I was not at all sure what to expect from this book. I picked this up just on the title alone as my daughter loves Gnomes and well I was very surprised with the contents. The mystery surrounding Charlie and Bob. The characters are all hiding something about themselves and you just find yourself drawn into their world and wanting to know them for real. This is the first book I have read by this author and I hope to continue seeing more from her. LOVED this story full of mystery and new experiences with every page you turn.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Kelli Harperhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngKelli Harper2022-12-30 23:08:062023-01-06 22:18:01Better Gnomes and Gardens(Mysty Haven Mystery Book 1) by Casey Cardel- Review by Kelli Harper
To be honest, I was drawn to this little story by the cover of the book. I have a heart for gnomes. Bob moves to a new town and gets his first job – writing stories for the local newspaper. What he doesn’t expect is that his first story (a bigfoot sighting) was not what his boss really wanted. Bob finds himself out of work. But what happens next is about to change his world! A guy at the diner asks Bob if he will track down the culprit who has stolen a gnome. Once he starts being a detective, he finds out more about this charming little town then was evident. This was a very quick, fun read.
This was one of the most fun books I have read in awhile. A feel good story mixed with some mystery and humor. It gives off the feel of a small and quaint town with a lot of quirky townspeople. Our main character Bob was relatable and lovable. Truly felt like an old friend. Watching his adventure unfold with his new career and his first mystery is quite the journey. This will be a book that you will not forget and definitely will have the author on your watch for what’s next.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Laurenhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngLauren2022-11-16 00:15:082022-11-18 11:46:52Better Gnomes & Gardens (Mysty Haven Mystery Book 1) by Casey Cardel – Review by Lauren West
I wasn’t sure what to expect while I was going into this, but I definitely didn’t expect this! To put it simply (well, as simply as I can get), it felt like Twin Peaks, Clue (the movie), Gravity Falls, and Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls) all rolled into one! Haha! The characters aren’t complex by any stretch of the imagination, however, this was such an amazingly fun read! I devoured it in just a couple of hours. It’s a fun story about a town from which I hope to see many future adventures.
Bob moved to Mysty Haven and became a lead journalist at the paper. That lasted a week after his Bigfoot store hit the front page of the paper. After being fired from the paper he is enlisted by Doug to help find his missing gnome, Charlie. Bob is beginning to realize that Mysty Haven is different than most towns. Mysty Haven is a town for mystical. He sets out to find Charlie and finds many friends and possibly a few enemies along the way. There is more than meets the eye in Mysty Haven and Bob is set to let it be known. Will things work out in his favor? Will he find Charlie and save Mysty Haven?
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Heather Knallshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngHeather Knalls2022-11-15 21:56:572022-11-18 11:45:43Better Gnomes and Gardens(Mysty Haven Mystery Book 1) by Casey Cardel- Review by Heather Knalls
What an enjoyable, quick read! Story is about Bob, fresh out of college and moving to a new location, takes on his first job as a journalist, only to be fired not too long after. His curiosity and fascination with the paranormal gets the best of him during his investigative reporting. As he drinks coffee, he is approached by Mr. Weaver who is claiming the theft of one of his garden gnomes and has hired Bob to help him with the search. His search for the gnomes and some odd coincidences takes Bob on an unexpected journey in seeking the truth. Cardel introduces some excellent characters along the way and definitely keeps readers engaged to see what will happen next.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Jennifer Ramoshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngJennifer Ramos2022-11-15 21:35:242022-11-18 11:45:23Better Gnomes & Gardens (Mysty Haven Mystery Book 1). Book Review by Jennifer Ramos
This was a very interesting read and fun to get through with the characters to the storyline. I enjoyed where it took the reader and how it all came together in the end. Enjoy!
Better Gnomes and Gardens A Mysty Haven Mystery Book 1 By: Casey Cardel Review By: Susan Ratchford 5 Stars
This was a quirky and fun introduction to a series I can’t wait to read more of! Casey Cardels Mysty Haven is an addicting and unique world where the unbelievable exists and anything is possible. This first book leaves you needing to know EVERYTHING about this world! Bob Mclarney’s character is so interesting to be able to follow through this mystery and discovery of the town and its people. I would love to live in Mysty Haven! Dr. Frank N. Stein is what really got me hooked on this series! With a wonderfully campy and humorous plot Better Gnomes and Gardens draws you in and keeps you turning pages! !The twist on the fairytale genre is done really well with twists and surprises you will never see coming! This book made me believe in the supernatural! I am getting the next book ASAP!
Better Gnomes & Gardens is a delightful cozy mystery , with certain paranormal elements. The setting is a mystical town, Mysty Haven, where everything is not neccesarily normal Bob, who had an abrupt ending to his journalism ambitions is entrusted to finding a missing gnome. But Bob’s pursuit leads him to something more sinister and he is entangled in the mystery. How he uncovers the plot and stands up to his beliefs forms the rest of the story. The main thing which I loved about this book is the humor and the cozy setting. It is a good mystery novel for someone who likes sleuthing.
Better Gnomes & Gardens is the first book in the Mysty Haven Mystery Book series. This is the first book I have read from this author, and I was not disappointed. The story is fun and entertaining. Bob is new to town and finds out that not everything is as it seems. Will he find out what has happened to the disappearing gnomes? The story is well thought out and kept me reading to discover what would happen. I liked that the story was not the typically cozy mystery because of the dash of paranormal. I look forward to reading the next books in this series and more from this author in the future.
This was just as I thought it would be. I love gnomes and well I grab it because of the cover. Silly I know, but so is this story. Bob McLerney moves to Mysty Haven looking for adventure as well as a story to tell. Being a journalist, he wanted an unusual story to tell. After being fired from his job, for writing a story about Bigfoot. He meets Mr Weaver who offers him $ 1,000,00 to find his missing gnome. That is all I am going to tell you. No Spoilers! This is a new to me author. But like many of my favorites authors this one will too be added. I have not laughed as much as I did reading this story. The characters are funny and perfect for the roles they play. This story kept me reading as I was enjoying the adventure. I am looking forward to see where this authors takes book 2.
This was a book by a new author to me, so I was not quite sure what to expect. I thought the cover was unbelievably cute as it reminded me of a Better Homes and Garden cookbook. It is a cute small-town mystery that involves gnomes. I am so glad that I picked this book up. It is so cute and the gnomes are so adorable. I laughed so hard reading this story. The author pulled me in from the beginning with the wonderful telling of this story. The characters are all so diverse and loveable. I also loved how the writer created such an amazing world different from the normal universe. I loved it. I highly recommend you read this book. And I also highly recommend that you make the recipe that is included at the end. It is delicious.
After being fired investigative reporter Bob finds himself off in search of a missing Gnome and finds so, so much more!! The little town of Mysty Haven and all its quirky characters will leave you smiling and make you fall just a little bit in love with them, I know I sure did. This first book from this AMAZING author will definitely not be the last I read that’s for sure. With such creative, descriptive writing I am hooked and will be back for more!
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Juleshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngJules2022-11-15 03:47:112022-11-18 11:30:20Better Gnomes & Gardens (Mysty Haven Mystery Book 1) by Casey Cardel – Review by Jules Herbert
This was a good read story! I really liked the story and enjoyed the characters. It was a very interesting cozy mystery, that centers around Fantasy characters. I laughed while reading this book, and was easily lost in the easy writing style that made this story enjoyable and easy to read. However, there was a lot of grammatical errors in this book, and some plot points that got a bit confusing that I felt like could have been explained a bit better. Because of that this book is a 3.5 rating for me. I’m rounding to up to a 4 because I really do like the story, characters and premise of this novel but with all the errors that were in this novel I have to say it’s a 3.5. But regardless I really enjoyed this book and am excited to read more of this series in the future!
Bob McLarney recently moved to a quaint little town called Mysty Haven. He also started a new job at a local newspaper but after a disagreement about a creative story about a Bigfoot sighting, he is fired. Down on his luck, he falls into an odd situation that presents itself in the form of an investigative job regarding a missing gnome named Charlie. Could Bob’s luck be turning around?
While investigating the intriguing missing gnome case, Bob learns more about the different folks living in Mysty Haven. Nothing is quite what it seems and could undercover a few secrets in Bob’s lineage.
I loved the quick wit and dynamics between the main character, Bob and the supporting characters in this supernatural story. I found the book to be quite refreshing and had me hooked from the get go. It was an easy read and flowed well. I can’t wait to read more from the Mysty Haven world.
This is the first book in the Mysty Haven Mystery series and considering it’s the author’s debut, I am amazed at her sheer talent! I already can’t wait for the second book because I couldn’t put this one down. Mysty Haven seems like a cute and wonderful place to live if you are anything but human. Bob loves everything abnormal so naturally, Mysty Haven delivers. What will his research reveal about this odd town, and will anyone believe him? Casey Cardel is a marvelous author who has created such a magical world with humor and paranormal abound. You won’t regret picking up this fun read, I highly recommend it!
Bob is new to the town of Mysty Haven where things aren’t as they seem. After writing an article that his boss at the local newspaper didn’t agree with, Bob got fired. While complaining about his lack of job at his favorite cafe, one of the regulars hires him to find a missing gnome from his garden. Being new to town makes the local police sheriff suspicious of Bob and starts suspecting him of being the thief.
While Bob is trying to uncover the mystery of the missing gnome, he finds out that things seem magical. The locals are acting like the gnomes are alive. But are they really?
After Bob gets into an accident, he meets another police officer, the sheriff’s daughter who doesn’t agree with her father. Someone or something might be targeting Bob. He teams up with the female to now solve two cases. Things seem to be more sinister than just a missing gnome.
This was a fun short read with lots of mythical creatures. I really enjoyed getting to know Bob and watching him come to terms with himself and the people around him. Bob was charming, nerdy and genuinely a sweet guy. He always sees the good in everyone. Ending on a cliffhanger, I am for sure going to read the second book in the series.
Absolutely loved this book!! So many twists that kept me guessing until the end. I need to continue with this story, because I just have to know what happens next. The characters were very well written and I wish I could visit Mysty Haven! This book had everything I needed in a good book. Wonderful characters, mystery, paranormal, and even a recipe at the end! Highly recommended taking the time to read this book.
I love all things paranormal so when I came across this book I knew I had to read it. My fascination with gnomes is kind of a problem so a book with gnomes in it; I was sold. This is a cute mystery with small town vibes yet bigger than normal personalities and adventures.
We meet Bob who was fired from his first job and moves to Mysty Haven to begin again, after getting his masters in journalism. Bob lands a job with the local paper and is sent off to write a story for the front page. However, his lead won’t talk to him about what he really knows, but instead talks about bigfoot and provides a footprint to prove he exists. Bob makes this his story and later is fired the very next Monday. Down and out in this small town he meets a local man in a bar looking for his lost gnome. He takes the job to find the gnome, as our cast of characters grows. Bob during his investigation learns a lot of new things going on that he doesn’t already know. He gets more than he bargained for during his investigation. Will he be able to solve the crime on the Toddler playground.
This book was definitely cute although it did take a couple of chapters to fully uncover the diverse cast of characters and role they played in the book. This storyline is great, the cast of characters is wonderful, and the settings are beautifully described. For a quick read I would pick this one up and give it a go!
Empty nesting is going to be rough on my poor dog. I dressed him up as a garden gnome for Halloween, so naturally, I was intrigued with the title of this book. I am totally hooked, and am waiting for more books in this series! Magic is real in this small town, and the residents do their best to help provide the reader with a magical experience. Garden gnomes, fairies, pixie dust, giants, werewolves, leprechauns, and more await you within the pages of this story.
To be honest, I was drawn to this little story by the cover of the book. I have a heart for gnomes. Bob moves to a new town and gets his first job – writing stories for the local newspaper. What he doesn’t expect is that his first story (a bigfoot sighting) was not what his boss really wanted. Bob finds himself out of work. But what happens next is about to change his world! A guy at the diner asks Bob if he will track down the culprit who has stolen a gnome. Once he starts being a detective, he finds out more about this charming little town then was evident. This was a very quick, fun read.
Good story filled with array of likable characters. It has a nice easy flow so it moves along quickly. At first it seems like any other story but once we get to know the townies…things change. The characters all have secrets that slowly come out as the story moves along. It was neat how they all just led normal lives but OH they have this other side…no big deal. I do like that the characters names kind of reflect what they are..very neat.
This is a nice paranormal mystery book. Its a first time author for me. I enjoyed the idea and the concept. The mystery intrigued me and the paranormals kept me coming back.
This is a short but very comprehensive paranormal mystery. I enjoyed the many twists and turns and the character development. This is my first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although it is a quick read it is definitely worth it. Bob is an out of work journalist who is trying to solve the mystery of the missing Gnome. What he goes through will have you laughing out loud and thoroughly enjoying all the intricacies of the mystery.
Cute, cute, cute. Classical cozy mystery with gnomes, leprechauns, werewolves, and an investigative reporter trying to solve the mystery of the missing gnomes. Not my typical read, but about six or seven chapters in I was hooked. I see that it is the first book in a series to come, and I think the characters will develop more throughout the series. To me this is a great start to a lovely series in a quirky little mystical town.
I was originally attracted to this book by the witty title and adorable cover art. I ended up enjoying the characters and the storyline along the way. Initially, it took me a bit to get into the book but once I did, I didn’t want to put it down. I loved the subtle mystery surrounding Bob, the little town and whether he would fit in or not. I grew to love the characters, especially Aubri and I found myself wanting to get to know their back story more. I liked that at times I was suspicious of just about every character and that what I feared might happen actually didn’t. I am happy to see that the book left us expecting more because I am definitely open to experiencing more of this paranormal town.
This is a fun, light-hearted first book in the Mysty Haven Mystery series.
Bob is an investigative reporter with a flair for fact finding and doesn’t let a few grumpy policemen deter him from a case. After being unceremoniously fired from his first reporter job for writing an unexpected piece on Bigfoot, Bob finds himself nursing his wounds in a coffee shop in Mysty Haven. As Bob contemplates his future and the prospects of finding a new job, he inadvertently lands himself a freelance gig helping to locate a recently gone-missing run of the mill garden gnome (or so he thinks). Bob finds himself on an unexpected journey of unearthing plots to open a mystic portal that would allow a dark Fae king to enter the mortal realm. Along with Shauna Barksdale, daughter of Sheriff Barksdale and fellow officer of the law, Bob and Officer Shauna work together to locate the missing gnome, uphold the portal and make a few more mystic discoveries along the way.
I definitely recommend this cute read to anyone who enjoys a good paranormal story with quirky writing and the potential for future character development in subsequent stories!
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book as it was the first work by Casey Cardel that I have read but I was not disappointed. We meet Bob McLarney unfortunately being fired from his first journalist job in the small town of Mysty Haven in northeastern Wisconsin. He graduated from college with his master’s degree in journalism and had a stroke of luck finding a so soon.
With the second stroke of luck Bob is given a front-page story after only one week at the Mysty Haven Weekender. After the other two reporters suddenly become ill, he is being sent to Las Vegas with everything paid for by his boss Tony to meet with an Elvis impersonator named Lennie. Only when Bob gets there Lennie refuses to tell him about being an impersonator and instead is determined to tell him about his recent siting of Bigfoot. Getting evidence in way of a footprint Bob writes the story and sends it to the printers for the Sunday paper, fired Monday morning. In a new town for only two weeks Bob now finds himself in need of a new job when he meets a local man at Maddie B’s coffee shop. Offering Bob $1,000 to find his missing gnome Charlie. Thinking it to be an easy case Bob accepts, thinking back to the gnomes his mother had as a child, a dramatized cartoon character with red pants and a white shirt, the novelty image of a gnome. Meeting with Mr. Weaver at his home seeing the location Charlie was taken from he asks if he has a photo, Bob is stunned to see a gnome in blue pants and shirt posing like Tom Selleck from the famous cosmopolitan cover with a pink corncob pipe in his hand and a mysterious smirk on his face. The only suspect Mr. Weaver points to is the Dhay sisters, Lilly, and Aubri, who have been trying to beat him in the garden competitions for years. Meeting with Lilly Dhay only one time she states that they don’t use gnomes to protect their garden but that faeries are great protectors of gardens. Later calling the local police on Bob for his wrongful investigation. After his run in with the local sheriff and deputy Bob decides to visit Mr. Weaver and tell him what he has told so far. His luck having ran out Bob is on the main road at speed when a squirrel that was eating a sandwich decides to run into the middle of the road, suddenly Bob realizes his brakes aren’t working when his steering goes out. Staring at a big red semi something that he first thought was Bigfoot, later swearing it was a werewolf hits his car off the road saving his life but totaling his first car Emma Jean, a red ’67 Ford Mustang. Waking up he is unnerved by the local doctor, Dr. Stein when he comments that he has a beautiful brain and that he will return later to perform more tests.
Will Bob be able to uncover the truth of Mysty Haven? He must decide if he believes in bigfoot then the possibility that gnomes and faeries could be real also. The world built, the characters depths, and the overall mystery make Better Gnomes and Gardens an adventurous quick read that will have you turning the pages in curiosity of what will happen next. This was an amazing start to a new series, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in the Mysty Haven Mystery Series.
After being fired from his previous journalism job, Bob is looking for a new job. Thankfully he has a few months before rent is due so he frequents the local coffee shop hoping to find gossip to write about.
Seems his luck is turning when an older man approaches him asking him to find out who has taken his missing gnome. He agrees to help. Unfortunately, he soon learns that Misty Haven, the town he has just moved to, is not all that it seems.
I just want to say that I loved the paranormal aspect of this. I love when towns have their own secrets.
Bob is also a witty character. The fact he wrote about BigFoot made me laugh too.
This is short. I wish it was longer but I am excited for the next novel.
Bob is a recent journalism graduate starting out his first job as an investigative reporter in a small town. He learns some new and interesting things while making friends and calling the new town his new home.
The story itself is magical and awakens the imagination of the reader!
I really enjoyed this cosy mystery. It was action packed and full of mystery but also with a fantasy twist which I loved. This author is a new author to me but I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait to read more. The characters were really well written and I loved how determined Bob is to prove his stories and creatures of make believe really exist.
Bob is a journalist and he plans to prove to everyone that creatures of fiction truelly exist. However his article isn’t want his publisher wants so he finds himself out of a job. When a surprising job offer shows up he takes it. What does he have to lose after all? So Bob find himself on the hunt for a missing Gnome but what he finds during his investigation is more than anyone could ever expect. Bob’s eyes are opened to things that even he could not imagine.
What happened to the missing Gnomes? Can Bob find them? And what else will he discover along the way?
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Better Gnomes & Gardens by Casey Cardel
