Garden Gate Mysteries Not in the Job Description

Tess Williams had a simple plan: come home, plant gardens, avoid drama.After law school didn't work out (who needs lawsuits when you have lawns?), Tess found her calling in making beautiful things grow - even if those things occasionally fight back."More a cozy blanket than a cozy mystery - and that's a good thing."- Editorial reviewThe Hawthorne estate should be a straightforward job: ten acres of neglected gardens, one fountain that's forgotten how to fountain, and a greenhouse with opinions about geometry. The new owner just wants everything perfect by his thirtieth birthday - a reasonable request, until the estate starts revealing things that were meant to stay hidden.Now Tess is juggling aggressive greenery, a client who treats planting like there'll be a quiz later, a local reporter convinced alliteration sells papers, and a stone artist who believes "close enough" is a personal insult. Add in the town's entire population of gossips (so... basically everyone), and Tess is beginning to think she should have read the fine print.In a small Connecticut town where everybody knows everybody's business, the real mystery is how anyone thought secrets this big would never surface.Landscaping. Detective work. Small-town gossip. All billable hours.A light, character-driven cozy mystery for readers who prefer warmth, wit, and small-town charm over high-stakes drama.