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Garden Plot
Finding a body in the garden of her Whole-Life Wellness Center has left social worker Erin Kilpatrick more than a little annoyed. It can't be good for business to have a dead body in the bush beans, particularly if the one who's been killed is a paying patient, guest. Even though her first thought was to hide the corpse, Erin does feel sorry for the guest who has checked out permanently from her rehab inn. But her pity turns to alarm when she and Detective Liam Harris dig a little deeper to discover that maybe the dead man isn't who they think he is. And now she has to deal with a missing guest and a killer on the loose. Rattled by memories of her husband's death three years prior, Erin sets about to discover the connection between the dead man and her absent guest. But while conducting her own investigation, she's also got to juggle a rehab center full of eccentric guests, annoyingly amorous renovators, an enigmatic staff, her struggling teenage daughter, and an orphaned dog. And her keen eye and out-of-boundaries sleuthing catch the attention of Detective Harris in more ways than one, adding the complications of romance to this delightful and dangerous case of fraud, impersonation, and, of course, murder.
Audio CD
First published August 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Kristen McKendry
17 books80 followersKristen McKendry began writing in her teens and her work has been published in Canada and the U.S. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Linguistics from Brigham Young University and has always been a voracious reader.
Kristen has a strong interest in urban agriculture, sustainable living, environmental issues, and the local foods movement. She incorporates these themes in her writing, and she also lets her Mormon background flavour her work to make her culture more accessible to mainstream readers. She enjoys playing the bagpipes and banjo, learning obscure languages, growing wheat in the backyard, and making cheese. Raised in Utah, she now resides with her family in Canada.
Kristen won the 2012 Mississauga Arts Council MARTY Award for Established Literary Arts, and her book Garden Plot was nominated for the 2011 Whitney Award for excellence in LDS fiction.
Kristen has a strong interest in urban agriculture, sustainable living, environmental issues, and the local foods movement. She incorporates these themes in her writing, and she also lets her Mormon background flavour her work to make her culture more accessible to mainstream readers. She enjoys playing the bagpipes and banjo, learning obscure languages, growing wheat in the backyard, and making cheese. Raised in Utah, she now resides with her family in Canada.
Kristen won the 2012 Mississauga Arts Council MARTY Award for Established Literary Arts, and her book Garden Plot was nominated for the 2011 Whitney Award for excellence in LDS fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
September 30, 2023
A woman who runs a halfway house for addicts in Canada finds a dead body in her garden. The halfway house is full of eccentric residents. When the police come, they don't exactly make things easier. Our sleuth investigates, flirts with the usual super cop, and finds some twists and turns.
Low key, but entertaining.
Low key, but entertaining.
February 24, 2012
I thought this was really cute! I liked that Erin worked incredibly hard to get to where she was, and was still having lots of problems! She wasn't rich, and had a 13 year old who wasn't perfect, but wasn't crazy either. She had some love interests, but it was very much back burner in this suspense (even though I knew who the accomplice was for a lot of the book). It was more of a "hhmmm..." than a sitting on the edge of your seat book. I love the fact that she always had a hymn in her head! I sing songs in my head a lot too! I also liked that she took things a day at a time and made decisions without really thinking things through. It was strange that the detective listened to her thoughts so much. But, maybe that's normal. I wouldn't know! It was a very clean book with a few funny parts!
February 29, 2012
Anyone who knows me at all, knows I really don't enjoy LDS fiction. Knowing this, a friend told me this book was cute and I should give it a chance. So I did. But... Too many things had to be explained in detail before the characters got them and I felt there was too much doctrine mentioned that really had no relevance to the story. There were also many loose ends to the mystery that were never explained. If someone is looking for an LDS book that throws in a lot of doctrine and is clean, then this is the book for you. I did enjoy the part where the main character was rude to her nosy visiting teacher though.
March 4, 2016
Wait!!!!! Seriously it can't end there! Grrr! This was a fun read. I do think it ended a chapter early...or how about an epilogue at least. ;) Erin was such a great leading Lady! I loved the strength in her character. She made me laugh with her detective endeavors. Poor Harris had to do his best to keep up with her. Overall it was an easy read. I'm not huge on deep mystery which is probably why I liked this so much. Yes, it is a mystery novel but it had enough humor entwined that kept it light and entertaining instead of a lose sleep and startle at my shadow type of book. Cute book! I've really liked ready books by Kristen McKendry, she's a great author.
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September 18, 2011A fun, light, humorous mystery with a strong, interesting main character. Kristen McKendry is an excellent writer, and I nominated Garden Plot for a Whitney Award.
December 17, 2016
In my mind, romantic mysteries are supposed to be "unrealistic" on some levels. Just the word "romance" used to described a book implies escape literature rather than anything based in reality. I have read many romances. While they are fun and allow me to escape my present challenges for a few hours, I kept thinking how unrealistic aspects of this book were, and it was distracting. For example, I have been a woman business owner supporting myself, and I would not have had time to solve a mystery and keep up with all the other details in my world concurrently. If I found just one "unrealistic" element it would be easy to overlook; however, to me, I found several. Yet, with that said, I did finish the book and it did provide an escape. It also had clean language and good morals.
September 9, 2011
I was very disappointed in this book.... I didn't like the way it just ended... There were to many unanswered questions....
Why go through the whole book with Liam liking Erin and finally lead you toward him investigating the church etc. for them to just leave it in the air? Did she get the missionaries to talk to him? Did he join? What happened with 'them'???...
WHY did Trevor do it? and HOW did Candace fit into it and WHY???...
The book drawls out the murder but then ends... I think I could have gotten that much of the book by just reading the back of the book and telling you who did it in the last chapter....
Why go through the whole book with Liam liking Erin and finally lead you toward him investigating the church etc. for them to just leave it in the air? Did she get the missionaries to talk to him? Did he join? What happened with 'them'???...
WHY did Trevor do it? and HOW did Candace fit into it and WHY???...
The book drawls out the murder but then ends... I think I could have gotten that much of the book by just reading the back of the book and telling you who did it in the last chapter....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2011
This was one of the worst mysteries I've read in a long time. First of all, why was the detective telling Erin all the details of the case? He would not be able to share stuff like that without getting in trouble. And it was really weird that they fell in love when he showed no personality throughout the entire novel until the very end. Also, it drove me nuts how the author kept throwing in random hymns that were stuck in Erin's head. Most of them were hymns that nobody even knows and why did she add that to the book? It was an unnecessary addition to the novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2018
I really liked this cozy mystery. I wasn't sure what to expect when I began, but it delivered with even pacing, a good mystery, likable characters, humor, and a touch of romance. The story takes place in Canada and has an LDS main character, though religion is merely part of Erin's life and takes a backseat to the story . It was just what I was looking for!
September 10, 2011
To many unanswered questions. No build up. Just trying to analyze through every chapter "who done it." Needless to say, I was a little disappointed.
July 15, 2019
Fun suspense/romance.
May 29, 2019
This was my first read of a Kristen McKendry novel. While I thought it was a fun read, I must admit the book never completely pulled me in. I kept reading, thinking that moment that would totally turn me would come. It never did. That said, I did enjoy the storyline, and the colorful characters and think that those who like a tamer murder mystery, LDS romantiic intrigue type of novel will enjoy Kristen's book Garden Plot.
July 31, 2018
My mother-in-law lent this to us to listen to on a car ride. As far as LDS murder mystery goes, the mystery was pretty interesting. But there were so many obviously useless red herrings and I don't like it when the main character is doing all the investigation when they have no right to. Fun name for a book.
August 3, 2018
I quite liked this 2018 mystery written by a somewhat local author. It was really very clever and mixed in some very human, homespun elements. In some ways it reminded me of a Louise Penny / Inspector Gamache tale.
August 29, 2024
This book has a cozy mystery tone, but with more serious undertones. I really liked Erin and Harris as mystery solving partners (and perhaps more). I wish it was the start to a long series rather than a stand alone book.
July 25, 2017
Kind of a cute murder mystery. I wish there would have been an epilogue.
August 18, 2017
A fun mystery that includes lots of gardening info as well.
July 6, 2018
I listened to the audio CD for parts & read the rest of this book. A "cozy" murder mystery
July 7, 2018
funny and light murder mystery. it wasn't so spooky I couldn't go to bed, but it was charismatic and sweet. I enjoyed every page.
November 21, 2018
Excellent in every way.
I will be looking for more of this authors books.
I will be looking for more of this authors books.
February 16, 2019
Fun but unrealistic. Audio book was fun to listen to on a long trip.
February 25, 2021
Delightful story about Erin who runs a rehad center. She finds a body in her garden and then helos solve the mystery
June 9, 2022
Why do murder mysteries end up with detectives dating people they’re investigating? It’s weird, not realistic, and unethical.
November 24, 2023
Funny and lighthearted even though it was dealing with a murder
October 17, 2011
Full review originally published here: http://bit.ly/ndw8eo (www.ldswbr.com)
First Line:
It couldn’t be good for business to have a guest drop dead in the vegetable garden.
With a first line like that, I knew I was in for an entertaining read with Garden Plot.
Erin, the owner and director of a halfway house for recovering addicts as well as mother to a 13 year-old daughter, is our narrator in this story told in first person. The book begins with Erin finding a body of a guest/patient in her garden that has unfortunately been shot in the head. As she tries to deal with notifying the authorities and keeping other guests/patients from coming upon the gruesome scene, we are introduced to several colorful characters.
The author did a great job writing these numerous secondary characters, especially considering we only get to know them through Erin’s eyes. Of course, as director of the home, she knows more about them than anyone in the house. She doesn’t know them well enough, however, to know who might have committed murder.
Running the Whole-Life Wellness Center in Mississagua, ON, Canada, is more than a full-time job for Erin. It’s how she is healing from the sudden death of her husband three years earlier. She feels an obligation toward the guest who lost his life at her center and she doesn’t feel like she can rest until she understands how and why he was killed and placed in her garden.
After visiting the deceased’s wife, Erin learns that the guest who checked into her center may not be the person everyone thought he was. After information from another guest connects some dots, Erin decides to do a little more investigating on her own much to the frustration of Detective Liam Harris, who ultimately concedes that she has a way of getting information from people but doesn’t want her putting herself in danger for reasons that are personal as much as professional.
I laughed out at least a dozen times throughout the book, especially in the last few chapters. There were a few places that I felt that Erin and Detective Harris’ questioning-motive sessions went in circles a little much, but it didn’t change how I felt about the book. I enjoyed the author’s voice in the book — it was a bit different than other mysteries I’ve read.
I give Garden Plot 4 stars out of 5 because it was an entertaining read that kept me turning pages (I couldn’t put it down) and it made me laugh out loud. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with LDS characters (references to the religion but not preachy at all).
First Line:
It couldn’t be good for business to have a guest drop dead in the vegetable garden.
With a first line like that, I knew I was in for an entertaining read with Garden Plot.
Erin, the owner and director of a halfway house for recovering addicts as well as mother to a 13 year-old daughter, is our narrator in this story told in first person. The book begins with Erin finding a body of a guest/patient in her garden that has unfortunately been shot in the head. As she tries to deal with notifying the authorities and keeping other guests/patients from coming upon the gruesome scene, we are introduced to several colorful characters.
The author did a great job writing these numerous secondary characters, especially considering we only get to know them through Erin’s eyes. Of course, as director of the home, she knows more about them than anyone in the house. She doesn’t know them well enough, however, to know who might have committed murder.
Running the Whole-Life Wellness Center in Mississagua, ON, Canada, is more than a full-time job for Erin. It’s how she is healing from the sudden death of her husband three years earlier. She feels an obligation toward the guest who lost his life at her center and she doesn’t feel like she can rest until she understands how and why he was killed and placed in her garden.
After visiting the deceased’s wife, Erin learns that the guest who checked into her center may not be the person everyone thought he was. After information from another guest connects some dots, Erin decides to do a little more investigating on her own much to the frustration of Detective Liam Harris, who ultimately concedes that she has a way of getting information from people but doesn’t want her putting herself in danger for reasons that are personal as much as professional.
I laughed out at least a dozen times throughout the book, especially in the last few chapters. There were a few places that I felt that Erin and Detective Harris’ questioning-motive sessions went in circles a little much, but it didn’t change how I felt about the book. I enjoyed the author’s voice in the book — it was a bit different than other mysteries I’ve read.
I give Garden Plot 4 stars out of 5 because it was an entertaining read that kept me turning pages (I couldn’t put it down) and it made me laugh out loud. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with LDS characters (references to the religion but not preachy at all).
July 21, 2012
Okay, so this book had its faults, but I really liked it. It was a fun murder mystery. It was clean, well-written, and had an engaging plot-line.
One of the little side threads that ran through the book, that I could relate to, was that the main character, Erin, always had a hymn running through her head. These weren't just the typical hymns that every LDS person grows up with. Some of the hymns were: "On This Day of Joy and Gladness," "Father, This Hour Has Been One of Joy," just to name a couple. At first I thought, "Yeah, sure. I consider myself fairly familiar with the hymnbook, but even I wouldn't think of those hymns. Besides, most members of the church that I know balk at an unfamiliar hymn, so they wouldn't be able to relate to these lesser-known messages." So it wasn't very believable to me that they would be running through her head. But it was explained when Erin's daughter mentioned that her grandmother had made her mother learn all the hymns in the hymnbook. That made me smile just because, again, it's so not-real that it was funny.
Anyway, that's definitely a side note. But, along with the side note, I nearly cracked up laughing when, at the end of the book (sorry to give away the ending, tee-hee!), the hymn running through her head was not a hymn at all, but, well, now I can't remember what it was, but it made me smile.
There were a couple of times when Erin was conversing with the detective who was assigned to the case, and the dialogue got pretty long. All that dialogue seemed to just be a way of leading the reader off-track by thinking up all kinds of outlandish possibilities of who the murderer could be. It was a good idea of how to do that, but some of the ideas were obviously off-track, and the dialogue got a bit tedious to follow.
I liked how Erin was portrayed as an LDS woman who lived her religion, but religion was not a major theme of the book. She was just a decent person living life to the best of her ability. The book is definitely geared to an LDS audience, just because it mentions things like the hymns and visiting teaching, but the story itself is not revolving around the church and its doctrines. Her friends and her daughter's friends were not LDS, but they were her friends, and she didn't preach to them. She didn't sit around waiting for someone else to take care of her. She lived her life fully and completely.
One of the little side threads that ran through the book, that I could relate to, was that the main character, Erin, always had a hymn running through her head. These weren't just the typical hymns that every LDS person grows up with. Some of the hymns were: "On This Day of Joy and Gladness," "Father, This Hour Has Been One of Joy," just to name a couple. At first I thought, "Yeah, sure. I consider myself fairly familiar with the hymnbook, but even I wouldn't think of those hymns. Besides, most members of the church that I know balk at an unfamiliar hymn, so they wouldn't be able to relate to these lesser-known messages." So it wasn't very believable to me that they would be running through her head. But it was explained when Erin's daughter mentioned that her grandmother had made her mother learn all the hymns in the hymnbook. That made me smile just because, again, it's so not-real that it was funny.
Anyway, that's definitely a side note. But, along with the side note, I nearly cracked up laughing when, at the end of the book (sorry to give away the ending, tee-hee!), the hymn running through her head was not a hymn at all, but, well, now I can't remember what it was, but it made me smile.
There were a couple of times when Erin was conversing with the detective who was assigned to the case, and the dialogue got pretty long. All that dialogue seemed to just be a way of leading the reader off-track by thinking up all kinds of outlandish possibilities of who the murderer could be. It was a good idea of how to do that, but some of the ideas were obviously off-track, and the dialogue got a bit tedious to follow.
I liked how Erin was portrayed as an LDS woman who lived her religion, but religion was not a major theme of the book. She was just a decent person living life to the best of her ability. The book is definitely geared to an LDS audience, just because it mentions things like the hymns and visiting teaching, but the story itself is not revolving around the church and its doctrines. Her friends and her daughter's friends were not LDS, but they were her friends, and she didn't preach to them. She didn't sit around waiting for someone else to take care of her. She lived her life fully and completely.
November 26, 2013
It's kind of rare for me to read a book that someone hasn't recommended, or I am familiar with the author. However, I came across Garden Plot and the cover got me interested (because I totally judge a book by its cover) and the synopsis sounded interesting. I'm glad I picked it up. Garden plot (which I think the title is a clever play on words) was a fun LDS mystery that can be read quite quickly. I loved how Erin always had a hymn in her head. Some of the hymns she picked were just down right hilarious for the situation. I enjoyed the feel of the book. It's a mystery, but it wasn't heavy. Erin had a great personality that was just fun to read. I wish a little more could have been done between her an Liam, but maybe Kristen McKendry is planning on more books with the same characters. The ending left off in a good place, and even though I wanted more, I didn't get the feeling of the book just ending. It was more that I enjoyed myself and was sad to see it end.
January 27, 2012
There is a body discovered in the vegetable garden of a wellness center (after detox) and it appears to be that of a "guest." When it turns out that the fingerprints don't match those of the man staying there, another mystery appears--who was murdered and why? Who did it?
I, personally, love it when I can't figure a mystery out. I thought this one was well done. There were twists and turns that I didn't expect. I really enjoyed how the main character thought--the hymns that would come to her mind; the little details that she noticed; the way her mind worked and clicked things into place. I loved the subtle chemistry between her and the detective.
I, personally, love it when I can't figure a mystery out. I thought this one was well done. There were twists and turns that I didn't expect. I really enjoyed how the main character thought--the hymns that would come to her mind; the little details that she noticed; the way her mind worked and clicked things into place. I loved the subtle chemistry between her and the detective.
August 12, 2012
I enjoyed reading this book. It was easy to follow but kept my interest. I enjoyed the humor of this single mom as well as her ability to use common sense to help solve the murder of someone she found in her garden. If I'm not mistaken I think this was Kristen McKendry's 1st mystery novel, her 2nd one might be coming out this fall. I am looking forward to reading the next one. I also enjoyed the fact that the main character is a Latter-day Saint so there were references to the Church regarding her life and situations she was involved in. This isn't a nail biter story, but one that is humorous and fun to read and helps you unwind.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews