Garden of Death — Karin Kaufman

Rachel's neighbor, Julia, was thrilled to be chosen as a judge in Juniper Grove's annual garden show, so when the owners of the prize-winning garden invite her to a celebratory party, Rachel tags along. But the party comes to a crashing halt when one of Julia's fellow judges drops dead. As Rachel struggles to piece together the events that led to the judge's murder, she soon discovers that lies and ruthless ambition rule the supposedly genteel world of gardening.In her race to discover the killer, Rachel must juggle her worries about Julia's safety with her increasingly frustrating love life. Convinced her romance with Chief Gilroy has stalled and that he is keeping secrets from her, she must decide whether to accept things as they are or rock the boat.This light, cozy mystery offers a clean read with a female amateur sleuth in a small-town setting. No foul language, sex, gore, or graphic scenes of any kind. It can be read as a standalone, but it will be enjoyed more as part of the series.THE JUNIPER GROVE MYSTERY SERIES: Book 1: Death of a Dead Man Book 2: Death of a Scavenger Book 3: At Death's Door Book 4: Death of a Santa Book 5: Scared to Death Book 6: Cheating Death Book 7: Death Trap Book 8: Death Knell Book 9: Garden of Death Book 10: Death of a Professor Book 11: Still as Death Book 12: Grim Death