Better Gnomes and Gardens Book Review

By first appearances, one would think that the cover of this book suggests a cozy mystery dealing in gnomes, gardens, and perhaps a touch of the “wee” people. And while those three notions are certainly correct, that is just the beginning to this magically twisted tale of a town called Mysty Havens.

When Bob, fresh from college, moves to Mysty Havens to start a new job with the paper, his promising opportunity takes a sudden dive when he is fired after publishing his first story on how Bigfoot is real. In the market for a new venture, Bob overhears a man by the name of Doug who is willing to dish out $1,000 to anyone who will return his missing gnome, Charlie. The task seems simple enough. Find a stolen gnome and collect the reward money before the town’s annual garden contest is in full swing. But as Bob asks the man’s garden “rivals,” sisters Lilly and Audri, about the disappearance of the lounging and pipe smoking gnome, it becomes evident that something magical is afoot and behind more than one gnome’s kidnapping.

Bob soon finds himself lying in a hospital bed after his car is totaled in a traffic accident he is lucky to have survived. Now a new question takes shape; who saved him? And is the person, or creature, connected to the case he has fallen into? With the help of the police chief’s daughter, Shauna, and perhaps a little Irish Luck, Bob embarks down a path of werewolves, talking gnomes, fairies and more. But the ultimate reveal, for Bob himself, is discovering who his biological family really is.

I enjoyed the flow of the author’s writing, the humor she effortlessly injects into the story line and how relatable Bob is of a main character. If you are into magical beings living amongst the realistic world of small town charm, then this is the mystery for you!

For more on the author of this book, Casey Cardel, check out her website here.

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