Christy Wilhelmi, "Bolting to Seed: A Garden Variety Novel" (Gardenerd Press, 2026)

Lizzie Raju is back in Christy Wilhelmi's sequel Bolting to Seed (Garden Nerd Press, 2026) and she has "Six Reasons Not to Have Kids." Finding a corpse in her happy place wasn't on the list.It's been six months since Lizzie married the hunky guy she met at Vista Mar Community Garden and, unfortunately for him, she has six reasons for not wanting kids.But when a dead body turns up in the tool shed, she has to solve the mystery and save her marriage, or her urban oasis will wither to dust. In Bolting to Seed, Lizzie and the eclectic cast of characters return for another growing season, but in-fighting and the threat of death prevent them from finding peace in gardening.What's a gardener to do when plants aren't the only thing dying behind the locked gates at Vista Mar?Bolting to Seed is a cozy mystery that follows the lives of Lizzie and a diverse group of urban farmers at Vista Mar Gardens, an organic community garden in Los Angeles, CA. You'll find gardening lessons interwoven with clues as you guess whodunit in this engaging work of women's fiction.Lizzie tackles the very personal question: To breed or not to breed, as she grapples with the fact that her biological clock has no alarm. Jared struggles to find his way through Lizzie's indecision. Meanwhile, Ralph tumbles head-first into matters of the heart, while Ned and Mary deal with the challenges of aging and contentious members of their community garden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature