Death in a Desert Garden - (Bea Rivers Mystery) by Marty Eberhardt (Paperback)

About the Book

Bea Rivers' new job at Shandley Gardens seems to be idyllic; a stimulating career at a desert garden full of botanical wonders. But a slow rot has spread within Shandley Gardens as financial woes add stress to the small board of directors, putting Bea's job at risk. When one of the Gardens' founders, Liz Shandley, is killed in what appears to be a tragic accident, the immediate worry is the survival of the Gardens. But then the police determine that Liz was murdered, and suddenly Bea's job is less than idyllic. The tangled web of relationships is almost as confusing as the enigmatic botanical clues someone keeps dropping. Bea struggles to balance her life as a committed single parent dating a struggling writer while she's drawn further into the investigation of Liz's death. As Bea tries to decipher the strange clues to find the murderer, she uncovers deep secrets and surprises among the staff and board that will forever change the Gardens.

Book Synopsis

Bea Rivers' new job at Shandley Gardens seems to be idyllic; a stimulating career at a desert garden full of botanical wonders. But a slow rot has spread within Shandley Gardens as financial woes add stress to the small board of directors, putting Bea's job at risk. When one of the Gardens' founders, Liz Shandley, is killed in what appears to be a tragic accident, the immediate worry is the survival of the Gardens. But then the police determine that Liz was murdered, and suddenly Bea's job is less than idyllic. The tangled web of relationships is almost as confusing as the enigmatic botanical clues someone keeps dropping. Bea struggles to balance her life as a committed single parent dating a struggling writer while she's drawn further into the investigation of Liz's death. As Bea tries to decipher the strange clues to find the murderer, she uncovers deep secrets and surprises among the staff and board that will forever change the Gardens.

Review Quotes

Marty Eberhardt creates a tale full of endearing characters, alluring landscapes, and local flavor. . . . Seeded with native plant lore, Death in a Desert Garden had me guessing right to the end. If you can't get enough of good mysteries with southwest settings, make Death in a Desert Garden the very next book on your reading list." Vicky Ramakka, author, The Cactus Plot

"Marty Eberhardt expertly draws the reader into the beauty and danger of the desert, weaving elements of the traditional mystery into the story along the way. The result is a great read!" --Marty Wingate, author of the First Edition Library mysteries and the Potting Shed mysteries

About the Author

Marty Eberhardt directed botanical gardens in Tucson and San Diego, and spent many years as a nonprofit staff member, board member and consultant. She now delights in using the right side of her brain to write fiction and poetry. She has published sixteen poems and two prose pieces in The Wilderness House Literary Review, The Dragon Poet Review, The San Diego Writers INK 2017 Anthology, three volumes of The Guilded Pen, The Twisted Vine Literary Review, and The Silver City Quarterly Review. She divides her time between Silver City, NM and San Diego.