The Red Book of Primrose House

Potting Shed Mysteries Series, Book 2

By: Marty Wingate

Narrated by: Erin Bennett

Pru Parke has her dream job: head gardener at an 18th-century manor house in Sussex. The landscape for Primrose House was laid out in 1806 by renowned designer Humphry Repton in one of his meticulously illustrated Red Books, and the new owners want Pru to restore the estate to its former glory - quickly, as they're planning to showcase it in less than a year at a summer party. But life gets in the way of the best laid plans: When not being happily distracted by the romantic attentions of the handsome Inspector Christopher Pearse, Pru is digging into the mystery of her own British roots. Still, she manages to make considerable progress on the vast grounds - until vandals wreak havoc on each of her projects. Then, to her horror, one of her workers is found murdered among the yews. The police have a suspect, but Pru is certain they're wrong. Once again, Pru finds herself entangled in a thicket of evil intentions - and her, without a hatchet.

©2014 Martha Wingate (P)2016 Tantor

Great Mystery Series

This second book was a delight to listen to and now it feels as if Pru and Christopher are old friends. Pru is the head-gardener of quite a large project about an hour outside of London. I loved listening to the gardening ideas and her efforts and wished I could be in that garden too.

I was sad to see old Ned dead and gone, I quite liked the old fellow.

I love this book!

Romance, big mystery, gardens full of plants all set in England . Now I am going to read the next book in the series because I am hooked! Great narration.

Another wonderful installment

Marty Wingate has crafted another wonderful installment. As it was in the first installment, this one kept me wanting more, and wondering what mess Pru would find herself in next time.

Cozy mystery with a bit of romance and gardening

Like: Clean romance that is not embarrassing to listen to with audio speaker on. Lots of characters to discover.
Dislike: A bit plodding. Main character delays alerting police and others about important details, such as her suspicions and attempts on her life. Ignores basic personal safety by not paying attention to her surroundings, not having her cellphone, etc. when she knows there is a murderer among her acquaintances. Wow! This character should NOT be written as that stupid or distracted or ditzy. Not when she is — supposedly— an organized and detail-oriented person (who works on major landscaping projects that require such skills). There needs to be a better reason that places her in those situations.
Overall, a good listen.

A romance novel more than a mystery

If you like your mysteries with the characters spending a lot of time gazing longingly into each other's eyes, this is the series for you.

It's well written and Erin Bennett is an excellent narrator, but the style isn't for me.

Good story. Too much on romance of main character.

This is the second of the series I read and it was enjoyable. I found myself forwarding during the parts about Pru and her "fellow" staring into each other's eyes and such.

2 and a half stars

This book is more romance than mystery. The story is ok but it dragged on a bit.

Lovely Mystery! (If a Mystery Can Be Lovely)

I'm throughly enjoying this mystery series by Marty Wingate! A gardener that helps solve mysteries is a new twist on female "detectives." My only frustration is the lack of physical traits of the characters. At least I now know the color of Pru's hair! For some characters I'm able to fill in the gaps, but that is only due to Erin Bennett's great performance! I normally do not like "voices" but Erin has a great gift for changes that don't go too far and sound ridiculous (which is how I feel about most readers, with a few exceptions). The characterization is great, but something more than just one physical trait would be nice. But, regardless, the books are amazing and I would highly recommend them!

My Perfect Cozy

I love this series. We have a Texas gardener, an English garden, romance, friendship, and mystery! Personally, I couldn't ask for anything more. Pru, the gardener and amateur sleuth, is from Dallas, but she has some English roots. She's a loveable character, as are her friends -- several of whom are suspected of murder. Every time I thought I was sure of the killer, the author planted another tiny seed of doubt or had me looking in another direction.

Pru has the dream job for many a serious gardener. She's Head Gardener on an English estate, hired to rebuild a derelict, historical garden. She lives in a refurbished cottage on the estate. Wonderful as it is -- and ahhh, the garden theme is lovely and true -- things are not so idyllic as they seem. The tension builds throughout the story, broken only by wonderful friendships and a little romance.

That brings me full circle. I must say that Erin Bennet does a great job narrating. She manages a gentle -- not overdone -- Texas accent for Pru, a variety of accents for the Brits, and she does a great job with male voices as well as female.

The Red Book of Primrose House kept me guessing, inspired my senses, and warmed my heart. Five stars!