By Julie, thrilled to be introducing the latest JH Author!
I am beyond thrilled to tell you all about the new series I’m writing as Julia Henry for Kensington. The Garden Squad series is set in Goosebush, MA, a fictional town on the South Shore of Massachusetts. Lilly Jayne is a widow in her mid sixties. Her best friend, Tamara O’Connor is a real estate agent in town. Ernie Johnson owns the town home and garden store. Delia Greenway was Lilly’s late husband’s student, and lives with Lilly. They take care of each other. Together these four friends garden together–the kind of gardening that “solves” town problems rather than beautification work. They also solve mysteries.
Here’s the cover blurb for the first book, Pruning the Dead:
Post-retirement aches and pains can’t prevent sixty-five-year-old Lilly Jayne from keeping the most manicured garden in Goosebush, Massachusetts. But as a murder mystery blooms in the sleepy New England town, can a green thumb weed out a killer?
With hundreds flocking to her inaugural garden party, meticulous Lilly Jayne hasn’t left a single petal out of place. But the picture-perfect gathering turns unruly upon the arrival of Merilee Frank, Lily’s ex-husband’s catty third wife. Merilee lives for trouble, so no one is surprised after she drinks too much, shoves a guest into the koi pond, and gets escorted off the property. The real surprise comes days later—when Merilee is found dead in a pile of mulch . . .
Lilly wishes she could stick to pruning roses and forget about Merilee’s murder—until her best friend and ex become suspects in an overgrown homicide case. Now, aided by the Garden Squad, an unlikely group of amateur crime solvers with a knack for planting, Lilly knows she has limited time to identify the true culprit and restore order to Goosebush. Because if the murderer’s plot isn’t nipped in the bud, another victim could be pushing up daisies!
I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying writing this series! Though it won’t be out until January 29, 2019, it is available for pre-order now. You’ll be hearing more about it in the next few months, but today I wanted to share the news, share the cover, and let you all know that the Wickeds are adding another author to the masthead!
Readers, how much do you love this cover? Isn’t it beautiful?
I love the cover & can’t wait to read this new series.
Thank you!
Sweet cover, Julia! I lived on the North Shore for a couple of decades, and I can’t wait to read your gardening series on the South Shore! –Kate, writing as C.T. Collier
Thank you! My Theater Cop series takes place on the North Shore. Massachusetts is rich in potential for mysteries. 😀
I am jumping up and down and clapping, Julie, I mean Julia! I love the cover, I love the premise, and I’m so excited for you to be joining us at Kensington. Yay!
Thanks Edith! I’m thrilled!
I love it! I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy. Congratulations!
Thank you Joyce!
Best of luck, Julie. Sounds delightful.
Thank you!
It’s a stunning cover! I love the set up for the series and I can’t wait to get to know the characters better!
Thanks Sherry!
Gorgeous cover, and the series sounds great!
Thank you!
Congratulations. This sounds wonderful. You are such a busy lady! Well done!
Thank you so much!
LOVE the cover! Love the pink flowers to the sailboat. You sure can’t miss the gardening equipment including the garden shears 🙂 by the what looks like hydrangeas which happen to be my favorite flower.
Thank you! I love hydrangeas too. A summer burst of beauty.
Congrats on the new series and the expansion of the masthead.
Thank you! Congrats on your Kensington series as well! Can’t wait to celebrate it later this year.
Thanks for introducing me to a new series. I’ve already added it to my 2019 release list. It will be posted on my blog site mid December so people can pre-order it.
Thank you SO much! I’m very excited about it.
I LOVE the cover. I want to move there immediately. Which means I want to read all about the place. Cannot wait.
Thanks Barb!
I love this cover! Congrats on your upcoming release and the new series!
Thanks so much!
Looking forward to starting this new series. I love series with older sleuths .
I love writing it. Lilly’s best friend Tamara is her same age. A lot of fun to show the superpowers of older women.
Congrats, big time! I want that yard!! So beautiful.
Thank you! I want it too!
Congratulations, Julie! The cover is great.
Thank you!
May your new word-garden bloom for a long, long time!
Thank you!
Congratulations! Beautiful cover and colors!
Thank you!
That is a great cover! Can’t wait to read the book.
Thanks Mark! I can’t wait for you to read it. I’m having a lot of fun with this group.
Love the cover! Very excited to read it!
Thank you!
Preordered and can’t wait to read it.
Good luck Julie.
Thank you so much! I am very excited about it.
Beautiful cover! I’m adding this to my TBR list.
Thank you!!
I love gardening, and the authors writing gardening mysteries seemed to have stop. So yea for a new gardening series!
I am having so much fun writing about gardening. The best part has been writing to my aunt and uncle, and my sister, and asking for tips. With them I get wonderful stories.
What a delightful idea for a new series! Looking forward to reading it. 🙂
Thanks Patti!
I am so delighted for your new series to be coming into the world! Super congratulations, my friend!
Thank you!!!
They did a wonderful job.
I love the cover. Can’t wait to read the book.
Sounds like a delightful new series.
Thank you!!
Congrats on the new series. Love a New England murder!
Thank you!
Stunning cover ! I cannot wait to read it.
Thank you!
Amazing cover. Really beautiful.