Celebrity gardener Finn O'Leary decides he needs a break and returns to his hometown of Abbeyford to help care for his mother and to try and mend fences with his father. He no sooner arrives than he finds himself involved in the highly fought over Tidy Town Competition. Aoife, one of the key members, wastes no time in getting him on board. Finn may have wanted to escape the limelight but he doesn't try terribly hard to escape from Aoife! The competition may be competitive but when someone is murdered it is taken to a whole new level and he finds himself investigating along with other equally engaging characters! This book has everything you could want in a cosy mystery, a great setting, a terrific cast of characters and a plot that keeps you guessing. I hope there is more to come for Finn and co. I loved it! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This is a wonderfully character driven slice of cosy crime, there is a certain charm and warmth to the story. As you may expect the narrartive is sprinkled throughout with humor, but it is the protagonists within which really shine, so well written and well rounded you get a strong sense of who each are. Finn O’Leary is the sort of celebrity who you want to root for, not overwhelmed by fame, there is almost a reluctance to his character, but a determination with his friends a determination to find a killer. One of the reasons for me why the book worked so well was that sense of community only found in small towns, you get a terrific feel for the people and a real sense of place and location, Abbeyford is wonderfully brought to life on the page. There are plenty of rumours flying around with gossip in abundance. It’s quite a busy read with plenty being packed in and a whole host of characters to get to know, that said it is done in a way that you don’t lose yourself, in someways the early parts of the book are there to set the scene for what will follow, which is an intriguing murder mystery. The plotting of the book, is thoughtful and well constructed, a layered and nuanced plot which builds up and leaves many a suspect. The pacing is quite gentle but then that fits for the storyline. But for all its warmth and charm it works as a murder mystery, there are plenty of twists and turns and suspense throughout. Underneath the Murder though you have the quest to win the annual Tidy town competition. For me this was an engaging read which drew me into this small town world and then held me in suspense until the reveal, one i’m pleased to say I hadn’t seen coming. When reading celebrity written crime, i’m usually a little cautious as to what to expect, however, I have to say I throughly enjoyed the reading experience, this was a highly enteratining read and I will certainly look forward to reading more. One to watch out for