Month: May 2026

ECONOGAL > 2026 > May

The Gardeners’ Club

Posted on by Econogal

2026 Release

At first glance, The Gardeners’ Club is a sandwich generation tale. Veteran British author Marnie Riches utilizes the character Gillian Swanley to demonstrate personal growth is not restricted to the young. Gill is a widowed, working mom of a teenage son trapped in a corporate job without respect. She also is responsible for her aging mother. At the urging of her therapist, she joins a local gardening club.

The Bromley Botanists Gardeners’ Club

Gill hesitantly joins a local gardeners’ club. The seven members range in age from early twenties to past retirement. Well past. The mix of characters is delightful. Before long they are wrapped up in the murder of a rival gardening club member. The amateur sleuths’ bond during their search for answers.

Personal Growth

Mid-life crisis abounds in the story. Multiple characters are trapped in careers they dislike. The retirees are searching for ways to stay meaningful. And the youngsters, they, are uncertain in which direction to strike out. All are searching for answers.

Winning a coveted gardening competition depends on solving the murders. And the competition prize may be the answer for all the members of the gardeners’ club.

As the key character, Gill’s growth is most notable. Particularly in how she relates to those around her. The transition from an individual seeking help to make daily decisions to one that knows what she wants is uplifting. Furthermore, after many years of identifying primarily as a widow she begins living life again.

Recommendation for The Gardeners’ Club

Perhaps because I am such an avid gardener myself, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. However, the main thrust of the book concerns people more than plants. Marnie Riches provides a believable plot and wonderful characters. Each reminds you of someone you know, or want to know.

This is just released in 2026 so look for it at your local bookstore or request your librarian to order a copy. I think you will like the story and love the characters.

You Belong Here Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

Tricky Title

The cover of You Belong Here has an almost hidden “Don’t” between the first two words of the title. This mirrored my thoughts on the Megan Miranda title. As I was reading the book I felt like the title and the book didn’t quite match. However, the ending gives deeper meaning. In fact, the entire book is loaded with many layers.

On the surface the novel is an intense drama filled with missing persons and murder. Then, family dynamics come to the forefront. Especially parent/child relationships. But other forces are also at work. Anyone with experience of living in a college town understands the complex nature of the town/gown relationship. You Belong Here has all of this.

Protagonist

Beckett Bowery is a single mom dropping her only child, Delilah, off at college when the story opens. Beckett, named for one of the buildings at the college Delilah will attend has a difficult relationship with her parents and a decent relationship with Trevor, Delilah’s father. Mother and child are close but not without secrets.

Unbeknownst to Beckett, Delilah had applied to the same college her grandparents had taught at and her own mother had attended. Beckett never shared why she distanced herself both from her parents and her hometown. This resulted in a forbidden attraction for Delilah.

Before and Present

The author shares Beckett’s story alternating between past and present by chapter. The back story is compelling and as dangerous as what is currently happening to Delilah. One’s past has a way of complicating the present and impacting the future. Beckett finds that true.

Recommendation for You Belong Here

Megan Miranda has written an intense suspenseful novel with incredible depth. The surface story captures the reader with action. But it is the under story that captures the reader’s thoughts long after finishing the book. Relationships between parents and their children are complex. Reactions have consequences far after the event. And life can change not only from a single event, but even a single (re)action or a misplaced comment.

Miranda is a top selling author for a reason. I highly recommend this book.