The Garden Plot

Rating:
Summary: Okay, but not her best
Review: I've read all of the books in this series, and while I wasn't completely disappointed in this book, there were some areas for improvement.

I didn't get much of a sense of the gardens. Based on the title, you'd think they would be almost a character on their own, but they were kind of glossed over.

The characters were fun, interesting, and basically well developed, but the actions of one character at the end of the book seemed to come out of left field. I even backtracked a little to see if I'd missed something, and I couldn't connect the dots.

Some annoying grammatical/typographical errors distracted me, too, but that's a minor point.

All in all, an enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: Seemed a bit long.
Review: My favorite part of this book was the setting. Although not a botanist at heart, I enjoyed the descriptions of the inns, hotels, gardens, etc., that are a part of this European trip. Sara Deane and her aunt Julia find themselves filling in a couple of vacancies on a European garden tour when the tour leader ends up taking a tumble down her cellar stairs and can't go. Then, Ellen Travino, a colleague of Sara's and the botanical 'specialist' who is also supposed to go, ends up missing and presumed dead. Everybody in the tour group is under suspicion, and Sara puts herself right in the middle of everything. Although the story seemed kind of long (by the time the book ended I was more than ready) it was still an enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: A little disappointed
Review: The cover caught me, the title was right down my alley, the setting was just what I like, and the cincher was the quotes, "a good fireside read" and "if you can't see the gardens of England yourself, you can with this book" (paraphrased). I HAD to read this! The book was enjoyable and the characters fun, but the story was lacking seriousness and at times disjointed. I wanted to finish because I did want to travel through England and "see" the gardens and also to see whodunit. My expectation of a dramatic climax is where my disappointment comes in. I was not totally unhappy with the book but the ending was not what I expected.