Primer and Punishment - House-Flipper Mystery #5

 

Primer and Punishment is the fifth House-Flipper mystery by Diane Kelly. Released 21st Feb 2023 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in mass market paperback, audio, and ebook formats.  It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an engaging and well written cozy mystery with a full complement of quirky neighbors, old houses (this time a houseboat!), plucky female amateur sleuth, requisite grumpy (but handsome) law enforcement officer, unlamented murder victim, resultant amateur investigations, and a cat who gets some 3rd person narrative alternating with his owner, protagonist house-flipper Whitney. The chapters are labeled with the primary PoV character, so they're easy to keep track of.

The writing is appealing and entertaining, very light and engaging. The language is clean, the violence is off scene, there's nothing to horrify or scandalize. The denouement is well written and the book moves along at a good clip. It's a well written light read. Despite being the 5th book in the series, it works quite well as a standalone read. Fans of Amanda Flower, Kate Carlisle, and Sarah Graves will find a lot to like with this series..

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Murder on the Vine - Tuscan Mystery #3

Murder on the Vine is the third Tuscan mystery by Camilla Trinchieri. Released 13th Sept 2022 by Soho Press on their Soho Crime imprint, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats. E-format is especially useful here, for flipping back and forth to the dramatis personae list the author has included. 

This is a very well written destination mystery, absolutely redolent of the Italian countryside and full of the food and culture of the area. Ex NYPD detective Nico Doyle winds up helping a local restaurateur figure out how a local man wound up stabbed, wrapped in plastic, and stuffed into his trunk. The plotting is well controlled and the characterizations are beautifully rendered and believable. It works well enough as a standalone, but readers may struggle a bit to keep the characters straight. Use of the character list in the back of the book is recommended.

There will be inevitable comparisons with Leon's Brunetti, Walker's Bruno, and Bannalec's Dupin. Although not at all derivative, this series is more than competently written and can stand on its own merits in that company. 

Four and a half stars. Quite highly recommended, especially to fans of destination mysteries and procedurals. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

100 Morning Treats: With Muffins, Rolls, Biscuits, Sweet and Savory Breakfast Breads, and More

100 Morning Treats is a delightful collection of breakfast breads, rolls, and more curated by Sarah Kieffer. Due out 9th May 2023 from Chronicle Books, it's 304 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats. 

This is a comprehensive and versatile collection of well written recipes for breakfast and brunch foods, both sweet and savory. Recipes are arranged thematically in chapters: muffins scones & quickbreads, coffee & bundt cakes, sweet yeasted & fried treats, laminated pastries, weekend treats, base doughs & breads, and extras (drinks, streusels, jams, and syrups). Recipes are written with a description, ingredients in a bullet list sidebar, and followed by step-by-step prep instructions. Recipe ingredients are listed in imperial (American) units with metric units in parentheses (yay!). Required ingredients will probably be easy to source at any well stocked grocery store in North America.

The entire collection is beautifully photographed throughout and the food is well styled, attractive, and appetizing. 

The author/editors have also included useful appendices such as a suggested playlist of tunes, a bibliography and resource lists, conversion chart, and cross referenced index.

Four and a half stars. This is a solidly useful, versatile, and appealing reference and will be at home in a wide variety of kitchens. It would be a good selection for public library acquisition, home use, and gifting purposes. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

Death and Croissants - Follet Valley Mysteries #1

Death and Croissants is a promising series starter set in the Loire Valley written by Ian Moore. Released in 2021, this paperback edition was released 14th March 2023 by Sourcebooks on their Poisoned Pen Press imprint. It's 256 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. Hardcover format available from Farrago. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a light humorous cozy featuring a pair of unlikely amateur sleuths: Richard, a hapless middle aged Englishman running a B&B in France and Valérie, a force of nature femme fatale and current patron of Richard's establishment. 

The comparison between this and Osman's excellent Thursday Murder Club books is not entirely apt and unfortunately this series suffers by comparison. There is a frenetic bantering quality to the humor here and there's more self-aware aspect; almost breaking the fourth wall in places. (Metalepsis for the English majors in the room). Despite that, it's entertaining and easy to read and the denouement and resolution are satisfying and well written. 

Three and a half stars. There are three books in the series currently, along with a couple of shorter stories, and it would make a good choice for binge/buddy read.  

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

A Treacherous Tale - The Cambridge Bookshop Series #2

A Treacherous Tale is the second Cambridge Bookshop cozy by Elizabeth Penney. Released 23rd Aug 2022 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 283 pages and is available in mass market paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.

This is a fun and engaging bookstore cozy set in Cambridge. This installment follows on from book one and protagonist Molly is appealingly intelligent and well rendered. Some of the plot developments in the early part of the book were a bit over-the-top, but not too outlandish given the genre setting and characters.

The book's admittedly formulaic, but it is quite well written and fun and full of the whimsical amateur cozy vibe which keeps readers of the genre ticking over the pages. I liked Molly's enthusiasm and honesty. It's less of a "whodunit" and more an untangling and exposé on the way to the denouement and satisfying resolution. There were a few twists on the way, and I liked the ending. There's a strong tie-in to the sentimental children's books of yesteryear and it was sweetly nostalgic to read them.

Four stars, entertaining and full of whimsy.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.  

Six Feet Deep Dish - Deep Dish Mysteries #1

Six Feet Deep Dish is a new series starter by cozy writer Mindy Quigley. Released 23rd Aug 2022 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 320 pages and is available in mass market paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an engaging light shopfront cozy with an appealing female protagonist pizza-shop owner who has just been dumped by her erstwhile fiancé, a chubby tabby cat, and an unwanted murder victim who could scupper her dreams of business ownership before they really get started. The de rigueur handsome detective makes an appearance, and it's full of the sort of small town quirky eccentric characters which populate cozies. 

The plot arc is admittedly a tiny bit trope-y but quite entertaining and it's a fun read overall. The denouement and resolution are satisfyingly self-contained in this book, but it's clearly a series opener. In fact, the second book, Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust, is due out in 2nd quarter 2023. 

There are more than the usual number of pizza themed recipes included in the back of the book. 

Four stars. Highly recommended for fans of humorous light shopfront cozies like those from Ellie Alexander, Laurie Cass, and Peggy Ehrhart. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

In Place of Fear

In Place of Fear is a well written historical mystery thriller by Catriona McPherson. Released 28th June 2022 by Hachette on their Mobius imprint, it's 352 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. Paperback due out in late second quarter 2023 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

The author is quite adept at both setting and characterization and the book is redolent of post-WW2 Edinburgh with dialogue and vernacular from the place and period. She's included a helpful glossary for some of the more impenetrable words and phrases, though its location at the back of the book was slightly less convenient for quick-lookups. One reason that some readers may prefer the electronic format; it makes lookups painless. The phrases likely won't be problematic in most cases for most readers because McPherson is talented at context setting, so most of the time the meanings are clear. 

The plot arc is tightly controlled and well measured; there's a distinctly thriller-ish vibe in many places. The characterizations are believable (in some cases all-too-sadly-realistic), and the protagonist is likable and idealistic. The author has clearly done a prodigious amount of research on the time period and place, because there's a vast amount of interesting minutiae on the nascence of the NHS in Scotland and general public perceptions of class and gender roles as well. 

Four stars. Engaging and satisfying thriller(ish) read. Recommended especially to fans of Anna Lee Huber and Nicola Upson. It should be noted that this book is -not- in any way the same as the author's excellent (and hysterically funny/campy) Last Ditch Mysteries, which also come very very highly recommended.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, Second Edition: Fresh, Flavorful, and Healthy Plant-Based Burgers—Plus Toppings, Sides, Buns, and More

Veggie Burgers Every Which Way is an updated second edition of the classic veggie burger cookbook by Lukas Volger. Originally published in 2010, this reformat and re-release from The Experiment is due out 6th June 2023. It's 192 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats. 

This is a very versatile and adaptable cooking guide. The author does a good job of showing how to substitute and arrange ingredients to choose vegan or vegetarian, as well as giving lots of good tips for adapting to make recipes wheat-/gluten-free. 

The recipes are arranged thematically by main base ingredient: basics/adaptations, bean/grain burgers, vegetable based burgers, tofu seitan tempeh TVP burgers, buns, sides (salads & fries), and condiments & toppings. Recipes are written with a description, headers including codes for vegan, gluten free, etc, ingredients in a bullet list, and step by step cooking directions. 

Ingredient measures are given in imperial (American) measurements with metric measures in parentheses (yay!). Roughly 2/3rds of the recipes are accompanied by color photos. The food is very attractively styled and appetizing. 

The author has also included an abbreviated bibliography/resources list, and an index.

Four stars. A good kitchen resource. The condiments chapter alone is full of versatile and tasty make-aheads to enhance more than just burgers.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Heart of the Nile - Barker & Llewelyn #14

 

 

Heart of the Nile is the 14th Barker & Llewelyn Victorian historical mystery by Will Thomas. Released 11th April 2023 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 320 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a well established series and the characters are quite finely drawn in a well written whole. The background research is impressive and the descriptions really do call up Victorian London. The story is fictionalized but written around a real historical framework and intertwined so skillfully that it's not always easy to tell where real history shades over into fiction. 

The denouement and resolution are well done and satisfying. My only quibble (and it's a fairly minor one) is that the dialogue feels anachronistic in some places. It isn't clunky or awkward, but there is some modern vernacular and a most egalitarian (and non-period) mixing of social classes. The mystery itself is quite convoluted and the climax and denouement were full of twists I hadn't foreseen. 

I enjoyed the inclusion of archaeology, Egyptology, and the British Museum especially. The eccentric and intellectual staff and hangers-on were compassionately done and not at all sarcastically or cruelly written. There are some moderately graphic descriptions of blood and violence included, so readers who are very sensitive to bloodshed should be aware. All in all it's a very well written and engaging historical mystery. 

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 9 hours 59 minutes and is superbly narrated by Antony Ferguson. He has a rich baritone voice and the quick switches in dialogue from Barker's brogue to east London Cockney thugs without a wobble is a thing of beauty. The sound and production quality is high throughout the recording.

The books are self contained stand-alones, so it's not necessary to have read the books in order to understand what's going on. 

High quality historical mystery. Four and a half stars. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

 

The Man from Mittelwerk

The Man from Mittelwerk is a historical PI thriller with elements of SF based very loosely on aspects of the some of the scientific experiments carried out by Germany during WW2. Released 6th Sept 2022 through Inkshares, it's 362 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. 

This is an eminently readable espionage thriller set in the cold war with a gritty noir feel and with a world-weary protagonist who was a GI during WW2 and now works as a private investigator. The authors have done a good job of conjuring the horror of war and the capacity of humans to harm one another. 

In addition to the basic evil-science-world-domination plotline, there's a fair bit of interesting & all too credible political cold war history which gives the whole an unsettlingly realistic vibe. The climax, denouement, and resolution are satisfying and well written and guaranteed to please the LeCarre and Forsythe fans in the audience. 

Four stars. Well written and executed. Some of the descriptions are violent and graphic. The violence is not gratuitous, but particularly sensitive readers should be aware.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Live and Let Grind - A Coffee Lover´s Mystery #3

 

Live and Let Grind is the third Coffee Lover's shopfront cozy mystery by Tara Lush. Released 11th Oct 2022 by Crooked Lane Books, it's 320 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a fun light cozy read featuring amateur sleuth and reporter turned barista Lana Lewis (insert small eyeroll here). Lana finds herself trying to solve yet another murder when an unlamented awful neighbor meets his maker in an exploding leaf-blower accident and her bestie, Erica, winds up as a suspect (after a public clash with the deceased). 

There are lots of cute cozy tropes front and center: plucky girl reporter, cute pet (a Shih Tzu called Stanley), a loyal best friend (Erica), and a cute local law enforcement officer boyfriend (Noah). It's quite funny in places and the author has a good grasp of timing and plot. There are some completely over the top and silly moments which reminded me a bit of Lucy and Ethel, but they're in good fun, and it *is* a cozy. 

It's full of eccentric small-town characters (Lana's dad is a fruit-loop of the first order), and the pacing moves along at a good clip. It works well as a standalone despite being the third book in the series, so readers won't have any troubles keeping up if this is their first foray. 

Four stars. Readable and funny.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Where You've Got to Be

Where You've Got to Be is a very well written character driven story for middle-grade readers by Caroline Gertler. Released 13th Sept 2022 by HarperCollins on their Greenwillow imprint, it's 288 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out 4th quarter 2023 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a beautifully nuanced and sympathetically written book with a young Jewish tween protagonist who is feeling left behind by her sister and her best friend who are growing up. She feels misunderstood and marginalized and wants to find her place in the world and doesn't quite know how to go about it.

It's a quick read and will appeal to the intended audience. I enjoyed the realistic relationship between sisters Nolie and Linden, as well as their family dynamic with their parents and grandmother and extended family. There's a lot of information about the Jewish faith and the sisters' cultural and spiritual lives included in an organic and not-at-all-preachy manner. 

Four and a half stars. This would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, as well as home reading. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Monkey in the Middle - Amos Walker #30

Monkey in the Middle is the 30th (!!!) Amos Walker mystery by Loren D. Estleman. Released 21st June 2021 by Macmillan on their Tor/Forge imprint, it's 192 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

Estleman has (rightly) been called a grandmaster of hardboiled detective fiction. He's phenomenally prolific as well and his representation in western and detective fiction is impressive and immense. Set in the present day, but written with a classic retro PI vibe, it's a satisfying treat for fans.

The plot revolves around several apparently disparate threads which entwine throughout the story into a satisfying climax, denouement, and resolution. Most of the books in the series can be read in any order, and this one is no exception. They're self contained, action driven, with characters who have a long and rich back-story and at this point feel like living and breathing people.   

Fans of Hammett, Spillane, Chandler, and the other boys in the band will surely have Estleman on their radar already. For fans of PI and noir who are unfamiliar with him, this book and the series will be a delightful treat. 

Four stars. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Flower Path: A Legend of the Five Rings Novel - Legend of the Five Rings

 

The Flower Path is a wonderfully engaging mystery by Josh Reynolds set in the multi-author sandbox Five Rings world, and the third book by Reynolds featuring the clever amateur sleuth Daidoji Shin. Released 21st June 2022 by Aconite, it's 352 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. 

The Legend of the Five Rings world is a re-imagined "sandbox" setting with multiple authors and tie-ins, based on a roughly Feudal era Japan with the addition of dragons, magic, and political fantasy. Besides the fiction, the original setting was used for fantasy RPG, collectible card game, and even LARPing. There was also a D&D tie-in published as part of the third edition rules, called Oriental Adventures, which is not out of print. 

That has, more or less, nothing whatever to do with this mystery. Despite being the third (of four) Daidoji Shin mysteries, it works perfectly well as a standalone. The writing and especially the characterizations are beautifully rendered and three dimensional. The setting is organically rendered and with literally thousands of pages of canon, it's as much a main theme of the book as the primary characters. 

The mystery is cleverly wrought and all the technical aspects of the writing are in place and working smoothly. It's a huge cast of characters and there were some slight issues at a few places keeping track of which envoy was whose and which characters did what at the primary setting, Daidoji's newly refurbished and fabulously (potentially ruinously) expensive theatre, where the leading lady is murdered on opening night. For readers who experience the same issues, the e-book format has the added benefit of a search function. 

Four and a half stars. The writing is compelling enough to make me seek out the previous books (and keep an eye out for the fourth book featuring these characters, due out in July 2023). 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Death Doesn't Forget - Taipei Night Market #4

Death Doesn't Forget is the 4th Taipei Night Market novel by Ed Lin. Released 19th July 2022 by Soho Press on their Soho Crime imprint, it's 288 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out in second quarter 2023. 

This is a distinctly quirky and oddly paced slice-of-life mystery set in Taipei which has a returning ensemble cast of oddball characters, from social media influencer and food-stall owner Jing-nan, his girlfriend Nancy, her estranged (and thoroughly unlikable) mother Siu-lien, and a few others. Most of the characters are just a strange combination of hapless and dishonest or disconcertingly gullible. 

The plotting reminds me of a relatively high-drama soap opera. There was some awkward dialogue and I found myself yanked out of the story on several occasions by the sheer unlikelihood of plot developments including the climax. The denouement was bizarre and possibly the most cynical piece of prose I've read this year. It's clearly meant to be humorous; but it just missed in my case.

Three stars. It does work well as a standalone.  

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Quarrygate Gambit - The Streets of Maradaine #4

The Quarrygate Gambit is the 4th Streets of Maradaine tie-in adventure by prolific fantasist Marshall Ryan Maresca. Released 8th Nov 2022 by DAW, it's 390 pages and is available in ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. 

This is an engaging and immersive high + urban fantasy mashup. The action driven plot never stops and despite the healthy page count, it is a fast read. The characterizations are detailed and the background world building is *massive* (many many thousands of pages of allied fiction and a huge cast of characters). Much of this book revisits previous characters and due to interrelationships and background histories (and complex settings), it doesn't work very well as a standalone work. 

Due to the number of distinct works (spread over 4+ series) this would be a great choice for a massive binge / buddy read. The quality of the writing is high and the dialogue is rapid fire and often blackly humorous and sarcastic. 

Four stars, nonstop action, magic and excitement; four and a half for current fans of the author.  

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Pixies of the Sixties: You Really Got Me Now

Pixies of the Sixties: You Really Got Me Now is a groovy fantasy graphic novel with two stories by Gihef & Christan Lachenal and Jul Maroh. Originally published in French, this English language translation is due out 21st March 2023 from Humanoids. It's 112 pages and will be available in paperback format. 

Two engaging stories in graphic novel format, are self-contained in this volume. The publisher has also announced a second collection, due out in late second quarter 2023 with a similar format and more stories featuring pixies and humans, also set in the 60s.

The artwork is beautifully evocative and nostalgic and it supports and enhances the narrative very well. There's also a positive portrayal of same sex romantic relationships which was a pleasant surprise. That being said, this is a murder mystery and there is on-page violence and tragedy (and racism and homophobia), but the denouement and resolution are satisfying and well rendered.

Four stars. Strong storytelling and beautifully rendered artwork. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Stakes, Cakes and Mandrakes

Stakes, Cakes and Mandrakes is the third book in the Three Tomes Bookshop paranormal cozy series by Colleen Gleason. Released 7th Feb 2023, it's 277 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The previous two books in the series are also currently available on KU. 

This is a cute shopfront cozy series set in fictional tourist town Button Cove. There's more than a little magic in the town environs; characters from books keep coming to life (the bookshop itself is home to Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Danvers (yes, the ones from Sherlock Holmes and Rebecca, respectively)). There are cursed items and more than a little bit of a witchy vibe. In between selling books to locals and tourists, and possibly building a romantic relationship with the local handsome officer of the law, newcomer Jacqueline Finch also tries to keep the peace between her stubborn and occasionally difficult to manage fictional help and solve the occasional murder that comes her way.

All of the mysteries in this series are self contained and as such work well enough as standalones. The characters' interrelationships have developed over the course of the books, so there will be some missing backstory, but the author is adept at giving the necessary information, so readers who choose to pick up this one first won't likely experience any problems with keeping the story straight. With three books in the series currently, it would be a good choice for a binge or buddy read.

For lovers of very light bookstore cozies with romance/drama, it's a good fit.The author is adept and prolific and the book is peppered with background info about bookselling, books, and lots of title tips for new books to seek out and read. Some of the plot setups and developments are a bit over the top, but I strongly suspect that's a big part of why bookshop cozies are wildly popular. A strong suspension of disbelief is required. The language and content are chaste and perfectly safe for commute or work reading.

Four stars. The author is a talented and capable storyteller, and almost everyone loves bookstore cozies.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Love The Dark Days

Love The Dark Days is a memoir and partly fictionalized autobiography by Ira Mathur. Released 1st Sept. 2022 by Peepal Tree Press, it's 232 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. 

This is a lyrically written and compellingly melancholy memoir chronicling generational trauma through the matrilineal line of the author's family. The product of an privileged multicultural Indian/Trinidadian family, she and her siblings are split up and handed off alternately to servants, school, and grandmothers at the convenience (and whims) of her distant mother. 

The story itself is so sad that it makes for difficult reading in places. The story is also disjointed and occasionally told and fits and starts. It was the beautiful prose that caused me to make the effort to return and finish the read.

Four stars. Recommended for fans of dynastic sagas. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Rebel Gardening: A Beginner's Handbook to Creating an Organic Urban Garden

Rebel Gardening is an enthusiastic and up to the minute guide for urban gardeners written by Alessandro Vitale. Due out 11th April 2023 from Watkins Publishing, it's 272 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

In times of increasing food insecurity and distrust/boredom with the incredibly limited selections available to most people who live in urban areas, coupled with the psychological and health benefits of being in contact with growing plants and having more control over our food as well as the sense of accomplishment that comes from being more self sufficient, it's easy to see why more people are making a conscious choice to garden. People in urban areas face more challenges finding space to grow anything as well as challenges associated with water and light conditions. This book gives a lot of really creative solutions to those problems (and more).

The focus throughout is on regenerative and supportive gardening; to heal the planet, support life (including our own), and improve food security. There is such a wealth of experience and information contained in the volume that doesn't fit into precise pigeonholes. The author has included links to his social media presence at the very beginning of the book so that readers can see videos of the techniques he talks about. He is also a supporter of open pollinated heirloom (non-hybrid) seeds and promotes the use of organic controls, no dig beds, JADAM techniques, and permaculture. It's also incredibly enthusiastic and the author's passion about gardening comes through very clearly in the text.

The book is well photographed (many are stock photos, but they are clear and illustrate the plants and techniques well).

Four and a half stars. Full of information. This would be a superlative choice for public and school library acquisition, home use, allotments/gardening groups, smallholders (with or without urban locations), and similar. The language and spelling are UK English (marrow, aubergine, etc), but will pose no problems in context for readers elsewhere. Tutorial and recipe lists have measurements given in metric units with imperial (American) units in parentheses (yay!).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.