The Garden House

A Novel

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Pub Date 28 Oct 2016 | Archive Date 27 Apr 2021

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Description

Set in Seattle amid sensuous garden beauty and lush summer evenings, The Garden House is about finding meaning in the second half of life.

Turning fifty has Miranda re-evaluating her life now that her two children have left the nest. In an attempt to rediscover the thrill and hope of her younger days, she decides to convert the garden house into an artist studio – only to find that her husband has already rented it to a somewhat mysterious young man. Though Miranda at first welcomes the shy tenant, she soon develops a sense of unease about him. Is he the nice man he appears to be? Or is he the reason behind her increasingly disturbing dreams?

An uplifting—and sometimes suspenseful—story about a woman who pursues a life of love, creativity, and beauty.

Set in Seattle amid sensuous garden beauty and lush summer evenings, The Garden House is about finding meaning in the second half of life.

Turning fifty has Miranda re-evaluating her life now that...


Advance Praise

“Mahkovec’s prose is sharp and fluid, building tension in small domestic scenes….The premise is a fun one, and Miranda is a finely drawn character.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Mahkovec’s prose is sharp and fluid, building tension in small domestic scenes….The premise is a fun one, and Miranda is a finely drawn character.” —Kirkus Reviews


Available Editions

ISBN 9781946229120
PRICE US$3.99 (USD)

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Average rating from 17 members


Featured Reviews

So very enjoyable! Shamefully my first book by this author but will remedy that. Though a short book, it is long enough for plenty of jaw-clenching suspense and character development. Beautiful Seattle is the setting for this mystery and as a master gardener, I was smitten with the floral descriptions and could envision them and the wonderful scents.

Miranda is a 50-year-old woman who lives with her husband in what I picture to be a lovely home with a large yard and a garden house. The couple's two adult children have recently left home which Miranda has mixed feelings about. Now she can pursue what she loves yet she dearly misses her children and all the bustle that goes along with family. Her husband suggests they rent out the garden house for the summer and a renter soon arrives. Well. This story grows more and more interesting as we see the dynamic between them and witness the couple navigating their new lives. Plus Miranda begins having very odd dreams she cannot connect anything to.

The story riveted me and entranced me fully. I literally tuned everything else out and immersed myself in the tension on a cold, blizzardy, stormy and dark March night, the perfect atmosphere for this. I highly recommend this awesome read for anyone itching for escapism with a lot of suspense but without any terror or horror.

My sincere thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this fabulous book!

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A lovely, gentle read. Perfect for a Sunday morning. A nice little mystery entwined with a feel good book.

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I enjoyed this book very much. The characters were like people I may know. The author's descriptions of gardens, flowers and food were so good, I could see and smell them in my mind. There was enough mystery to keep my attention.

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Linda Mahkovec writes beautiful, lush descriptive prose. I love spending time in Miranda's home and in her unbelievable garden. It felt like magic. Some of us have intuitive instincts that we need to pay attention to - it's that "little voice" too many of ignore. Miranda is a woman I would love to know.

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Miranda has turned fifty and she is very unsettled. Living in an idyllic home, her two children have both left home almost at the same time and she feels that her entire life other than being a wife and a mother - has left her no time for her own aspirations or her own ideas of what she wants to do with her time.

At the same time, Miranda is very undecided, has no confidence in her own abilities (she is very talented obviously) but does not have the gumption to go ahead with any idea of her own, dismissing herself as either too old, or not talented enough or has been out of the workforce for so long - very negative indeed.

When Miranda and Ben rent out their extra garden house as they call it to William, Miranda starts having dreams in the night. Very specific ones regarding a couple of children in distress and this is not taken much notice of - it is after all a dream and there are no immediate children in the neighbourhood who could be in any danger. The dreams persist though.

How the subconscious of some can be stronger than others is known and acknowledged though why and how this happens no one knows.

The story delves into this and is very well told though not technical or boring in the least. It makes for a happy ending as well.

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The Garden House by Linda Mahkovec is an engaging story. Ms. Mahkovec did an excellent job showing that things aren't always what they appear to be.

As an added bonus there's a beautiful garden in the book which has inspired me to add to my garden.

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The Garden House by Linda Mahkovec presents an amazing and easy read story combined with a mystery insight. The book offers the reader a magnificent sharpness into events related to the later part of a persons life and how circumstances influence people's worldviews. The storyline continues to grasps the reader's attention and allows one to wonder what the next page may look like. I find the writer invested significant effort to present page tuners and also to create an atmosphere of continuous wonder as well as thoughtfulness.

While Miranda attempts to find her way and reinvent her life, a mysterious man starts to play a role in the episodes of her existence.

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This book claimed to be set in Seattle, but frankly, I didn't feel it (I live near Seattle). Instead, the atmosphere seemed more like Southern California. There really wasn't anything very unique about the setting.

The plot, however, was interesting. A family rents their garden house to a complete stranger, and then the wife begins having strange dreams that somehow make her suspicious of the new tenant. It leads to some interesting conclusions and some conflict with her husband. It could have several different resolutions, and the one the author chooses might surprise you.

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I loved this book! This author has a wonderful talent in descriptions, both in surroundings and in people. The character development was perfect! I will be seeking more by this author!

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Linda Mahkovec has written another very enjoyable book. The Garden House is about an empty nest couple who rent out their garden house to a young man and this starts the mysterious setting. Mahkovec does a great job with descriptions and makes you feel as if you were there. This is a very enjoyable and well written book.
Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read this.

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