Marty Wingate

Marty Wingate
Education	University of Washington
Occupation	Writer
Writing career
Language	English
Genres	Cozy mystery, historical fiction
Website	martywingate.com

Marty Wingate is an American author of cozy mystery novels and historical fiction, all set in Britain. She previously worked as a how-to gardening writer and journalist. She lives near Seattle, Washington, with her husband.

Early career and background

Wingate is a Seattle native. She holds a master's degree from the University of Washington. Early in her career she worked as a chef and writer associated with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. She established herself as a gardening expert, publishing magazine and newspaper articles on horticultural topics and leading garden tours in North America, England, Scotland, and Ireland. She is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society.

Her non-fiction gardening books include:

• Big Ideas for Northwest Small Gardens (2003)
• The Big Book of Northwest Perennials (2005)
• The Bellevue Botanical Garden (2007)
• Landscaping for Privacy (2011)
• Perennials for the Pacific Northwest (2013)

Fiction career

Wingate transitioned to fiction, drawing on her love of Britain, gardens, birds, and history. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Crime Writers’ Association (UK). She conducts on-the-ground research during regular trips to England and Scotland.

Mystery series

• Potting Shed Mysteries: Features Pru Parke, a middle-aged American gardener from Texas who moves to England.
  • The Garden Plot (2014)
  • The Red Book of Primrose House (2014)
  • Between a Rock and a Hard Place (2015)
  • The Skeleton Garden (2016)
  • The Bluebonnet Betrayal (2016)
  • Best-Laid Plants (2017)
  • Midsummer Mayhem (2018)
  • Christmas at Greenoak (2019)
  • and Bittersweet Herbs (2021).
• Birds of a Feather Mysteries: Centers on Julia Lanchester, who manages a tourist information center in a Suffolk village.
  • The Rhyme of the Magpie (2015)
  • Empty Nest (2015)
  • Every Trick in the Rook (2017)
  • Farewell, My Cuckoo (2018).
• First Edition Library Mysteries: Set in Bath and featuring Hayley Burke, curator of a collection of Golden Age mystery books.
  • The Bodies in the Library (2019)
  • Murder Is a Must (2020)
  • The Librarian Always Rings Twice (2022).
• London Ladies’ Murder Club: A historical cozy series set in 1921 London, inspired by the real-life Useful Women agency. It follows Mabel Canning.
  • A Body on the Doorstep (2024)
  • A Body at the Seance (2024)
  • A Body at the Dance Hall (2024)
  • Murder of a Suffragette (2024).

Historical fiction

• Glamour Girls (2021; about a female Spitfire pilot in World War II)
• The Orphans of Mersea House (2022; set in 1957 Suffolk)
• The House for Lost Children (2025; World War II-era country house in Suffolk involving orphaned evacuees)
• The German Sisters (2026; involving Kindertransport children)

External links

• Marty Wingate's official site
• "Books by Marty Wingate", Goodreads
• Marty Wingate on Facebook