Six Cloves Under

Mabel doesn’t know a stinkin’ thing about garlic farming. She knows how to develop an app and how to code. But when her aunt, Peggy Skinner, dies suddenly, Mabel inherits her Stinkin’ Stuff Farm in western Massachusetts. She arrives during peak harvest time—with three days to bring in the entire crop before rain can destroy it.

But Mabel has an even bigger problem: she suspects her aunt’s “accidental death” was murder. As she digs for both garlic and clues, Mabel must contend with a mysterious crop thief, a rival garlic grower her aunt was suing and a farmer who was after Aunt Peggy’s green-thumb secret. It’s up to Mabel to crack the code on a killer before she joins the garlic bulbs six cloves under

Series: A Garlic Farm Mystery – Book #1
Author: Gin Jones
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Culinary
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 247

Rating:

From Kensington Books comes a new series, “A Garlic Farm Mystery” by author Gin Jones. The first book, Six Cloves Under, will have readers learning a great deal about garlic and how difficult it can be for someone to step into a situation they have no clue how to handle.

Mabel doesn’t know anything about growing, harvesting, or selling garlic. She doesn’t want to know either. But guilt-ridden she has no choice but to learn quickly. This character isn’t at first very likable; she isn’t just an introvert; she is the ultimate loner. She doesn’t like people and isn’t comfortable dealing with strangers. She’s not the touchy-feely kind, and it appears that everyone she comes in contact with is just the opposite.

Throughout the book, Mabel begins to grow; she starts to understand that maybe her issues with people are just that, her issues. Not everyone is out to hurt her or take advantage of her. This doesn’t necessarily make the everyday contact easier for her but helps explain who she is or will become. Other characters in this story are garlic lovers and know far more about the process of farming than Mabel will ever know. Emily, Dawn, Charlie, and Rory are great characters that readers will want to know more about.

The setting is not as well defined other than the farm, but there is plenty of room for growth, and not just for the characters. I would like to know more about the layout of the town and the personalities that clearly are obsessed with garlic, and with Mabel’s aunt’s garlic in particular. Aunt Peggy’s death, thought to be an accident by everyone, doesn’t take Mabel long to figure out it was anything but an accident. The killer is not necessarily unexpected, but the reveal is action-packed and exciting.

This series is destined to become a favorite with cozy book readers. Garlic will become a must-have spice (or an herb, or a vegetable, depending on who you are) for everyone’s pantry. The garlic aspect puts an unusual twist on this cozy. Mabel will continue to grow and evolve, maybe even get a love interest. I am happy to recommend Six Cloves Under and look forward to reading the next one in the series.

Readers may enjoy other cozies based on farming, such as Edith Maxwell’s thrilling series “A Local Foods Mystery” or Kate Collins’ fun garden-themed series “A Goddess Of Greene St. Mystery”.

About the Author:

Gin is a retired lawyer who specialized in ghost-writing for other lawyers. She prefers to write her own books, though, since she doesn’t have to worry that her sense of humor might get her thrown into jail for contempt of court. In her spare time, Gin makes quilts, grows garlic, and advocates for patients with rare disorders.