so it wasn't an obvious answer to the problem.

I like a female lead with some fight in her and Steph has that in abundance. (She also has a doggy sidekick which is NEVER a bad thing - I always remember an early reader of mine emailing me to anxiously inquire if the dog I'd included in my book was going to be ok. 'I can cope with anything else as long as the dog is ok at the end,' she told me. I felt the same about Mouse!)

The other thing that struck me about this book was the sheer amount of research that the author had done about plants. One of the questions asked at the Literary Festival event was whether or not she was a keen gardener, or whether she'd had to rely on research. If I hadn't heard the answer I'm not sure I would have known. One of the hardest things as a fiction writer is to ensure that the research you have done for the book doesn't sound forced - your reader isn't usually particularly interested in the nitty gritty details, they just want to know enough to understand the plot. Rosie has achieved this delicate balance here. As the narrator is a gardener, the reader expects her to know pretty much everything about plants, but the information is presented in such a natural way that you almost don't notice that you're being given it and that's a mark of really good writing.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will definitely be keeping my eyes open for Book 2 when it comes out. I love cozy crime and these books might even make me enjoy gardening!

This was my 1st book by Rosie Sandler and will not be my last. I am excited about this series as I really loved getting to know the characters and learning about the plants and gardens! I can't wait for the next one in the series to come out! I need to know how Steph's life continues to recover after her divorce. And if her ex-husband is really missing!

#SeedsofMurder
#NetGalley

What a great start to a series, I’m already looking forward to the next book. Loved all the characters and the gardening references. Sheer joy.

I did enjoy the book which was more on the serious side of the cozy mystery genre. My issues came with the complete flip panda regarding the crime. Steph likes Mouse her dog, but she is more than willing to overlook what he went through. (I love my pets and would NEVER brush it off.). I suppose the book does represent the current social beliefs that all crimes and especially those committed by the wealthy should be overlooked.

I love this book! Main character/gardener Steph is smart, compassionate, and warm. Sandler's written a professional gardener so well--I was shocked when I saw an acknowledgement for a horticulturalist, because I figured Sandler must be a gardener starting to write cozies on the side or something! The gardening aspect is woven effortlessly throughout the story, and Steph uses gardening metaphors/similes in a natural way throughout. For example, as various residents start to share their secrets with her, she wonders how many secrets a single person can absorb "before they explode, secrets bursting from them like the seeds from Himalayan Balsam." (And I'm not a gardener at all, so I would quickly lose interest in gardening details if they didn't form an integral part of the book and of Steph's personality.

I also love how Steph appreciates and even enjoys the solitary, repetitive tasks of her job. "I love tree work. Up in the branches, with my ear defenders on and the saw roaring, nothing can touch me; I'm isolated from the world in the best possible way."

The death of a child in the past (maybe 10 or so years ago?) is an important, haunting mystery to solve. And current blackmail efforts and an attack on her dog, Mouse, give some immediacy and urgency to the book. I do wish there was a death during the actual course of the book--not just in the past. But that's my only nitpick. Even so, Sandler manages to keep the tension high.

The relationships Steph has with her brother, her parents, her ex, her employers, and her dog all create such a thorough and believable character. I can't wait to spend more time with Steph in the next entry to this series. Highly recommended!

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The first in a new cozy series set around Steph Williams, a gardener. Trying to escape her past, she accepts a job gardening for a posh community. However, strange things are happening and Steph is accused of being involved. To clear her name, she decides to investigate.

For a series start, I thought this was pretty solid! Steph is a likable protagonist and the pace is good. I would say though the the title is misleading because there is no murder. It is more the nefarious happenings, which was still a good mystery. Just the title was a bit misleading. I will def read the next one though because this series has promise!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

Secrets Abound..
Secrets and lies abound in this first in The Gardener Mystery series. Steph has finally procured her dream employment- as a gardener in an exclusive and wealthy gated community. Along with dog, Mouse, she thinks that she has landed on her feet. However, not everything is as it seems and Steph soon realises that these residents are hiding deep and, potentially deadly, secrets. Enjoyable and entertaining with a nicely drawn cast of characters and an engaging plot. A promising start to a new series.

An awesome start to a new gardening mystery! Steph is a gardener extraordinaire who has started a community garden in a closed addition. When several things go awry Steph is blamed for the bad luck. Lots of twists and turns make this a fun mystery to read. Love the setting, characters and story plot. Thanks #Netgalley and #EmblaBooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Being the gardener for a small gated community should be a great gig for Steph, but soon she finds livelihood and Life on the line as the secrets that are kept behind the gates of this community are blaming her for their latest rash of bad luck.

Can Steph clear her name or is she going to find that life behind gated is just an intro to life behind bars..or six feet under?

A really good start for a new cozy series. The author had enough red herrings and shoots and ladders to keep you guessing for quite a while. I really enjoyed Steph, she’s a likable protagonist and I look forward to more in this series.

Really an engrossing story with great character development, several sharp turns, and many red herrings. I really hope this will be a series soon. Very enjoyable read, especially the sweet relationship between the main character and her adorable dog.

Who knew that a gated community of just 5 houses could be harbouring so many secrets?

None of them should be the business of new gardener Steph, until she's hauled up before the neighbourhood committee and accused of blackmailing them.

She's got ten days to clear her name. Then she discovers a grave-shaped patch of earth...

Really looking forward to seeing where this series goes next

theft, first-in-series, new-series, pet-dog, threats, bullies, divorced, gardening, wealthy, family, family-drama, family-dynamics, suspense, suspicion*****

Steph is a professional gardener who has started a new job in a closed community with multiple owners to serve. She is recently divorced from a compulsive spendthrift, has an odd relationship with her own family, and quickly becomes the recipient of confidences from multiple residents. And she has a marvelous pet dog. Things get sticky and there are several mysteries that need solving rather promptly. Convincing characters, clear world building, unusual twists and creative red herrings. I loved it!
I requested and received an EARC from Embla Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

#SeedsofMurder #NetGalley is a new to me author and this book was great to read.
Steph Williams is ready to start her new life, and getting the job at Beaulieu Heights was a dream come true, she's excited to work in the gardens of these exclusive homes, but she soon becomes privy to some pretty deep secrets.
Each family has their own secrets and when a rash of burglaries begins, soon Steph finds herself in danger of losing her job, and possibly her own life if she isn't careful.
I fell in love with Mouse immediately, and I really like Steph, too.
It's always a pleasure to discover a new author and I'm looking forward to reading more in this series. I will recommend this book to others, with the hope they like it as much as I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

A cosy mystery that keeps you guessing the whole way through.

'But it seems too late for me to disentangle myself. Like it or not, the Beaulieu Heights residents have drawn me into their misfortunes and intrigues'.

Synopsis
Steph has landed herself a dream gardening job, working in a rich, gated community. She loves gardening and is happy to keep to herself, but as she works her way around the estates and residents, she gets drawn into their drama.

As things start going missing and mysterious, threatening notes are being left - Steph gets called up to the Neighbourhood Committee, who have accused her of being the one to do this.

She has 10 days to figure out who is responsible, discovering secrets everyone holds close to their chest.

Thoughts
This is a really cosy mystery that will have you routing for the FMC to figure out who the culprit is. Although most of the residents of the estate are very pompous, it was great to see some of them helping Steph figure out the case. I'm glad Steph gets a happy ending, and Mouse - can't forget about Mouse!

Not too sure what happened with Steph's ex husband though - he visited Steph to try and get some money and then was never seen by his girlfriend, or mentioned in the story really again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for this ARC. This review is voluntary.

This talented author has written a cozy mystery with red herrings that kept me guessing. Realistic characters keep the story moving quickly. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the author and publisher for this intriguing novel. This story is fiction that reads like nonfiction at times. Curl up in a cozy chair with a comfy Afghan, a cup of steaming herbal tea and become lost in the lives of these characters.