A psychological thriller/dysfunctional family drama. Well written messed up characters; a father, mother, and daughter, none likable. The story, told from the three perspectives, is kind of slow moving, jumps around in time, and is a bit hard to follow due to the mother’s confusion and memory loss. A tragic, emotional, disturbing read. A bit more background into the daughter’s condition would have been helpful.

I was pretty siked to read this given it's haunted like vibe on the cover but..... I DNF'd 45% in. This book was all over the place, there's missing backstory, these characters were unlikable. I was hoping to love this book. As far as I got I didn't even understand what kind of place Shadow Garden was until I read other people's reviews. This is my first Alexandra Burt book & I'm sorry but it will be my last. This book just wasn't for me. Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for my honest review.

A dark, twisted and mysterious novel! The story was a little different to follow because of the chapter switching, but it is well written.
The book held my attention till the conclusion. It was definitely a page turner. It was chilling and makes one uneasy. It has family drama and can be called a psychological thriller. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dark, intense and filled with characters who are completely unlikable, save for the most obvious victim of this extremely dysfunctional family. SHADOW GARDEN by Alexandra Burt took three main characters down a thorny path of mental and emotional handicaps, selfishness and completely twisted them into all the worst that humanity has to offer. Lies, deceit, the need for false fronts and appearances, nasty stuff spotlight this book and sucked the life out of any chance these characters had to redeem themselves in my eyes.

The plot isn’t new, just darker, often vague beyond mysterious and I had the feeling there was such a need for shock factor after shock factor, that nothing became fully developed. As much as I love a twisted tale, I just don’t think this one was for me, although this is proof that some people are just too self-absorbed to have offspring.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Berkley! This is my honest and voluntary review.

I have very mixed emotions about this one - and at the ending the feeling was tremendous sadness. Now if only I could explain why.

When you put two psychologically flawed grown-ups together - in this case husband-and-wife Edward and Donna Pryor - then throw in a child who is so messed up that several times I thought about calling our daughter just to tell her how much I love her - it's a guaranteed disaster. The only question is how much more damage will be done and who will suffer the most.

Chapter switching, not only from perspectives but time frames, makes the story a little harder to follow. But it also allows for a more in-depth look at what is happening now and in the past, and the slower "reveals" kept me reading even when I had other things that needed done (just one more minute and I'll start dinner, honey - I promise).

As the story begins, Donna is living a want-for-nothing life in Shadow Garden, complete with housekeeper/personal assistant. But her surgeon husband, Edward, doesn't live there with her, nor does their grown daughter Penelope. When she tries to call Edward, he doesn't answer; she hasn't seen or heard from Penelope in ages and has no clue where she is. Each day, Donna grows more restless and fearful that something bad has happened that everyone is trying to keep from her. On top of that, she has trouble getting around - the result of a serious hip injury that she can't recall.

Frustrated and angry,m Donna decides to take the bull by the horns, figuratively speaking, to find out for herself what her husband has been hiding. Interspersed are flashback chapters that gradually reveal what really happened to all three, how Donna came to live where she does and why she thinks what she thinks. All of this leaves readers (or at least me) to wonder which of the three bears the most blame and doubt whether any of them ever stood a chance of normalcy. Suffice it to say this is not a pretty story and the ending, as mentioned earlier, inexplicably left me in tears. That said, the whole thing kept me hooked all the way through. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the pre-release copy.

Thank you to the author, the Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb sounded intriguing, but unfortunately the book did not live up to what the blurb promised. I found this an agonizingly long slog and only pressed on due to my sense of responsibility, given that I received an ARC. Lots and lots of detail completely extraneous to the plot line, confusing (or lack of) backstory, timelines all over the place, and characters so flat and unlikeable that I found it impossible to become interested in the story, or their fate.

Alexandra Burt writes a strangely uneasy and chilling blend of family drama and literary psychological thriller, focusing on a wealthy and privileged dysfunctional family where nothing is as it appears. Edward is a plastic surgeon, married to Donna, with one child, their troubled and problematic daughter, Penelope. Edward has organised the injured Donna's stay in the lap of luxury at the Shadow Garden, where her every want and need is catered for by a dedicated staff, but what exactly is the Shadow Garden? Donna can feel something is not exactly right, she has no memories of the accident that befell her, her ex-husband Edward is refusing to take her calls and she has no news of her daughter, Penelope. In a slow burn of a read, there is confusion and ambiguity in a story that shifts from the past and present, we learn more about each family member, related through the perspectives of Donna, Edward and Penelope, as the novel works up to circumstances that lie behind Donna's arrival at the Shadow Garden. Just what is the truth that lies behind the Pryor family?

Burt's storytelling is well constructed, beautifully written with rich descriptions and details, and a psychologically insightful examination of Donna's mental state. However, it is not going to be a book for everyone, it will be far too slow moving for some, and the ambiguity and apparent confusion may will put off others. This is a hauntingly disturbing, tragic and emotionally nerve wracking read, with some surprising twists, so oddly compulsive, it had me feeling a rising sense of anxiety. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Donna is living at Shadow Garden and the reasons why are complicated. It is a beautiful place but is it a place for her to get better or a place where the wealthy are sent when they are no longer wanted. Her husband Edward doesn't return her calls and she doesn't know how to reach her daughter Penelope. Edward has arranged everything from hiring Marleen, a housekeeper for Donna, to sending her belongings and coordinating her medical care. Donna's hip, broken in an accident is healing, but her mind is another story.

Shadow Garden is told mainly from Donna's perspective, though Edward and Penelope chime in with insights into this family's past and present. The writing seemed scattered, but it is a picture of Donna's mind. One minute she is confused about why she is at Shadow Garden and not at home at Hawthorne Court. The next she is a young wife and mother in Florida. Her thoughts don't flow in an orderly progression, so she is unable to share her story in a way that will make perfect sense to a reader. In her mind, she created a perfect home for her family, though this facade, like much that Donna shares are questionable at best.

While I didn't like Donna or Edward, it seemed that it was their daughter who suffered the most. I don't want to enter spoiler territory, but the life Donna created was largely based on smoke and mirrors, and Edward's time and attention were focused on his career, not his family. No one was willing to see what was right in front of them until it was too late, and even those decisions are flawed and self-centered.

Shadow Garden was divided into three sections: Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. While this started strong for me, I lost a little interest in the second section and was rather ambivalent about how it ended. I didn't see all of the twists and turns coming and the mystery surrounding Donna was intriguing. I just wished I had felt more connected to these characters, though perhaps that was the point. There often aren't any easy answers to why people do the things they do, and I didn't read the last page thinking I had figured out all of their motivations. 3.5 stars.

Don’t miss Shadow Garden by Alexandra Burt is a fantastic novel, ideal for people who love suspense and mystery. Told from three unique points of view and past/present timelines, it’s an engaging read that kept me guessing.

Take a look:

A wealthy woman suspects something is off about the luxurious complex she lives in . . . and she is right, in this riveting domestic-suspense novel from internationally bestselling author Alexandra Burt.

Donna Pryor lives in the lap of luxury. She spends her days in a beautifully appointed condo. Her every whim is catered to by a dedicated staff, and she does not want for anything.

Except for news of her adult daughter.

Or an ex-husband who takes her calls.

Donna knows something is wrong, but she can’t quite put her finger on it. As her life of privilege starts to feel more and more like a prison, the facade she has depended on begins to crumble. Somewhere in the ruins is the truth, and the closer Donna Pryor gets to it, the more likely it is to destroy her.

This is both haunting and chilling, a slow burn that makes you feel a little anxious while reading it. I liked the author’s writing style and will look forward to more from her.

This comes out on July 21, you can pre-order now.

Definitely a page turner as you try to unravel the story of Donna and why her husband has installed her in a luxurious mental facility. Is she crazy or is her husband a monster? You'll have to read through to the end to find out.

A dark domestic/psychological thriller involving a mother, Donna who is sent away to a place called Shadow garden away from her husband and daughter. The initial part keeps the reader guessing about what the place is and why Donna is here. Where is the daughter now and why is the family estranged? What is the whole issue with their troubled daughter, Penelope? Why is she so different from other kids? What caused Donna to end up at this place? The domestic suspense was interesting but I felt the pace to be on a slower side. This is definitely a slow burn kind of plot.

I would rate it 3.5. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

A daughter who creates dilemmas for her parents who have to make difficult choices about her. Eerie, chilling psychological thriller.

This book was just all right. I loved the atmosphere and vagueness of the beginning, where we are trying to understand what this Shadow Garden place is and why the main character is there. However, this book quickly changed from that atmospheric, unsettling focus to a family drama that just didn't work for me.

Wow. Amazing imagination and creativity.
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The great thing about a psychological story is that it takes you quite a while to actually realize that your mind is being manipulated along with the story.

You never really know who is telling the truth as you go along. In this particular story we have three main characters and two sub characters and we hear from all of them at one time or another.

Everyone in the story has an issue and it’s up to us to try to figure out what’s the truth, who’s telling the factual story, or is it all just bits and pieces pasted together.

Burt does a fabulous job with her pacing and character development. The main characters are ones that you almost love to hate. You’re transported right to their house and get involved with all of the minutia and oddities.

The story itself seems innocuous and as it ramps up then you realize just how much each piece builds upon another throughout the entire story.

Subtle manipulation of the reader and the characters help to wind the story to surprise twists and an imaginative ending. Definitely a read for those who love the psychological mind manipulation of a great storyteller!

A troubled daughter.
An injured mother looking for answers.
And a father trying to bury it all.
There is a lot going on in this book, and I'll be frank, I wasn't sure what the overall direction was at times. But ultimately, it comes down to uncovering the truth.
What happened to Penelope (the daughter)?
How did Donna (the mother) get injured?

This story is told from POVs of the 3 main characters, Donna, Penelope and Edward, with timelines in the past and present. The pacing of the story is slow at first as the author lays out the basic background on each character, which eventually evolves to the truths about what happened to each one specific night. While this part of the story was gripping, I felt the author didn't prepare me enough for why things went wrong. Specifically, I really wanted to know more about Penelope and what made her act the way she did. Is she psychotic? Or just in desperate need for attention?

What I do know is how hard Penelope made things for her parents, and how each reacted to her mistakes, said a lot about them.

Overall, I liked the bones of this story, but the alternating timelines felt disjointed at times, simply adding the date to each chapter would have helped make this an easier one to follow.

This was an easy to read thriller that kept my attention all the way through! Lots of twists and surprises I didn't see coming. Very good, would recommend. A little weird in places but it didn't inpact on the basis of the story!

*Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to review this book*

This book follows divorcee Donna, her ex-husband Edward and their daughter Penelope. The story flip flips between timelines of past Donna, living a life of luxury while raising her troubled daughter and present Donna, living alone at Shadow Garden. Edward won't return her calls and Penelope hasn't made contact in quite some time.

I'm not going to sugar coat it, I did not like this book. It took me, what seemed like forever to get through it. The first half started off strongish with the build up of Penelope to be ultimately let down in the end. I wanted more thriller in this dysfunctional family. To be honest, it was almost a DNF but I pushed through in hopes for an ending that would make the book, unfortunately that just didn't happen.

The cover art for this book is great, and the premise sounded very exciting. Ultimately, I do not think it hit the thriller mark quite in the way I was hoping.

The characters are all unlikable to a point where it is hard to even feel captivated enough to keep reading. There were times when I was ready to stop reading it completely, but I pushed through. The book had its moments that made me want to keep reading, but it was not quite the psychological thriller that I was expecting. It seemed more to be a thought on dysfunctional families. I do think other people will enjoy this book, but it wasn't the one for me.

This is the story of a family that started out sweet but as time passed they became dysfunctional...

Berkley and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published July 21st.

Donna has a husband and a daughter. Her husband moves her to a new home and leaves her. She hears nothing of him or her adult daughter. He sends her a housekeeper. She's not sure if he's divorcing her or what. She wishes her daughter would call.

Her daughter has done some bad things in her life and it has affected her mental health. When she brings home a dead woman in her car, her father returns the body to the lady's car. He attends the autopsy and finds she was hit but seemed OK. Then she had internal bleeding in the car and died.

Donna is having problems with her daughter. They tangle and go over the banister. The outcome of the fall is so awful she refuses to remember it and drives her husband up a wall.

This is a sad story but there is a ray of light at the end...

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Donna is an affluent housewife who is deposited to a new home by her surgeon husband. There, she struggles to recover from an injury and also to recover memories from the past.