The Poison Garden by A.J. Banner
WOW !!!  This book was an incredible tale of twists and turns.  This is a psychological thriller that is set on a fictitious island off the coast of Washington.  The author’s brilliant imagination weaves a fiendish web of deception.
  
Pick up this book.  You won’t be able to put it down.  I read it in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced review copy.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.

#NetGalley #ThePoisonGarden

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.


This book will be released on Oct 22 you can preorder at Amazon.


Elise seems to have it all, a wonderful old home, a handsome husband and her dream job running her mother's old shop. But when she returns home early one day her life is shattered in a moment. After that she is forced to question everything she thought she knew including how her mother died.


I hate to be super vague, but since the synopsis isn't giving anything away neither I am. I went kind of back and forth on this one. I really couldn't decide if Elise was riding the crazy train or we were supposed to think that because of all the other stuff going on. This one had several twists and everything but the kitchen sink thrown in. So I know it isn't going to be for everyone. Overall, I enjoyed it, read it in one sitting. 


I have read all the other books by this author and I haven't been disappointed yet, I will say I wish it had been taken in a bit, there was a lot going on that makes it all seem a little unrealistic, but again I am a little torn because I really enjoyed it overall. I am not always a fan of the unreliable narrator, but in this case it worked for me.

I loved After Nightfall!!!! This book not so much. I didn't hate it, it was just OK. I can't decide between 2.5 stars and 3 stars. Elise is not very good in choosing men to be her husband. Kieran and Brandon were awful and both were scary. How did Elise ignore the signs? When you can't make a phone call unless you are at the end of your driveway, you know there's going to be trouble. There were so many twists and turns and I wasn't sure who was involved with all this madness surrounding Juliet. I liked parts of the book and it was a fast read. I guess I was just expecting something else. I wasn't a fan of the characters. I knew Chantal was up to something, but I wasn't really sure what she was planning. Did Elise suddenly just stop sleepwalking??? That was a huge part of the book. They lived on a small island where everyone knew what everyone else was doing. How did Kieran keep his philandering a secret from Elise??? She couldn't buy anything from the drugstore without him finding out!! There were so many red flags. Why did she listen to the therapist? Some of the story line seemed far fetched. I wasn't sure who to believe. Was Brandon telling the truth? Kieran? Chantal? How did everyone get away with everything? There's cameras everywhere.

I say give the book a try. It's a quick read. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Banner did it again! A fast paced story, that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Just when I thought I may have the story figured out, she twisted it on me. Banner has become one author I know won't disappoint me if I hit the "one-click" button.

The Poison Garden is a quick, suspenseful read with enough twists and turns to keep readers surprised throughout. 

A.J. Banner can always be counted on for a good read, and I have enjoyed all of his books that I have read. Will I remember this particular book? I'm afraid not. I realize authors and publishers play to the market, and that there seem to be waves of very similar books in genres. I find myself weary however of reading books where e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e is unstable. Are there no "normal" people left? Are there no good people left who aren't forwarding their own devious agendas? Can't they be interspersed among the characters with issues? And how many people actually have sleep-walking/amnesiac disorders. Apparently more than I realized!! 

A.J. (forgive my familiarity), you're better than this. Please use your many talents for original plot lines. I and many others would be so very grateful!!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read The Poison Garden in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

I was not sure what to expect when I was approved to review this book. I was pleasantly surprised though. Although it was not a thriller that had me on the edge of my seat, it certainly did deliver twists and turns along the way. Elise is a likeable character and I cared for her welfare throughout the book. I enjoyed this book and would rate it at three stars.

3 1/2 ⭐️‘s

A book you will find yourself racing through to find out every twisty detail.  Even though I figured out the big twist and the plot was a bit far fetched,  it was still enjoyable from start to finish.  On the shorter side, it was a quick and entertaining Sunday afternoon read.  😊

I hate giving poor reviews but here goes. This was not a psychological thriller because you know by chapter one what is going on. I continued to read it to see how it would all turn out. This book was a little more than 200 pages and the only reason I am giving it 2 stars is because there was a little
twist towards the end of book but i had a feeling about this.I want to thank net galley for this ARC I
received for an honest review. Also, I have read another book by this author which was really good so it was disappointing to say the least. Again, I want to thank net galley for this ARC. (less)

This is a psychological thriller, bound to keep you turning the page. I was intent on finding what was going on with Elisa, but the story was as winding as the flowering herbs growing in her garden. This story is focused on a poisonous flower that is deadly. When Elisa, excited about a first anniversary trip with her handsome doctor husband, finds him in bed with a sexy redhead, the questions begin! 
No one seems to be excluded from suspicion in this fast paced read, when she becomes convinced someone is trying to harm her. Set on a beautiful island in the San Juan chain, it will keep you guessing. Love, betrayal, fear, suspense is all here! You won’t be disappointed if you’re a fan of this genre! 
My thanks to #NetGalley #LakeUnionPublishing for the ARC. Thoughts and opinions are my own!

Talk about a one sitting, binge worthy read! Not only is this on the shorter side making it super easy to breeze through, it’s also incredibly pacey and engaging making it super hard to put down. Throw in a healthy dose of paranoia and a whole heap of secrets and this is one fun read, perfect for this time of year.

While this was definitely full of intrigue and suspense it was on the lighter side of the suspense world, nothing too dark or disturbing but still really juicy and entertaining. The drama was high here and at times a bit over the top, but I love that style and found it added to the story for me. I’ve been a fan of Banner’s books for awhile now and this one was similar in terms of style to The Twilight Wife for me so definitely grab this if you liked that one!

This was a pretty good book. It starts with a woman who discovers her husband is cheating on her and it eventually evolves to suspecting him of only marrying her for her money and maybe even something worse. There are a few plot twists, some that I saw coming and some I had no idea, but it all keeps you on the edge of your seat. Very fast paced.
The reason I didn't give this book five stars is that the beginning feels kind of rushed and rambling, unfocused. I almost stopped reading because of that and so I would have missed where it gets better. Luckily I chose to stick with it but even considering not finishing the book means it loses a star.

I can't say I loved or hated this book. It had some parts that were interesting and some that just fell flat. Overall it wasn't all that thrilling. I wasn't that invested in one character which took away from what I was reading. I understood what the plot was and where it was going, but something was missing to make me care. It was a quick predictable read. This was not a bit for me, but I am interested in reading more from this author. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW:

The Poison Garden by A.J. Banner
Lake Union Publishing

Deception, obsession, mystery and suspense are front and center in this Domestic Thriller, The Poison Garden. 

A journey of the dramatic that will twist and turn you up, down, and inside out with its "nothing is what it seems" storyline. 

Elise has a life of excitement, love and happiness along with her husband, Kieran. Her life is perfect, that is until she finds herself in a battle she never thought possible, one that tests her own psyche over and over again. Is she losing her grip on reality, or is this an orchestration by the very people she loves and trusts. 

With a garden that holds more than just secrets, and a life that doesn't feel like her own, Elise fights against the impossible, and you'll fight right along side her through it all!.

An engrossing, riveting and compelling read that will grab you as it takes you on a ride unlike any other. Who will you trust?

I thank A.J. Banner and NetGalley for my copy of The Poison Garden. A story I enjoyed and highly recommend.

5 Stars

#ThePoisonGarden
#AJBanner
#LakeUnionPublishing

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Novels and Latte Book Club

This novel pulls you in right from the start and becomes difficult to put down. The story is told primarily by Elise, with some random chapters in the neighbor, Chantal’s point of view.  The gardening aspect of the book was very interesting as well! At just over 200 pages, this is a quick read that keeps you guessing on what the character’s true intentions are.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Elise Watters seems to have it all—a happy marriage, a beautiful Victorian home, and runs her own business inherited from her late mother. She was also left a sizeable inheritance. 

She decides to surprise her husband, Kieran, a day early for their first anniversary. But they are both left stunned when she catches him in their bed with another woman. 

Her world is completely turned upside down, especially since the return of her ex-husband who has is conveniently working right next door. Everything she thought she knew is coming into question—her marriage, her friends, and Elise can't trust either her husband or her ex. With her paranoia increasing, she has no where to turn and no one to trust.

I enjoyed After Nightfall and was excited to have been selected as an early reviewer of The Poison Garden. Unfortunately, the main character's paranoia overwhelmed the plot and the story is never fully fleshed out. 

The pacing was too rushed—Banner needed to make the story more robust, and to be perfectly honest, credible. A lot of what was going on was either not believable, or too coincidental. The reader isn't going to buy in, especially in a genre that has such stellar offerings.

Oh my goodness, I never thought I'd say I was happily confused by a book, but this was definitely the case here. Throughout the novel, it feels like you're given all of the puzzle pieces but not the picture you're trying to assemble. Then when you think you've finally worked out the picture, you get given even more pieces and eventually the photo resembles something you couldn't have even imagined. 

I don't want to give anything away and risk the story being spoilt for any other readers, but I will say, although it took me a chapter or two to get hooked in by the story, it's definitely worth reading!

The characters are all written so well that you could almost believe they were real; because you know that there are people out there that share similar characteristics and motivations. 

Such a good read, I think I'll even re read it at some point, so I can see if anything is more clear the second time, or if there are any cleverly planted seeds that I missed the first time. 

Wonderfully written, I'll definitely be on the look out for other work by this author.

Elise is heading back to Chinook Island, preparing to celebrate her first wedding anniversary with her husband, Dr. Kieran Lund. They seem to have an ideal, loving marriage, living in Elise's childhood home. Once a pharmacist, she now runs her late mother's herbal boutique. But upon her arrival to the island, Elise makes a shocking discovery, causing her to doubt all she thought about Kieran and their marriage. Soon she finds herself doubting everyone--even her own memories.

"On the ferry ride home, I was not yet planning to kill anyone. I was still full of hope, eager to land on Chinook Island..."

This is one of those thrillers where you have to go in willing to suspend a little disbelief. It's a bit crazy and a little preposterous, sure. But I have to admit, this was a fun one. I was a little hesitant for a while, pretty sure I had it all figured out and it wasn't going to surprise me. But, I'll gladly admit, I was wrong! This turned out to be a very enthralling read, and I consumed the last half breathlessly, quite intrigued to find out what happened with Elise and Keiran.

I was doubtful about this one in the beginning because it relies on the somewhat overused unreliable narrator trope: can we trust Elise? It seems she's been a sleepwalker in the past, and now, stressed once again, has turned back to her old habits. (At least she wasn't an alcoholic.) I didn't really love Elise, but I admire a book that can keep me engaged even when I'm not 100% behind our protagonist.

"Was I going mad? Padding around in the dark, my subconscious alter ego seizing control?

In fact none of our cast of characters is a real winner: Elise's new husband; her ex, who seems a bit stalkery; her flirtatious neighbor... There is a lot of focus on herbs and medicinal plants, which Elise's mom used in her store. You're never really sure where or why some of the details are thrown in.

But... where this book succeeds and what makes it worth reading is its unpredictability. All of those details are, in fact, quite important. By the end, when it all came together, I was quite surprised (a little mad at myself for not putting more together sooner) and impressed. This one kept me guessing and outwitted me. It was a very easy read and a fun, different thriller. 3.75 stars--rounded to 4 here

I really wanted to like this book, but I found it to be only mediocre.  The story begins with much promise:  Elise, the main character, comes home one day to find her philandering doctor husband Kieran (her second husband) in bed with another woman.  Not only that, but she hears them talking about getting rid of her.  Will they actually attempt to do so?  And when?

What follows is a somewhat confusing plot line involving not only Elise and Kieran but Elise’s ex-husband Brandon, her neighbor and good friend Chantal (whom Brandon does work for and who seems to have an eye for Kieran), Chantal’s daughter (who committed suicide), and Elise’s mother (whom Elise believes died under strange circumstances).

I found the characters to be very underdeveloped and pretty much unbelievable.  It was hard to relate to any of them or to feel any sort of connection to them.  Also, there were so many twists and turns in this novel that they seemed too far-fetched and convenient and made the plot line very disjointed.  However, I did find the final twist to be a very interesting one that I did not see coming and one which pretty much salvaged the book for me. 

This is the first of A.J. Banner’s novels that I have read.  Although I am not ready to give up on her completely, I am also not that eager to pick up one of her other works right now.

I will leave review on Amazon or B&N on Oct 22, 2019

I received the ARC of The Poison Garden from NetGalley and the publisher, and this is my own personal opinion.

Wow what a thrilling book, full of twists and turns. I found this to be a quick and easy read and one that was hard to put down. With all the things going on in the book I didn't down if Elise was going crazy, or if someone was moonlighting her to make her feel that way. Thrillers are one of my favorite genres and this one certainly fit the bill. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys pyschological thrillers.

3.5/5

I received a complimentary advance copy of the digital galley for THE POISON GARDEN by A.J. Banner from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley for an honest review.

THE POISON GARDEN begins with Elise Watters who seems to have everything one would want for a good life. She's happily remarried and she lives and works in her late mother's home and home business selling things produced from  her elaborate gardens. As she heads home early from a trip to the mainland to conduct her business, Elise is excited to be planning her first anniversary, but coming home early doesn't always turn out the way one might hope. Instead, Elise is shocked to discover that her perfect life isn't so perfect after all and in fact she might need to fear for her life!

This novel is a fast read and pretty short, so I don't want to say too much about the plot for fear of spoilers. The premise of this one sounded very interesting and I definitely enjoyed the read overall. I enjoyed the discussion of the garden and the way her mother used the plants there to create unique products. One plant might be used for something medicinal, but if used in a different way that same plant could be extremely dangerous.

I had a few issues with the pacing of the novel and after feeling quickly engaged in the beginning, it got a little bit slow for me toward the middle. The end was definitely more action packed and I was eager to figure out all the twists and turns. I felt the initial plot twists were fairly predictable, but there were definitely some further on in the book that I didn't see coming and I was fully hooked into the action in the end.

If you are looking for a quick and fun thriller, be sure to check out THE POISON GARDEN by A.J. Banner when it is released on October 22, 2019!