Fiona GartlandBesprekingen

Good writing. I got this as an early reviewer and was pleasantly surprised at the author's dexterity. I can recommend this writer.

I thought the book was very good. The story kept me guessing on who did the crime. I like Bea’s curiosity and her willingness to find out the truth

This book was written for me!
That was one of the earliest thoughts I had about it after the first few pages.
The general synopsis is simple: A gardener gets killed at the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland in Dublin. A stenographer, Beatrice Barrington, is among the first who find the dead man. Was it an accident or murder? She soon has second thoughts when the police quickly rule it as a tragic accident. She gets dragged into the case more or less involuntarily and tries to solve it with the help of her old „friend“ Gabriel (those two do clearly have a history there).
The writing style flows effortlessly and creates a story – along with several subplots and small riddles - full of atmosphere. Such a good, fluent, Irish book. What I loved especially was that it captures Irish everyday life, the atmosphere of Dublin and the National Botanic Gardens perfectly.
Yes, I know, „atmospheric“ is one of my favourite words when describing and rating a book – I just love when books have atmosphere, when they manage to convey you right into the story, make you feel it. It's about the highest praise I can give a book.
And this one did it - 'Orchids and Lies' transported me to one of my fave places in the world, to Dublin and the National Botanic Gardens.
You need to know I love Ireland – the narrative also takes place partly in Donegal and the Burren which I love, too -, but I have a history with Dublin, especially the northern parts of town with Glasnevin Cemetery and – The National Botanic Gardens. Those are places I consider as my second home and miss terribly right now that we're not allowed to travel and Ireland is experiencing its second Lockdown of history... I miss Dublin, I miss the „Bots“ - so when I read 'Orchids and Lies' took place there, I applied for an ARC immediately... I didn't have very high hopes then – most books I've read that take place in Dublin could as well be set in any other place in the British Isles, they don't have that atmosphere (atmosphere again :)) that I connect with my life in Dublin.
Let me put it this way: I was expecing to get underwhelmed and got completely overwhelmed instead. :) I didn't expect that in the least. It has that seemingly easy, effortless style that I look for in a book and which is so hard to achieve.
Of course I don't know and don't really expect whether it will work as well for others as it did for me. I don't know what you'll think of it when you don't have that special connection to „the Bots“ and Dublin North as I have. That's why it immediately felt like that book was written especially for me. But I think one way or the other, it's worth the read.

One point of critique – if I have to find one – is that, in my view, it's not marketed correctly. It's marketed as a thriller, which it isn't, really. It's a mystery, nearly a cozy.
Don't read it if you expect a thriller! It's a classic whodunnit, an investigator solving the case. I, myself, don't even like mysteries and cozies, at least not most of them. They are mostly way too boring for me to continue on. I prefer the suspense of thrillers, and: I see the (hobby) detectives as devices for solving the case, nothing else – whereas most of the highly acclaimed detective series today all have the detectives questioning their jobs and lives, suffering from internal struggles or world weariness and the book featuring endless social commentary and social criticism... I hate that...
And I normally hate series, too - this book seems to be the third installment of a series... :) -Yet this one is fantastic! 'Orchids and Lies' is a good - nearly old-fashioned, but yet fresh (does that make sense? :p) - Whodunnit. It doesn't want to be 'more than it is' and is done exceedingly well as it is. It has more twists than you'd think at first, more than your average mystery. The plot and subplots are engaging and the MCs refreshingly unpretentious and more or less content with their lives. They even made me want to hear more about them.
As I said before, I got sucked right into the story, got propelled to Dublin and wish I could have stayed there. If a book gets me to blabber on as long as this – oops, this is way too long! – it must be special. :) Fiona Gartland is a very talented storyteller.
Fiona, I'll try to get my hands on your other books!

Thank you so much, LT, for this ARC (with my old account Yuki_Onna) in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from LibraryThing in return for an honest review.

Stenographer and amateur detective Beatrice Barrington is relaxing at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin, when she sees someone running out of the corner of eye only to be startled by a woman screaming. A gardener, Paddy Hogan, has fallen from a high walkway in the greenhouse. Was it an accident, suicide, or murder? Beatrice is convinced Paddy was murdered though the local gardaí seem to disagree. With the help of her ex and former detective Gabriel Ingram it is up to Beatrice to find the truth before it is too late.

This is the third book in the Beatrice Barrington series, however you do not have to read the first two to enjoy this book. Overall I enjoyed this book. I found the main mystery to be interesting and compelling. There was a side plot about a court case Beatrice was working which I did not feel added to the story. I kept thinking it would tie into the main plot but it did not. While it does not end on a cliff hanger per say, it does set up future stories in this world. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

This was a very good mystery, but I wouldn't categorize it as a thriller. The characters were strong and believable and the setting of the botanic gardens in Dublin was very interesting. The story revolves around main character, Bea, and her friend, Gabriel, trying to solve the death of one of the gardeners at the gardens. Bea was at the gardens and was one of the first people on the scene when the body was found in one of the plant houses. Things just don't add up to his death being accidental or a suicide as many are saying, so Bea decides to try to find out what really happened. She enlists the help of her friend and former police detective, Gabriel, and the pair search for answers. There are a lot of likely suspects, plenty of interesting subplots, a few twists and turns, and a cast of interesting characters who I would imagine might turn up in future stories in this series. I feel I should go back and read the first two books of the series to find out the relationship between Bea and Gabriel more clearly. All in all a very nice read and interesting mystery.

*I was given a digital copy of this book by the editor as an Early Reviewer in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I received an ecopy of this book from LibraryThing in exchange for a review.

Grab a cup of tea and settle down next to a cozy fire and prepare to immerse yourself into this Irish thriller. You’ll get wrapped up in both the characters and the plot, as well as being drawn into the atmosphere and surroundings of the story. It will keep you guessing both the ‘who’ and the ‘why’ until the very end.
I’ve never read anything by Fiona Gartland before, but I am captivated by the way she spins a tale that captured my mind and kept me guessing. Well done.½

A mystery at a botanical garden but not a thriller. Since it’s the third in the series some things weren’t clear. And at times the writing seemed a bit bogged down.½

Orchids and Lies is a charming mystery (definitely not a thriller) that takes place in Dublin, primarily at a Botanic Garden. I really enjoyed the main character who seems to be a little older than the average sleuth but doesn't fall into the "Miss Marple" category either. She has a complicated relationship with her friend, a retired detective, that was interesting and most of the characters were pretty quirky.
I didn't guess the killer too early on, although it was apparent quite a bit prior to the reveal.
The Irish patterns of speech and colloquialisms enhanced the setting, and the writing overall flowed well. One small annoyance was the author's attention to very specific directions for the setting on multiple occasions--does it really matter that she made a right and two lefts on her walk if she isn't being followed or doesn't have to retrace her steps? I don't think there were any times when that helped to establish or describe a setting.
Small issues aside, I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading others in the series.

I wanted to like this book, especially because it's a mystery that takes place in and around botanic gardens. There's nothing wrong with the writing or the setting, I just didn't really connect with the main character. I only found out after reading it that it was the third in a series, so maybe there was more background explanation to her character in one of the earlier books.

This appears to be the third novel in a series. A few references were obscure but they did not interfere with the enjoyment of this book. It was well written which is the standard by which I judge all books. The plot started slowly, and at times, lost its pace but it ramped up for a good conclusion. There were threads left hanging which will probably serve as story lines for future novels.
I’ve read many books by Irish authors but I enjoyed the unusual colloquiums occasionally used by Ms. Gartland. E.g., “we left and sat back into his car.”½

A rather charming little cosy mystery set in and around the Botanical Gardens in Dublin. This is technically the third in the series and I might go back and read the others but it stands well by itself. Our detective is on Beatrice Barrington, a court stenographer, who's now finding herself somewhat short of work as technology takes over. She's not that concerned though and enjoys rambling in the Botanical Gardens and chatting to her friend (ex-lover/fling maybe in the previous books) graham. And although she's really not intending to get involved in such things ever again, low and behold as she's entering one of the plant houses she finds a body on the floor, having fallen from a walkway high above. She's trying to put this behind her, and let the police (garda in irish, sadly about halfway through this gets corrupted to guards which is wrong) get along with her life. But having worked int he court she knows how inquiries should progress, and there doesn't seem to be any action from the police. It's not being controlled from a station she knows, so she can't pull any strings there, and when she's contacted by the deceased's family, the least she can do is ask a few questions. It could of course be suicide, but just doesn't seem right to her. Beatrice is quite a change as an investigator, she's middle aged, neither a young dynamic hot-head nor yet a cerebal but frail miss marple, but instead a good balance from both, without either extreme.

As with most Cosy's the plot itself is overly complex (although I'd hoped the obvious suspect would turn out to be innocent for once) and meanders along with cafes and pubs (and a remarkable consumption of tea even in the pubs unlike any Ireland I've visited). I'm pleased that the police aren't sharing their details with the public and Beatrice has to figure things out without reference to forensics and like. She of course goes off along a few red herring trails, but it all gets cleared up in the end. There's obviously scope for more in the series.

A little more editing wouldn't have hurt. It's not bad, but the opening style is a little descriptive in places, especially on clothing, some of pronouns are unclear, and as per the garda above, there's a few typographical errors here and there. The style mostly settles down and you get used to it quickly.

I always welcome a chance to “visit” the land that my grandmother loved and missed everyday of her life… Ireland. This is a wonderfully told story. It will appeal to those that love the mystery and the chase to find the killer and those that just want to sit and enjoy a really good book. The characters were so very well done and very likeable and believable. I especially liked Beatrice and Gabriel and how they interacted with one another. I’m also a big fan of mystery books that have a court case as a part of the story. Although this one had a court case…I’m not sure that it may have seemed out of place or even unnecessary in this case. At any rate I really enjoyed this book from cover to cover and will be watching for future ones by this author. I also have my fingers crossed that there is more of Beatrice and Gabriel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Poolbeg Press in exchange for an honest opinion. The views expressed by this reviewer are entirely my own.½

Orchids And Lies by Fiona Gartland

The catalog entry for Fiona Gartland’s “Orchids and Lies” includes the statement “An intriguing Irish thriller with a beautiful backdrop that will keep you guessing to the end. (A Beatrice Barrington Thriller Book 3).” Perhaps I misunderstood this but the words intriguing and thriller, particularly the latter word, made me expect a fast paced book and that it is not. The romances of minor (and major) characters take up a large part of the book as do the descriptions of Dublin, the Irish countryside and the National Botanical Gardens in Dublin. However the plot, based on orchids, is intriguing. Slow paced but interesting.

A quick summary, a gardener dies at the Botanical Gardens and most people assume it is a suicide, but not Beatrice Barrington who was one of the people who found him. Beatrice and a retired Gardai start looking into the first death and the long list of possible suspects. It takes the murder of another gardener before the Gardai (police) take a more serious look at the first death. It all comes together when she nearly dies.

It is worth reading as long as you aren’t put off by lengthy descriptions that don’t move the plot forward. This is the third, and most recent, in the series. I will read the first to give it another chance, and I need something to read and it is on my Kindle.
I received this e-book book through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers Program.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Disclosure: An electronic copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Poolbeg Press, via Library Thing, in exchange for review.

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Not many thrills in this leisurely-paced mystery that begins with the death of a gardener at Dublin’s Botanical Gardens. Though preliminary investigations consider the death a suicide, court stenographer and amateur sleuth Beatrice Barrington and her ex (?) boyfriend, a retired detective, both have their doubts.

There’s a lot of wandering around Dublin, meals and drinks in various pubs, descriptions of the weather (wet and cold), discussions of where the car is parked, interviews with the dead man’s family and with other garden employees, and nattering between Beatrice and the head of the official investigation.

Things begin to tighten up about three-fourths of the way through the book, as various past events within the suspect pool come to light, but it’s pretty well too late to rescue this tale, which overall is as grey and dreary as Dublin in March. There are some nice red herrings that emerge as the most-probable suspects surface, but the observant reader will spot the real motivation fairly early-on, which knocks most of the likely killers out of the lineup.

There’s a subplot involving Beatrice and Gabriel, with roots extending into previous entries in this series. ‘Orchids and Lies’ stands well enough on its own, however, and nothing in their mutual past is compelling enough for this reviewer to go looking for the backstory. The ending – after the killer is caught – sets up for future adventures with this pair. Whether one is compelled to continue to follow the series will depend on one’s taste for laid-back detective tales

An interesting read although I thought the protagonist could have used a bit more work

Enjoyed it tremendously!

I liked "In the Court's Hands". I liked how the author flipped from present to past which kept me interested, however I did feel bored at times. I think the main character, Beatrice, could have used a bit more character. I found her hard to follow at times.½

A solid mystery that is well written.

Now That You’ve gone by Fiona Gartland is about a court stenographer, who tries to help her friend deal with the murder of her husband. This book actually has three stories happening. 1. In her job as a stenographer in family law court, Bea watches a family fall apart. 2. The mystery surrounding the death of her friend’s husband. 3. Re-connecting with her friend, retired detective, Gabriel, and the issues between them.

What I really loved about this book was the fact that it was all story. There was very little filler, and the subplots grabbed your attention just as much as the main mystery. About half way through, I thought I knew where the story was going. However, the author had other ideas. I was partially right, and loved that moment of “wow” that happens as the solution to the mystery unfolds.

I honestly can’t complain about anything in regards to this book. It held my attention, it had great writing, and a nice kicker for the end.

Thank you to Library Thing, Fiona Gartland, and Poolbeg Press, LTD for the opportunity to read and review this 4 star book.

Unfortunately, I did not get too far in this book. The book was a little to slow of a start for me. I am an avid reader so sometimes books just do not "hit the spot" first time around so this book has a note to comeback to it again soon. I would recommend that a reader give it a chance as what I did read was well written.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from LibraryThing in return for an honest review.

Beatrice Barrington is a stenographer working in the Irish criminal court system, trying to escape a tragic incident in her past. During a particularly newsworthy case, she is outside eating lunch when she sees the defendant in that case meeting with one of the jurors. Knowing how important this case is Beatrice contemplates if she should say something or not. Before she can make a final decision the juror turns up dead in what appears to be suicide. But Beatrice is so not so sure so she enlists the help of retired Detective Graham Ingram to help her find out the truth. Graham and Beatrice have a complex past together but he is the only person she can trust. The closer they get to the truth the more danger Beatrice is. Can they find out the truth before it is too late? And what does Beatrice's past have to do with this case?

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It is full of twists and turns that kept me invested in the story. The narrative alternates between modern events and events of Beatrice's past. I did find the character of Beatrice to be slightly dislikeable. She could be both the smartest person in the room and the most oblivious person. That being said, I would recommend this book for readers that like a good mystery.

I found this second in the BB series interesting. I did not read it "non-stop" and at times the action seemed to drag, but overall a fair diversion. Although I have not read the first BB Thriller book, I did not feel I was missing needed information. The level of suspense was just right for my tastes - keeping my interest, by interjected nuances and developments without being disturbingly edgy. Finally, although there was a story line of a past romantic involvement, this too was presented in a refreshingly understated fashion.

Now That You've Gone was a great read surrounding the investigation of two murders. While the search into what happened was going on we learned more about the family of the first victim and their relationship with a court stenographer who doing her own investigating into what happened. The author was able to keep the story interesting until the very end.

This was a good murder mystery with a romantic subplot. The story was set in England and the main character a court stenographer was friends with Georgianna whose husband was murdered. The main character also had a relationship with Gabriel a retired police officer. The two of them reviewed facts and evidence as the novel progressed and ultimately solved two murders. In the process the relationship grew. This was a well written book and was not too predictable. I recommend this book to readers of murder mysteries.

Now that you’ve gone: A good murder mystery with many twists and turns full of Irish brogue and snappy dialogue. The characters are well rounded so most readers will identify easily with them. I enjoyed the read and it held me right up to the last page.½

I received this book free through the Early Reviewer scheme.

This was an interesting investigation book from the point of view that the court recorder was the one doing the investigation. I liked the dual story lines and how they intertwined and the twist was very good. However, I didn't find Beatrice that likeable and as someone else mentioned she was capable of missing something very obvious whilst at the same time making some very large leaps of intuition.