Everyone Has An Agenda. This is one of those books where if you spend more than a couple of pages or so with a character... they have some ulterior motive to everything they're doing. Dark and twisted, with pretty solid pacing throughout. Couple of places that seemed to be a bit *too* trippy, but that could have been just this reader - and these places usually resolve themselves well enough if you just keep going. Overall an excellent work, and I'm looking forward to more from this author. Very much recommended.

THE POISON GARDEN by A.J. Banner

From the time Elise gets home to the end of this book you will be on edge. Not know exactly what to believe or think. I had lots of theories about what was going to happen and what happened but the twists and turns in this book through me for a huge loop. I was way wrong about who did what to whom. Elise comes home to surprise her husband the day before their first wedding anniversary and she gets more surprises than she ever bargained for.

Some of the characters in this book I loved. I loved Elise and even Chantal finally. At first I thought Chantal was just a tramp who had no feelings at all for what her friend was going through. But she proved to be a very good friend and was there when it counted. She had her own sorrows and was able to finally come to “terms” with things that happened in her life.

This book will definitely keep you turning the pages until the very ending. The ending was done powerfully and oh so good. I loved all the things that happened to those that got what they deserved. I thought it was perfect justice. This book will pull you right in from the very beginning and will not let you go until the sweet ending. The ending is very sweet too. Right before the ending you find out why different things happened and who did what. I usually figure these things out but this book was a surprise to me. I loved that.

A. J. Banner is a wonderful author of thrillers. I’ve read a couple and always look forward to more. This one in my opinion is the best one yet. It’s definitely one that you won’t want to put down until the very last page.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #LakeUnionPublisher’s for this book. This review is mine and mine alone.

A huge 5 stars and highly recommend this book to everyone that loves a great thriller.

This was my idea of a very good book. Not too long, very exciting and hard to put down! Elise is getting ready to celebrate her one year anniversary with her perfect husband- until she discovers he isn’t, without giving too much away,suffice it to say there are some twists. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to pre-review this book!

I was lucky to received an ebook version of this book in exchange for feedback. I read this book so quickly, I couldn't put it down and the fast pace just never slowed down. I feel for anyone who is involved in Elise's life, everyone is a suspect and everyone has some back story with a motive. Once you think things are all tied up with a neat little bow, you're wrong and there is more. This book keeps you guessing until the last page. Another winner for A.J. Banner!!

This was a really easy thriller to read. At just a little over 200 pages, it's a great rainy day book.

It was fairly predictable, though there was one big twist I didn't see coming. The biggest issue I had were the characters. None were really likable - the "bad guys" were all bad, no black or white, no real motivations beyond just being a bad guy. I wish the main character was a little stronger. Her naivete grated on me sometimes.

I did like the neighbor, Chantal, who was really the only character who had some layers and a real arc.

Overall, it was a quick, decent thriller.

Elise seems to be well settled. An idyllic marriage, a beautiful home, gorgeous settings and tranquil lifestyle. In an instant her world is turned upside down, when she discovers her husband having a relationship with a girl in her own home.

Faced with such a situation Elise finds that she does not seem to be able to think rationally.

Disturbed and distraught Elise reverts to sleep walking and seems to be unaware of what she is doing at the time. Forces around her want her to imagine that she is losing her mind and Elise falls into the trap very easily.

Who is her enemy and who is her friend. Did she imagine she saw her husband dead, is her ex husband who is constantly on the scene actually concerned for her or is it put on and what is it with a caring neighbour who we know is not quite right. Is Elise herself in a proper state or is she slightly off balance and mentally not stable?

I found the background of the story a bit disconcerting till its conclusion. I felt there were too many strands that had to be woven together. The descriptiveness of the setting of this island was very good.

This was a bit too much of a complicated story for me though I did read to the end.

The positive is that this is a very, very quick read. It's short and moves at a fast pace. Unfortunately, it's just beyond believable. I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to buy anything that happens. Another thing I don't care for is the first person chapters blended with the third--Just pick one already, it's too many heads to be in and makes things jumbled.
There are some potential good twists, but again, they are just not believable at all. The convenient losses of memory and sleepwalking just made it all the more out there.
I generally like Banner's books, and will continue to pick them up in the future. This one just fell a bit short for me.

As this book began, I could see exactly what was going to happen. Then it went in another direction. And another. Was anyone sane? Who could be trusted?! Plenty of twists and turns in this one to keep the reader happily confused to the very end!!

Elise had been married before to Brandon. Now she was happily married to Dr. Kieran Lund. They lived in her childhood home on Chinook Island. Elise had been a pharmacist but the pressure got to her and since her mother Seline had passed away she had taken over her mother’s herbal boutique-Clary Sage in honor of her mother. The shop is behind Elise’s house in the woods. Elise loved gardening and shopkeeping although she was still learning. Now it was Kieran and her first wedding anniversary She had been on a trip to Seattle but Elise came home a day early and prepared a special anniversary surprise. Money was no object as Elise had inherited a lot of money from her mother. When she gets home she find Kieran in bed with a much younger woman before confronting him she hears them talking about getting rid of her. She than kicks Keran out of her house. Elise decides to do an investigation of her own on Kieran and finds her husband was in some serious financial trouble. Brandon works construction and actually doing some work for her neighbor Chantal and has agreed to help her. But she wonders about him also. Now she has two men she can’t trust. She doesn’t know who to trust. Chantal is Elise’s neighbor and friend, she is also a computer hacker. Chantal lives inside her memories of happier days. Four years ago her teenage daughter jenny had died. After that her son had relocated overseas. Her husband Bill and Chantal had divorced. Kieran won’t leave Elise alone and is determined to win her back. Then strange things start to happen. Elise starts sleepwalking again from stress, things in the shop were moved or misplaced, and she finds her mother’s journal that she had never seen before, and strange credit card bills. Also the juliet plant had reemerged in the herb bed. It was a poisonous plant her mother had warned her never to touch. You have to use just the right amount in formulas and such. Too much can be deadly. Elise is afraid for her life.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast and easy read. Alot was happening maybe a little too much. This book kept me guessing. This includes: deception, cheating, family drama. Obsession, violence greed . financial trouble. A wealthy woman, poison plants, canver, plotting murder, revenge, and grief. I liked the plot and pace. I sat on the edge of my chair at times. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend it.

When a book starts with this line: " On the ferry ride home, I was not yet planning to kill anyone." You know it is going to have me hooked! I really enjoyed this book and raced to the finish to see what was going to happen. There were multiple twists I didn't see coming, and the only reason I did not give this book five stars is because I felt the end was a teeny bit confusing and a teeeeeny bit too twisty for me. Though overall I did like how it ended, which I know doesn't necessarily make sense, but without giving away spoilers, will just have to make sense.

Thank you to Netgalley, AJ Banner and Lake Union Publishing for this opportunity.

I read this book in an afternoon, after reading the blurb on it and I thought it sounded interesting, after finishing it, I have mixed feelings. The setting is a made up Island called Chinook Island and sounds idyllic. Elise Watters is excited to be returning home to the island a day earlier than she is expected, to see her second husband Kieran who is a Dr, for their first wedding anniversary. She hadn’t expected him to be home, believing he would be at work, but when she reached her home she had a shock.

They had planned to go out on the yacht to celebrate their wedding anniversary, but those plans are now cancelled.. She has gone from having the perfect life to a life full of doubt, suspicion and fear. She finds a journal she believes her mum wrote before she died, which just adds to her turmoil. Elise doesn’t know who she can turn to with her suspicions, she has her neighbour and friend Chantal, but is she the friend she claims to be?

Brandon her first husband keeps coming back and forth to the island, as he has work there, some of it is for her neighbour Chantal, but is that the only reason? Is there more going on? Elise sleepwalks in the night but never remembers it the next day, her mum ran a herbal boutique, mixing lotions and potions from herbs and things she grew in her garden, she had passed away from a brain tumour, or did she? It’s hard to know who to trust! Elise realises she is pregnant after fainting a couple of times. There are twists and turns galore in this story. Which are all well planned as it keeps you guessing.

My main problem with this story is the characters, I really didn’t like any of them, Elise is kind of paranoid, although maybe she has reason to be, Branden is a control freak, and Kieran is just Kieran. I can’t really put my finger on what was missing as I normally relate with characters when things are happening, but something was just missing from these ones.Other than that the setting sounds beautiful, the plot is good.

I would like to thank netgalley an Lake Union publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

Wow !!! This book had me hooked from page one. I could not put it down, it was so exciting. The storyline is very entertaining. There is drama, suspense, mystery, infidelity.......I mean, this book has it all. Best book that I have read lately. Highly recommended. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review

Having read other books by Author AJ Banner, I already knew I was in for a treat but little did I know that I would be on a thrilling rollercoaster ride with this awesome Psychological Suspense Thriller! Elise Watters believes she is living a perfect life but on the eve of her one year wedding anniversary, Elise discovers a secret that not only throws her perfect life into a tailspin, but puts her life in danger, as well. Will Elise be able to survive or will the one person she used to trust with her life, now end it? Author AJ Banner has a magically drew me completely into this exciting and thrilling storyline. A very talented author that has a way of writing that will have the reader experiencing all of Elise's emotions. I highly recommend this amazing, heart pounding thriller! I cannot wait to see what AJ Banner has in store for us next! Thank you NetGalley, the Publisher, and Author AJ Banner for giving me this ARC of The Poison Garden. All opinions are totally my own.

Check out my fascinating QA Elevator Interview with the amazing A.J. Banner You are in for a rare treat as she shares the "story behind the story" and learn about her traveling writing studio and vintage typewriters!

Master storyteller and talented author, A. J. Banner returns following, After Nightfall My Top Books of 2018, with her latest captivating thriller —THE POISON GARDEN and once again, Top Books of 2019.

Richly Atmospheric. Spellbinding. Absorbing. Twisty. Compellingly hypnotic!

A strong character-driven magical taut, psychological suspense thriller. THE POISON GARDEN is infused with rich, detailed and vivid descriptions.

From lyrical prose, a lush and evocative island (Gothic-like) setting, and a strong sense of place drawing you into this world of mystery and intrigue—making this another page-turner winner by A.J.!

Set in Pacific Northwest on the fictional exotic and quaint Chinook Island— part of the stunning islands in the Washington State area. (we all love the San Juan Island area-breathtaking)!

What could be a more alluring setting with all the charming shops, views, and sites?

From an island only accessible by a ferry, to the elegant childhood Victorian home, the lush, magical gardens, and the hundreds of acres of forest and trails, leading to a windswept beach, plus the herbal boutique cottage.

I want to go now!

THE POISON GARDEN is somewhat of a rectangular or square relationship filled with ongoing suspense and intrigue, rather than a triangle.

We have four main characters involved in this saga. Kieran (husband), Brandon (ex-husband), Chantal (neighbor/friend), and Elsie (former pharmacist and current shop owner). They are all connected in some way. We also have secondary characters, Diane and Elsie’s mother —Selene, from the past.

Elise seems to have it all. A blissful marriage, a sizable inheritance from her mom, a gorgeous Victorian home surrounded by lush gardens, and a dream job of running her late mother’s herbal boutique.

However, for a woman who has it all, we soon learn men have complicated her life.

Not only her current husband, doctor, Kieran, which she can no longer trust, but there is also her ex-husband, Brandon - destined to keep showing up. There are many pieces to this fairy-tale puzzle!

After Elsie’s mom died, she took over her mother’s business. The herbal shop, Clary Sage, sat in the woods behind her house within the lush gardens. She kept it open to honor her mother.

Elsie was a former pharmacist, and the pressures wore her down, and after her mom’s death, she returned to a slower life on the island. She loved gardening and shopkeeping but was still working and learning about creating effective botanical remedies in the little shop in the garden.

At the beginning of the book, she discovers her husband cheating with another woman in her own house.

Chantal Gittner, Elsie’s neighbor, finds her in the garden, where she fainted. Often Elsie does not recall things as sort of a sleepwalking time out.

There was also a strangely shaped plant that had reemerged in the herb bed, with reddish flowers resembling tiny hearts — the Juliet. Hey, you cannot have a poison without a poisonous plant, right?

Her mother had warned her not to touch the plant. You had to use just the right amount of powdered extract in tinctures and formulas. If someone administered too much, it could be deadly.

Juliet becomes part of the ongoing mystery in the novel, as relates to Romeo and Juliet. Between the parallels, and symbolisms of plants (healing, natural, and deadly), as relates to the toxic people and relationships in our lives.

Chantal is enigmatic. You never know what is going on with her. She is Elsie’s friend and neighbor. She is also a computer hacker. Smoke and mirrors here and one of the most intriguing characters.

Had Elsie fallen into an altered state?

Strange things began occurring. Items in the shop appeared to have been moved or misplaced. Elsie's mother's journal appeared she had never seen. Stuff on the prep table was tipped over. Elsie began losing time; there are strange credit card bills, her mother's past, another woman, a husband, an ex-husband, and a neighbor and friend.

Was her husband trying to kill her for the insurance money? Why hadn’t she been more alert to his charming smile? He talks of going out on a yacht with her. Will he try to drown her or kill her with poison? She fears for her life. Or is there something bigger and more sinister going on?

Brandon, Chantal, and Kieran all start acting strange, or is she paranoid? Is someone trying to make it look like she is losing her mind? Who can she trust? Mix all of this within the lush, mysterious grounds, roaring seas, and forest—Intriguing!

If you love the TV series THE AFFAIR (I am a huge fan), you will enjoy THE POISON GARDEN!

There are many themes, topics, and emotions explored in THE POISON GARDEN. Marriage, romance, betrayal, murder, cancer, obsession, revenge, addiction, infidelity, friendship, and grief. Smoke and mirrors are predominant. A confusing or disorienting situation in which it is difficult to distinguish between truth and illusion or between competing versions of reality.

WOW! For a small book, there is much to love in THE POISON GARDEN! A story of love, loss, betrayal, and deceit. As always, AJ keeps you in suspense and always surprises. A chilling domestic suspense adventure, hooking you from the first page until the end!

AJ knows how to create the perfect backdrop for each of her novels and never disappoints. She has an uncanny way of grabbing your attention and captivating you. Each time you pick up her book is like a mesmerizing adventure awaits.

For fans of authors, Sarah Addison Allen crossed with Mary Kubica, Kimberly Belle, Gilly Macmillan, Michele Campbell, and Liane Moriarty, combined with A.J.'s signature style!

I highly recommend all of AJ's books—one of my favorite authors!

A special thank you to Lake Union, the author, and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

#JDCMustReadBooks

On the eve of her first wedding anniversary, happily married Elise arrives at her home on Chinook Island early to find her doctor husband in bed with another woman. She overhears their conversation leading her to believe they’re plotting to get rid of her. She’s thinking to possibly collect her five million dollars, who knows.. as Elise has doubts about what she’s overhead. Taking it a step further she begins snooping through his things, and now feels that he may have murdered her mother. The Poison Garden is suspenseful with lots of twisty turns, all surrounding Juliet, an herbal sleeping plant Elise thinks her late mother (who owned a herbal boutique) named for Shakespeare’s Romeo and “Juliet.” Nothing is at all as it seems. Elise soon finds her ex-husband is working on the island at her next door neighbors house, and that he still feels a connection to her. Elise feels threatened to find he’s even stalking her. With hidden agenda’s, secrets and revenge on it’s characters minds, this proved to be an interesting story, and at only 208 pages is a fun, quick read!
#ThePoisonGarden #NetGalley
Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and A.J. Banner for the opportunity to read her latest thriller. I loved her previous books but this one wasn't as good to me as her others. However, it was a quick read - under 300 pages - and kept me reading to see how it would turn out. 3.5 stars.

Elise Watters is happily married and approaching her first wedding anniversary. Still grieving over the recent death of her mother, Elise gets a shock when she returns home that threatens her marriage and possibly her life. Known for sleepwalking, Elise isn't sure if what is happening is paranoia, reality or something even worse.

The plot was just a bit too far fetched from reality for me to really lose myself in this book.

The Poison Garden has a noir quality. Set on the fictional Chinook Island, Washington, the story begins with Elise arriving home from a trip to Seattle to make a shocking discovery that rattles her to her very core. Married to the handsome and charming Kieran, a local doctor, for only a year, Elise is still grieving the loss of her mother. She has continued operating her mother's beloved herb shop, the Clary Sage, in order to honor her. Her mother left behind journals detailing how she created medicinal teas, salves and tinctures, but Elise is a licensed pharmacist, grounded in science. So she has diversified, adding gift items to the inventory in recognition that her mother's "intuitive approach to healing" does not come naturally to her. Her mother warned her about the power of some of the herbs she used, including a mysterious and particularly dangerous plant she named the Juliet.

Elise has attempted to distance herself from her ex-husband, Brandon, a contractor. Yet when she quarrels with Kieran and he insists that Brandon has managed to have business interests on Chinook Island in order to remain in close proximity to Elise, she finds herself wondering if there is any truth to Kieran's jealous accusation. In fact, she soon learns that Brandon is working right next door at her neighbor and friend Chantal's home. Chantal lives "inside" her memories of happier days. Four years ago, her teenage daughter, Jenny, died. Her death tore Chantal's family apart. Her son relocated overseas and shows no interest in returning to the United States, and the loss took a toll on Chantal's marriage to Bill. Now single, Chantal is lonely and visits Jenny's grave often, leaving notes that she writes to her daughter.

Elise is plunged into a mystery that throws into question everything she thought she understood. The circumstances surrounding and timing of her mother's death now seem suspicious. Kieran's feelings for her and motivations for having pursued and proposed to her so soon after her mother's death seem calculated. As she recalls details about her marriage to Brandon, she realizes she may have overlooked warning signs about his behavior and was a passive participant in his machinations.

Banner employs a first-person narrative from Elise, as well as a third-person narrative related from Chantal's point of view, inserted at judiciously-timed intervals in order to heighten the suspense. As a result, the pace of The Poison Garden is unrelenting. The story unfolds over the course of just a few days into which Banner packs significant action and surprising revelations. Elise is an unreliable narrator, given her history of sleepwalking and several instances when she is unable to recall what transpired. Every character is revealed to be duplicitous to some degree and Banner suggests various ways in which they might or might not be connected and united for nefarious purposes. Banner keeps readers guessing as to whether and to what extent Elise has been psychologically and emotionally manipulated.

The Poison Garden includes plot twists and turns that keep the story interesting and compel it forward, as well as an ending that is shocking, but satisfying.

In comparison to some of the other thrillers that I've read and loved in the past, The Poison Garden just didn't move me like I had expected. The book started off strong with Elise, the protagonist of the story along with her cheating husband. While the drama showed up pretty fast in the book and was a nice kickstart to the story, it nose dived just as fast. When you mix a seductress neighbour friend, a sweet but crazy old boyfriend, and a mysterious death of a parent, you would think you have the perfect recipe for a fantastic thriller but It wasn’t to save this novel. It was unrealistic and just all over the place. I only finished because it was a short book. Overall it was a mildly entertaining novel at best.

Elise Watters is a pharmacist, married to Doctor Kiernan Lund. They live on Chinook Island and she runs an herb and gift shop that she took over following the death of her mother.
After a trip to see her financial advisor, she rides the ferry home, excited to see her husband, a day early to surprise him. Their first wedding anniversary is the next day. It is a second marriage for both of them, Kiernan's first wife passed away. Elise and her ex-husband, contractor Brandon still see each other from time to time.
When Elise arrives home, loud music is blaring. Kiernan is supposed to be at the office, what is going on? She climbs the stairs to the master bedroom, peering in through the open door. First she hears a conversation between female and male voices. About how they want Elise "gone". Then she sees Kiernan in their bed with a young house stager, Diane.
She kicks her husband out, she won't stand for a cheater.
Elise struggles to get her life back together. Kiernan is aggressively trying to win her back and Brandon begins to stalk her.
She starts sleepwalking from the stress.
She can't trust anyone, including her own memories.
This psychological thriller is a fun, fast and easy read. A suspenseful story, slightly improbable, but very entertaining and full of all kinds of unexpected twists.
If you want something different, give this one a try.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

I really liked After Nightfall, so I was happy to read A.J. Banner’s new book The Poison Garden . It starts out with Elise coming home to celebrate her first anniversary with her husband Kieran who is a doctor. When she walked into the house, she discovered him in bed with another woman. Thus starts the thriller. This is a great book for a lazy weekend as it is a quick read; however, there are just too many twists that don’t make sense, I am glad it was not a lengthy book as I am not sure I would have finished it.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.