The Garden Shop Mystery by Kathleen McKee – That’s What I’m Talking About…

Audiobook review: The Garden Shop Mystery by Kathleen McKee

Picking up several months after the conclusion of the first book in the series, The Garden Shop Mystery opens by bringing listeners up to speed on Sue and Alan’s life as they’ve settled into their home in Aspen Notch. Sue is moving forward with her dream to open a garden shop in “Abe’s Cabin,” the outbuilding located on their property. While it’s a lot of work, she’s enjoying the process; however a newly elected town official is working to keep the shop from opening, and after it does open, vandalism and other issues cause the store to close for days. 

The Garden Shop Mystery is just that… a mystery over who is trying to sabotage the shop or if it’s all just a series of terrible pranks. While the book was slow going as I listened to all of the pitfalls and successes of Sue’s endeavor, I realized I liked that the story didn’t center on a murder. Too many cozies fall in to the trap of creating a town filled with dead bodies. There are only so many murders a small town can handle before it becomes ridiculous.

The Aspen Notch Mystery series features real characters that have everyday concerns. I love that Sue and Alan are a bit older, yet still active. This is a second marriage for both Sue and Alan, and I like that we see them learn each other’s quirks and habits. That said, they’ve been together a year and still fall into the same traps when it comes to communication. Sue often reacts without thinking, especially when she’s frustrated with Alan’s perceived lack of concern. It’s okay for a bit, but she ends up acting like a petulant child who doesn’t get her way. And Alan tends to try and control Sue’s handling of a situation, belittling her concerns and actions. While I praise the author for creating solid, real characters, I want to see them learn and mature as the series progresses, and I don’t see that yet in this book.

There is also a scene in the book that shocked me and left a bad taste in my mouth. At one point when Sue is frustrated over her situation and unclear on how to proceed, she states that she doesn’t know where to start. Her best friend Evelyn makes a comment about Custer not knowing where to start when he was told to round up the Native Americans. I was just floored at how insensitive this comparison is. It came out of nowhere and is in horribly poor taste.

Narration: the story is shared via the first person POV of Sue. Jones performs with a deeper feminine voice, suitable for the 60-something Sue. She alters a marginal amount for gender, deepening her voice for males. There isn’t a lot of variation between characters of the same gender, but enough to distinguish who was talking. Overall it’s a good performance.

In the end, The Garden Shop Mystery is a good mystery. While I do appreciate that the story and characters are grounded in reality, I want to see the characters learn from their actions, especially Sue, who went a bit overboard in this story. I’ll give the next book a try, but if I don’t see improvement, I may be leaving Aspen Notch behind.

My Ratings
Story: B-/C+
Narration: B+

Jen

About the Book:

Sue Jaworski prepares to open her new garden shop in Aspen Notch—but someone poses a threat, in more ways than one…

Sue’s plan to use the historic log cabin on her property as a garden shop has locals excited. They fondly remember the town founder’s original home as Clara’s candy store. When Sue unearths the old recipes, she decides to sell the candies in Butterflies and Blooms. After someone notifies the health department, Sue must prove that Clara’s taffies didn’t cause the mysterious foodborne illness in Aspen Notch.

That’s not Sue’s only problem. Mischief and vandalism escalate in her first week of business. Sue’s husband, police chief Alan Jaworski, is convinced that the incidents are childish pranks until he finds her unconscious in the shop. Sue believes that someone is trying to force her to close Butterflies and Blooms. But why?

Author: Kathleen McKee
Narrator: Linda Jones
Series: Aspen Notch Mystery series #2
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Audiobook Release Date: January 6, 2026
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Length: 6 hrs; 47 mins
Source: publisher
Audio Speed: 1.25x