The Cactus Plot: Murder in the High Desert

Written by Vicky Ramakka

Narrated by Maria Marquis

“What have I gotten myself into!” Botanist Millie Whitehall leaves her New Jersey home to take a job in New Mexico. She plans to spend a peaceful summer surveying rare plants. Instead she becomes entangled in two heartless murders. Millie befriends one too many characters that she encounters during her work in the back country. Will it be the friendly oil and gas hand, out-spoken environmentalist, laid-back cowboy, charming foreign tourist, or handsome young Navajo biologist that ends up threatening her life? Cozy mystery lovers will enjoy adventuring along with Millie as she draws on her knowledge of ecology to save an endangered cactus, before she—and the cactus—face extinction at the hands of the murderer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Artemesia Publishing, LLC
• Release date: Sep 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781951122829

Reviews for The Cactus Plot

[fernemysteryreader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As one of my reading challenges to myself this year I've wanted to read novels in different settings particularly after it seemed the only locations I read for a few months were either in the state of Washington or Maine. In browsing, I discovered the description of this mystery and couldn't wait to give it a try.I really enjoyed it. Millicent (Millie for short) Whitehall has left her hometown of Milltown, New Jersey, and has driven across country to begin a summer staff position as a seasonal botanist for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). As Millie has finished graduate school she's excited to use her education in a natural setting. I've only viewed photographs of friends' travels with photographs of cacti primarily in Arizona or Nevada. My armchair traveling gave me the opportunity to enjoy Millie's first impressions of all her excursions for work and in her free time. It was fascinating to read the descriptions of the work done by the BLM "to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The mystery also provides insight into the work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Although no surprise, it provided fictional examples of the competing mandates of different environmental protection regulations that have been enacted on different years.I highly recommend this mystery for first-time armchair traveling to New Mexico or to reminisce on your own travels to New Mexico. It might even encourage an armchair traveler to plan a trip of their own. :)

[startwithgivens · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I’m not generally a fan of the slow build novel and this was no exception. I did enjoy the book and the characters, the delivery just wasn’t exactly what I look for. I also didn’t find that the book had a lot of depth to it, which was excellent for the quick read I was looking for but also a little disappointing. I felt like a lot more could have been done with the characters and the setting than what was explored. I received this book for free from LibraryThing Early Reviewers un exchange for an honest review

[poseyj-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an excellent read. The plot focuses on Millie who is a summer intern for the BLM near the four corners area in the southwest. It is well written and I especially enjoyed the fact that it is a clean, wholesome story. I could see it used for bedtime stories as the chapters are not long. There are scientific names but they are usually explained. Good book.

[whimsicalknight · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I received a free copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reader's in exchange for a fair review.This is a cozy mystery set in the New Mexico desert. It is apparent the author has a deep passion for botany and the Bureau of Land Management, as the book is filled with detailed descriptions of both. However, the characters lacked depth.I can certainly understand what others see in this book. It just wasn't a book for me.

[madlibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Millie finds herself working for the BLM for the season. Her work leads her to the discovery of a growing site of a rare cactus, only the second one known to exist. Excitement turns to disquiet when Millie uses her training in botany to determine that a recent death could not have been an accident as first surmised. Could it be somehow related to her discovery? Does it have something to do with an oil company's decision to drill in the area?This is a pleasant mystery with a great sense of place and some interesting characters. Millie is not the most interesting and rather than a determined amateur detective, she is more one of those who stumbles into an investigation through the course of her regular job. The villain, when revealed, is a little bit of a stock villain and the motive for the multiple killings comes down to greed.I have never been to New Mexico, but I enjoyed the setting as portrayed by the author. I wouldn't mind another adventure, perhaps in another place as Millie moves to another place for the season like Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series.

[margoholmes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received this book from LibraryThing and wasn't sure what to expect from this author. It is about a BLM botanist in New Mexico, which I found interesting. I love plants and New Mexico and am somewhat familiar with BLM. The story built slowly, so not a lot of action in this mystery, but the characters were interesting and the descriptions of the landcape and plants was exceptional.

[marlane-7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Millie is a botany student working as an intern for the Bureau of Land Management in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest. Her summer job is to inventory and plot locations for threatened plant species, an assignment that leads to her involvement in solving two crimes, one a murder and a the other a series of rare cacti thefts. The author does an excellent job of creating a sense of place, but sometimes I felt bogged down by the botany details and information about BLM objectives and management. However, one reason I read is to learn, and I came away with added insight on high desert flora and the workings of the BLM. The plot builds slowly, and there are several interesting characters, none above suspicion. A good mystery with interesting characters and setting. I would recommend this book to readers interested in this region and looking for a fun easy read.

[sandyg210 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the fact that this took place in the New Mexico desert and featured a botanist working for the Bureau of Land Management. It was a nice change of pace and I liked the characters.