This is a stunning thriller, fast paced and well written.  I was eager to keep reading as I needed to know what happened next!  Creepy, twisty, and complex; everything I love in a mystery thriller.

**I generously received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

In the opening scene of AJ Banner’s newest book, The Poison Garden, we are immediately thrust into a vivid scene: a woman is fleeing from someone, as fast as her legs will take her, and behind her, a voice is calling after her, coming closer and closer...

The novel then cuts to where our story begins, three days earlier, with the ominous first sentence: “On the ferry ride home, I was not yet planning to kill anyone.” Here is the moment you know this book has got you in its grasp, and it won’t let go until you uncover every last detail.

Elise has been married to husband number two, a charming doctor named Kieran, for just under a year. She has come home early to surprise him for their anniversary. Unfortunately , Elise is the one surprised, finding her husband - whom she has just added at his urging to her substantial inheritance account - in bed with another woman. An argument ensues, and she quickly kicks him out of the house.

But that’s not the end of the matter. There’s much more going on underneath the surface here. As the novel continues, more and more damning facts (and the perspectives of different characters) surface. The suspense ratchets up and never really lets you go, as the reader is left with more and more questions and suspicions, until the final denouement. 

I hate to give away spoilers in books within the mystery or thriller genres, because where’s the fun in that? But you will be wondering who is the crazy one? Whose version of events is distorted? Who can be trusted? 

I recall reading AJ Banner’s debut novel, The Good Neighbor, back in 2015. It was decent, but I felt it could have been much improved. THIS is the novel you’ve been waiting for AJ Banner’s to write. The plot, the questions raised by the actions of certain characters within the novel, the incredible setting - it all came together to create a truly gripping story. I am so pleased to see this author step into her potential, and I will be eagerly awaiting her next book.

You don’t want to miss this one. Highly recommended.

The Poison Garden is a superior psychological thriller that grabs you right from the start and doesn't let go all the way to the ending. The twists in this story will keep you on the edge of your seat until you close the cover. When I finished the book, I know I sat there and was shocked. Now, I want to reread this to see if I could have seen it coming!! I also liked the references to the plants in the garden. It was something different for me and I enjoyed it because of my love for herbs and plants in their medicinal uses.

The Poison Garden, a suspense/thriller book, was a solid 4 stars. 
The book centers around main character Elise-a financially independent woman who is happily married to a doctor. Elise’s life begins to unravel as she returns home only to find her husband in bed with a much younger woman. To make matters worse, she overhears them discussing the need to get “rid” of her. Elise, who is worth millions, kicks her husband out of her life and starts an investigation of her own. Elise discovers that her husband is in serious financial trouble and she starts to worry that he’s going to try to kill her for her money. There is a lot that goes on in this book but no spoilers here. 
The Poison Garden is a fast read and I’d recommend it to fans of mystery/thriller books. Thank you NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love to read an A.J. Banner novel. It is always fast paced and the element of mystery surrounding her characters always make for a quick, intriguing read.

Loved the book. Very suspenseful with a lot of twists and turns in the story. I would definitely recommend this book.

Ahh Wedded Bliss?!
Nope sorry not here folks as this is about a cheating husband on the first anniversary.
Ok but life goes on and sure does for Elise who has a back up with her ex husband from her 4 yr marriage Brandon.
But wait there's more as you never can tell who to trust in these kind of relationships so lets toss in the death of one of our characters and questions then become the focal point to the death.
This was a fairly easy one to read. It was the perfect spice of enticement and lead ons but also of thrills and chills.
It had the money aspect, the financial and psychological abuse aspect, the crazy loon of a stalking psycho to process for the readers.
What you may not expect was the altering of the will to make sure the wealth was kept hidden from the nutty husband Kieran.
However, we may not have to worry about him much longer...
(hint)
Sometimes people have that weird way of simply turning up....
What is not well understood was the fact of all of this craziness being a dream in hopes of waking up from or was this the madman who wants his ex back plot strategy...
I love a great thrill!
Thanks to AJ Banner, the publisher, Amazon Kindle for this ARC in exchange for this honest review

I have loved this authors previous work, and this one did not dissapoint!! Lots of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Would definitely recommend!

Read this book in one night. Tons of twists and turns that will keep you guessing and the “poison garden” concept is a fun addition to the mystery/thriller genre.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43706721

This book is nothing short of amazing! It has so many twists and turns and the characters are completely believable. Just when you think you have figured out what is going on every thing changes.  The ending is also a huge surprise.  Definitely worth five stars!
Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this incredible book!

3.5 Stars

Victorian home, lush gardens, herbal boutique, paranoia, mystery..

All of these things had me so excited to read this book. The mystery was a page turner, with multiple twists. Definitely a psychological thriller. There were a few triggers in this book that sensitive readers should be aware before reading. I won't post any spoilers, but just a simple caution.

The story takes place on an island in the PNW, were the main character Elise discovers that her husband Kieran isn't who she thought he was. The story spirals from there as she learns more about his true self and what kind of malice he has been up to. Elise finds an old journal her mother had left behind in the herbal boutique which adds to Elise's suspicions.

The plot thickens when the ex-husband gets involved, when Elise sleepwalks and can't remember things that happened, and when she finds out some news that will connects her to Kieran forever. It got a little confusing with all the twists and turns, leaving me with out the "ah-hah!" moment at the end where all the pieces fit perfectly together. 

Overall, it was a page turner and I enjoyed the writing, but it felt like all the twists made it hard to feel completely conclusive at the end.

A fast paced psychological thriller.  I was reaching for my Kindle at every free moment to read and figure out what was going to happen next in the story.  A garden, blurred memories, questionable events in the past, and a dead body - what happened and who did it?  The twists and turns kept coming and most took me by surprise.  This is a new author to me and I look forward to reading more of their books.

Just finished reading the e-galley!  What a phenomenal story!  Definitely kept me engrossed from the very first page.   The author’s writing style is excellent.  It flows with each sentence.  My heart would race as I anticipated the unfolding of the characters with each twist and turn.   I wanted to finish reading but at the same time wanted more.   The Poison Garden definitely did not disappoint.

This was an excellent and quick suspenseful book!  This was one of those books where i kept thinking I had things figured out and the author just twisted the plot into a completely different direction.  I liked the characters in this book and the setting was perfect for this twisted tale!  This is my first A J Banner book to read (I do have her others on my kindle - so I best get busy reading them!) .  I was really impressed with her writing and can't wait to go back and read her others. 

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Authors for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Is Elise loosing her mind or is someone orchestrating it to make her think that she is? This is an unbelievable story of full of twisted web of deceit and deception around every corner. I could not put this book down. It pulled me in from the first page and I found myself holding my breath until that very last page. It had very strong and intreging characters, a very original plot, and one heck of an ending that I did not see coming. This book is officially one of the best psychological thrillers out there!
I want to thank netgalley, the publisher and A.J. Banner for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Who doesn’t love a good, old suspense story set around a Victorian home? And in an idyllic coastal town? And characters you cannot trust? Veteran author A.J. Banner delivers a heart-stopping, intriguing, and quick-paced thriller in the new novel, The Poison Garden. 

Elise Watters has it all: extreme wealth, a beautiful Victorian home, and a doting, doctor husband. On the eve of their first anniversary, Elise learns a shocking secret that has her questioning what is real and what is a facade. Over time, she encounters the truth behind what she’s always thought was reality and paranoia sets in. 

This novel begins with drama and it almost never stops. The author does well to keep the pace moving at a mind-boggling speed which mimics the disillusionment and confusion the main character and narrator, Elise experiences during the plot. Elise is likeable, yet unreliable. This adds a tremendous advantage to the story, allowing the reader to settle in alongside Elise and deal with the issues presented. Without giving too much away, all of the supporting characters are unpredictable: one minute you feel safe with them and the next you want to strangle them. It adds a complete sense of unrest that makes the story worth it. 

While the idea of a paranoid wife and narrator are not new to this genre, Banner writes a character that is much more likeable. I believe this sets the story apart from some of the other domestic thrillers I’ve read recently with similar plots. The story includes backgrounds for a lonely neighbor as well as Elise’s deceased mother. All of the subplots and background stories are well-done and handled well. Nothing gets lost or left behind either. Banner does well to tie up all loose ends in a creative way. 

This leads me to the major saving grace of the novel: the twists. For about 85% of the novel, I thought I had it figured out. It seemed predictable and overused until the last few chapters. I was bordering on disappointment with the novel, although I enjoyed reading about Elise. I thought I wouldn’t be satisfied, but I was proven wrong. The last two twists actually made me smile because I thought “excellent.”

This novel earns a solid 4 stars for the plot twists, incredibly vivid use of setting, and a narrator that someone would actually want to invite in their house for coffee. 

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing a free copy of this digital arc in exchange for my honest review. 

The Poison Garden is set to be published on October 22, 2019.

Thank you #NetGalley for an advanced copy of #ThePoisonGarden!

What a read this was!! Within the first few pages I was hooked and in what felt like 5 minutes, I was 50% done with the book. It was incredibly fast paced and I was never bored. The storyline was interested. This is about Elise who is getting ready to celebrate her 1st anniversary with new husband Kieran when she uncovers some dark secrets and her world is turned upside down. Reading this made me stressed for Elise because she didn't know who she could trust... Could she trust her husband who claims to love her and will do anything for her, or her ex-husband who seems to still be in love with her, or her helpful neighbor/friend Chantal???? Without giving much away, I was a little confused on where a few chapters were going, as one chapter close to the beginning is from Chantal's point of view but then there was nothing from her point of view again until the end. I figured the first chapter had to be there for a reason and when I found out what the reason was... wow! Mind blown! I chose to read this book so soon after getting it approved on NetGalley because almost every review given was 4/5 stars and it did not disappoint!! Highly recommend!

A. J. Banner is a MUST read author for me! Her books never disappoint and leave me wanting more! The Poison Garden was no exception and is probably my new favorite book of hers! Elise has the perfect life or so she thinks. Married to her second husband Kieran , living in her mom's house, and running the herb boutique her Mom had built. But nothing is ever what it seems. As twists and turns are revealed, Elise starts second guessing herself. This book kept me on my toes as I was shocked with all the layers. This is an absolute must read if you love psychological suspense! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

A.J. Banner is an absolute master at writing thrillers!  The Poison Garden had me on the edge of my seat the entire way through!!! Just when I thought I had a grip on what would happen next, A.J. Banner would throw in a perfectly placed twist or turn and shock the heck out of me!   I don’t want to touch on any details because the blinder you go into this novel the better, but I will say that I am confident that any mystery/thriller fans will think this book is as fantastic as I think it is!  I wish I could give The Poison Garden more than 5 star because it’s just that good!  A.J. Banner is always a sure thing for me, but I think she actually outdid herself with this gem!!  The Poison Garden is most definitely on my 2019 favorites list!

The Poison Garden pulled me in the first chapter and never let go. I have to admit I was intrigued by the title.  The ideal that a garden could be a place for a suspense novel to unfold had me wondering how? A.J. Banner took us into the world of pharmaceutical and herbal medicine and gave it a dark twist. It truly is a Hitchcockian story full of plot twists and much more!