Murder Among The Roses – Liz Fielding’s First Maybridge Mystery Novel

Last Updated on August 19, 2026

Whether you know it or not, most cozy mystery novels have an angle. Sure, they all involve some sort of amateur sleuth and a puzzle only they can really solve.

There is always a decent mix of supporting characters, and, in general, they all are set in places that are very familiar to us.

But, what they also have is a hook. Maybe the investigators are older and able to fly under the radar almost unnoticed. How about a baker or chef or a coffee shop owner?

In fact, there are about 15 or 16 sub-genres (at least that I can count), and for Murder Among The Roses, it is gardening.

Yep, gardening is actually its own niche in cozy mystery novels, and author Liz Fielding has embraced it with great enthusiasm in her first Maybridge Mystery novel.

So, does it work? What is the book all about and should you spend your hard earned cash and buy it?

I should say – you can download it with Kindle Unlimited for free if you’re a subscriber.

Anyway, back to the book…

Meet Gardner Abby Finch

What can I say about Abby Finch? She is clearly the most patient and forgiving woman in the history of literature who, at every single solitary turn in her life, can only seem to find the good in people.

That includes her cheating ex-husband Howard, a philandering narcissistic excuse for a man who has spent his entire marriage having affairs, each of which she has duly overlooked.

That is, until he actually gets his latest conquest pregnant, leaves Abby and their three children, and files for divorce.

But, in a small twist, he still has a financial hold over her and so has demanded that she renovate the garden at his late Aunt’s mansion, which he has just inherited.

I should point out that he plans to move into the house with his new soon-to-be-wife and if Abby wants him to pay for their son’s school trip then she better cracking with that lawnmower.

Again, Abby only wants what’s best for her children so off she goes to tackle the overgrown mess.

That is where she makes a shocking discovery while tending to a rose bush. When she unearths the bones of a long-buried baby, carefully wrapped in a shawl, she immediately calls the police.

And that’s when all holy hell breaks loose.

Howard, who is away in Paris with his pregnant fiancée, is furious and only concerned about his political aspirations being damaged by the publicity.

The situation in Murder Among The Roses then takes a deadly turn when, just two days after the discovery, Abby finds Howard dead in the same rose garden, killed with her own garden spade.

Uh oh.

Who Could Have Done It?

Honestly, there are lots of players in this book, and at times, I found it a little tricky to keep up with Howard’s family tree. But here goes with the list of suspects…

Abby is clearly a suspect, though we all know she didn’t do it.

Then there’s Jake, an old school friend who has returned to town and who hated Howard.

Both of Abby and Howard’s older children were at the house, as was his pregnant fiancee.

Molly, an older lady who used to be a housekeeper for Aunt Ruth, was also in the vicinity, and so too was her great-nephew Cal, who had just started working for Abby.

Throw in the fact that the garden was accessible from the river, and anybody could have snuck in and out, and it literally could be anyone.

As for the family tree, Howard senior was dead Howard’s grandfather. He had two sons – one was Howard’s father, and the other married Ruth.

Howard’s mother disappeared, and his father subsequently died, leaving him as the only heir after he was raised by his childless aunt and uncle.

You sort have to piece it together and it can become confusing…But it matters because it relates back to the bones of the baby.

The Puzzle To Be Solved

Murder Among The Roses poses two puzzles to be solved. The first is the historical bones. Who was the baby, and more importantly, who was the mother, and why was it buried in the garden?

The second is the murder of Howard Finch. A thoroughly unlikeable man with plenty of secrets, there is seemingly no end of suspects as he barrelled his way to the top of the political hierarchy.

As Abby investigates to clear her name, she then uncovers dark secrets within the Finch family history.

The story tries to weave the present-day murder investigation with the mystery of the Finch clan but really, they are two distinct stories only held together by the fact that Abby is investigating both of them.

Thumbs Up or Down?

Despite the fact that I spent the better part of the book rolling my eyes at just how saintly Abby is, I still really enjoyed this book.

She’s clearly a better person than I am to have put up with the vindictive Howard for as long as she did. However, her kindness was also the key to unraveling both mysteries so there is an upside.

I also liked how Fielding bumped Howard off very quickly. After all, there’s nothing quite like seeing the bad guy get his comeuppance, is there?

Over all, both puzzles were plotted very well, the story never dragged, there was an extra hint of romance for Abby and alls well that ended well.

What’s not to love?

Other readers loved it too, so much so that two more Maybridge Mysteries have since been published, and I’m sure there’s a lot more in the pipeline.

A definite thumbs up if you’re after a new cozy mysteries series.

Next Up

The second book from Liz Fielding, Murder Under the Mistletoe (2023), follows Abby as she faces her first Christmas without her children’s father while investigating another mysterious death in the village.

The third book in the Maybridge Mystery series is called Murder in Bloom (2024). Abby enters the Maybridge Flower Show, with an invitation to appear on telly, alongside gardening legend Daisy Dashwood.

Daisy can be a bit of a but Abby is star struck until…Daisy staggers out on stage and collapses at Abby’s feet. A tragic accident or something more sinister??