The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell marks the debut of the Crescent Cove queer cozy mystery series. As with any cozy series, it introduces the amateur sleuth, the setting of the series, and explains how the main character ended up in that town. I have to admit there were times I just wanted to shake Luke Trembley. As a former investigative journalist, he should have had better instincts as he investigated. His actions were sometimes too amateurish for my taste.

As a boy, Luke used to love his summer visits to his Aunt Marguerite in Crescent Cove, a small town on Vancouver Island, Canada. But, when he came out to his family when he was eighteen, they all rejected him, even his aunt. He hasn’t been back in the twenty years since. Now that she’s dead, struck by a car and killed, he’s shocked to learn she left him her house and her small antiques shop. But, Luke works as a freelance writer in Toronto. He plans to stay in town only long enough to sell the house and antiques shop.

When the realtor suggests his aunt’s house as a place to stay while he’s in town, he reluctantly agrees. When he catches a man on the porch, he says he’s Joel Mackenzie, and makes wild accusations about Luke’s aunt selling him something. Mackenzie tries to force his way into the house, and Luke struggles to push the man away. Despite the argument, Luke is shocked to find Mackenzie’s dead body in the garden the next morning. He’s even more shocked to hear he’s a suspect and shouldn’t leave town.

Jack Munro is the Mountie assigned to the murder investigation. He seems angry with Luke from the first time they meet. And, the young man who works in Forget-Me-Not, Marguerite’s antiques shop, isn’t happy with Luke when he announces he’s selling the store. Luke isn’t making friends in Crescent Cove, so he feels it’s up to him to solve the case so he doesn’t end up in prison.

I have no problem with any amateur sleuth in a cozy series who decides he has to prove his innocence. But, Luke Trembley tops the list of “amateurs”, despite his background as a reporter. When he finds the victim’s hotel room has been broken into, he takes evidence, and runs away, although the police see him. He lies to Munro from the beginning, although there was a witness to his argument with the dead man. As I said, I just wanted to shake him at times.

I’m not sure I’ll pick up the next in the series. Luke Trembley was a little too exasperating for me.

Mark Waddell’s website is https://markwaddellbooks.com/

The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell. Crooked Lane Books, 2023. ISBN 9781639104406 (hardcover), 272p.

FTC Full Disclosure – The publisher allowed me to read a galley through NetGalley, with no promise of a positive review.