Rating: 
Summary: Not Churchill's best outing
Review: As a big fan of Jill Churchill's Jane Jeffry series,
I must say this isn't her best effort. Of course,
her writing is fun as always with a good ear for
dialogue between her characters. The students
(the suspects) in Jane and Shelly's botany class
are interesting and entertaining as are the quips
between the two lead characters. What missing here,
however, is the mystery. One character is injured at
the beginning, but the actual murder occurs so late in
the novel that is feels like an afterthought. Once
the murderer is uncovered a few pages later, it seems
like a cheat because there is little in clues to guess
the identity of the killer and the motive is a weak one.
Churchill always writes a good yarn and never fails
to entertain, but this time "mulch" is missing from
the actual crime.
Rating:
Summary: Not enough red herrings in this one
Review: As usual, Jill Churchill pens an enjoyable novel with lots of entertaining dialogue between Jane Jeffrey and her neighbor Shelley. The plot is a simple one. Jane and Shelley decide to improve their gardening skills by taking a botany class. Before the class starts, the instructor is beaten and ends up in the hospital with amnesia about the event. She is replaced by a stodgy old fellow who manages to bore all of the participants with his overly-detailed lectures. When he encounters an untimely end, Jane and Shelley decide that there is a connection. Their suspects include all of the eccentric people in their class. There is very little intrigue in this one, and the false leads that make mysteries so much fun, are missing. This book is fun, and I wouldn't miss one of the Jane Jeffrey books, but it is definitely lacking in plot and suspense.
Rating: 
Summary: An enjoyable read!!
Review: I picked up this book at the grocery store when I was desperate for something to read while visiting relatives. What a joy! Although this was my first Jan Jeffry novel, it's not my last! Jane Jeffry and her friend Shelly Nowack offer some laughs while they work to solve a crime. In this case they signed up to take a gardening class when the instructor is attacked and the substitute instructor is killed. While Jane juggles house work, raising children and a gardening class, her and her friend work to solve a the murder. If I could rate it a 4+ I would have done that or a 5-. Mainly because I thought the ending was a little bit abrupt. However, it was a great read and I'm buying more of her books today. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: One of her weakest
Review: I usually enjoy Jill Churchill, but I found this one to be one of her weakest books. For one thing, she's already used the community school idea in her book, A Quiche Before Dying, and with much better results. You'd think they would ban her from the school after that one! Maybe it was because her strong secondary characters were barely mentioned in this one. What's up with Mel? What about her kids and mother-in-law? Check it out from the library or borrow it from a friend before you buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable enough
Review: If you like light, frothy and cozy mysteries, this is the book for you. I enjoy Jill Churchill's books even though I have been able to guess the murderer in each, but this does not deter me from further reading. Jane and Shelly are best friends living next door to each other. Jane (not unlikely for a cozy mystery) has a detective boyfriend named Mel. So when a murder does happen, he is conveniently there to help her and her friend solve it. In this book, Jane and Shelly enroll in a gardening class, but the teacher has bludgeoned and lies in a coma. A stuffy plant researcher takes over the class but instead of teaching the basics of gardening, he immediately delves into plant patents by showing off his pink marigolds. The class itself is made up of an odd assortment of garden "lovers" who want to show off their particular gardens to the others--some of which are very good and some horrid. Then, the substitute lecturer is found dead in his own compost pile, and Jane and Shelly are off to find who in the class did him in. Mulch is an enjoyable and quick read with many humorous touches thrown in by the author. Plan to read Jill Churchill's books if you want to be entertained, and you won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Light Frothy Gardening Mystery
Review: If you like light, frothy and cozy mysteries, this is the book for you. I enjoy Jill Churchill's books even though I have been able to guess the murderer in each, but this does not deter me from further reading. Jane and Shelly are best friends living next door to each other. Jane (not unlikely for a cozy mystery) has a detective boyfriend named Mel. So when a murder does happen, he is conveniently there to help her and her friend solve it. In this book, Jane and Shelly enroll in a gardening class, but the teacher has bludgeoned and lies in a coma. A stuffy plant researcher takes over the class but instead of teaching the basics of gardening, he immediately delves into plant patents by showing off his pink marigolds. The class itself is made up of an odd assortment of garden "lovers" who want to show off their particular gardens to the others--some of which are very good and some horrid. Then, the substitute lecturer is found dead in his own compost pile, and Jane and Shelly are off to find who in the class did him in. Mulch is an enjoyable and quick read with many humorous touches thrown in by the author. Plan to read Jill Churchill's books if you want to be entertained, and you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Witty and Fun!
Review: Jane and her best friend (next door neighbor) Shelley decide to improve their gardens by joining a botany class at the Community Center. They didn't bargain on the instructor's attempted murder and Jane's subsequent broken foot. Then a tour of a classmate's garden finds a corpse in the compost heap! The characters are zany and the suspects abound. Fun to the end!
Rating:
Summary: Mulch to Love about this book........
Review: Jill Churchill does it again. She is able to put Jane Jeffery and her best friend Shelly in a simple enviroment and once again find murder.Jane and Shelly decide to take a gardening class together over the summer,but who would have thought that someone wanted to have the teacher push up daisies instead.Add a classroom full of less than normal people,Jane's daughter taking a cooking class,her son's new girlfriend and a broken foot and trying to create the perfect garden thatt make this one great cozy mystery.This has to be one of my favorite Churchill book, mainly because she never disappoints but anyone who has suffer with a broken foot or in my case an ankle can relate to Jane adventures with a cast and crutches.Whether you love to garden or not read this book.
Rating:
Summary: JILL JUST KEEPS THEM COMING!
Review: One of my favorite authors, Jill Churchill, not only entertains, but her books are keepers! One can always go back and spend a cozy time with Jill, her family and her special neighbor Shelly. The troubles she finds herself in are wonderful,and light. I can always rely on Ms. Churchill to provide me with a quality book with the charm and a bit of danger mixed with the hectic life of a mother! Perhaps that's what keeps me coming back for more!
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely Not Her Best Work...
Review: The scheduled instructor for a basic botany class is bludgeoned, leaving her with traumatic amnesia and no memory of the attack. Suspicion points in many directions. With questions about plant patents and a composted corpse, the plot becomes complex. Events lead to a surprising conclusion, but the clue leading to the final analysis seems a little vague. The main failure of the novel is an overly heavy discussion of gardening, with the mystery intertwined along with discussions of personalities and cooking. The reader sometimes loses the thread of the crime investigation. Overall, it is an interesting plot, suitable for a rainy evening or an airline flight. The main character seems somewhat like Miss Marple.
| 
