Premise - PTA mom is arrested on attempted murder charges for allegedly poisoning another PTA mom. I really liked this book. I liked the author’s writing style. The characters were good, even if they were mostly despicable (besides the lawyer!) … it’ll be interesting to see what book 2 has in store, and I’m looking forward to reading it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The end wrapped up fairly nicely, while leaving some things open ended.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and Amazon for a first reads edition.

I received this ebook from netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review. I throughly enjoyed this novel. I loved Allie, and everything she stands for, I totally saw the ending coming, but shocked me anyway. I have never read a book that had to do with gardening, but I like it! Will check out other books by this author.

The Darkest Flower by Kristin Wright

This one is a legal thriller. Allison Barton is a lawyer, straight laced, trying to make it in a man's world. Kira Grant is a society wife, president of the PTA, and a mother who treats her children like the greatest trophies of her life.
When Kira is accused of having poisoned a fellow PTA member, Allison represents her in court. But is Kira all that she says she is??

Edge of the seat courtroom drama.. could have done without Allison being kind of silly around the prosecutor on whom she has a massive crush, but then that's just me and my problem with the romance genre.

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆: 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆.

Can a domestic thriller be described as fun and refreshing? Because I can't think of a truer word to describe this dark yet hilarious court room suspense.

Suburban wife and PTA president, Kira Grant, has been accused of attempting to murder her best friend and fellow PTA mom, Summer Peerman, with a wolfsbane-laced smoothie. For underrated defense attorney Allison Barton, winning Kira's case makes all the difference between opening her own practice and being stuck as the unappreciated underling of her misogynistic boss. With all the evidence stacked up against Kira, Allison has her work cut out for her, trying to prove the innocence of her very unlikeable and high-handed client. What ensues is an edge-of-your-seat legal drama as you spin around in circles trying to figure out who the culprit is.

I was drawn to this book due to the glowing references on Bookstagram and I must admit that they were all right; this one doesn't disappoint one bit.
The writing was outstanding. The author has sketched out such credible characters, not just Kira - scary helicopter mom who has her eleven-year-old son's Yale future all planned down to a T or Allison - struggling single mom who is trying her best, but constantly worrying that she is failing as a parent, but even the secondary characters too. Kira's snarky monologue, creative swear words, petty revenges, and cunning manipulation of people and situations were the highlights of the plot. If I wasn't already bowled over by the running commentary in Kira's head, that plot twist at the end had me down as a fan of the author and the book.

Overall, a solid 10. (I know the rating says 5 stars, but just so you know how much I enjoyed reading this one.)
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not really sure where to start with this book, it wasn't awful as such but it also wasn't great. I did like the alternating chapters between the two main characters and it was a relatively easy read. I felt that some of the chapters were far too long and that they were never coming to an end. Also the character of Kira was absolutely awful but that was obviously intended. The ending seemed quite abrupt (I've heard this will be the first in a series so maybe that's why) and the "twist" wasn't really interesting or shocking. I'd probably read the second book to see if there is anything continuing on from this story but it wouldn't be the top of my list.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Kristin Wright for the copy of this book. All views are my own.*

Ughhhhh I just LOVE the books where I can't stand the main character. And trust me, you won't be able to stand Kira. What an entitled, snobby, b****. There was literally not one ounce of sympathy in my body for her. And I loved it.

Oh Kira....you are a crazy, manipulative, psychopath with a green thumb. Was it really you who poisoned Summer? (Kind of but not really....but maybe your actual motive was even worse.) Who will be your next victim? Maybe your soon-to-be ex husband? Or what about your daughter that might have a learning disability? The possibilities are endless, really.

Fantastic book by an author I'll definitely be following!

Thanks NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Kristin Wright for an ARC to review.
When a PTA mother got poisoned on a school event, her best friend was charged of attempted murder. Single mother, struggling lawyer Allison tries her best to prove Kira's innocence and win her ticket out of the Mcdonald office.
A page turner, horrifying book that shows the unbelievable extents human beings would go to get what they think is their own right.
I loved it and love seeing it is a first of a series.

The book cover pulled me in, and the description intrigued me. Once I read the book, it did not disappoint. I enjoyed this book for several reasons:

1. Kira’s character was very well done. Being privy her inner thoughts throughout the story made this book interesting. The author threw in some good zingers and comical parts, too.
2. Right level of character development – not overdone, not lacking. Making it easy to follow the different characters and their interactions with each other throughout the book.
3. The shocking revelations the author weaved into the story concerning the poisoning – who was involved, why it happened - were pleasantly unexpected.

The story fell a little short of expectations due to the ending. When it’s unveiled what happened at the school event, who was involved, and why, Kira’s reasons for her actions seemed lacking. For me, there wasn’t enough anchoring of her obsession with her children’s success within the story to justify her reasoning at the end. And, Miles admission seemed to come out of nowhere and didn’t seem to fit.

But, overall, the story flowed well making it a quick, easy, page turner. The story raised some moral questions that kept me thinking about the book after I finished it. Great read!

Kira is the perfect PTA president the perfect mom or is she? What lengths would you go to give your kids everything . Allison. Barton is hired by Kira to defend her against charges of poisoning a fellow PTA member. Mean girls the PTA years. The cover alone draws you in. Part legal thriller part thriller the best of both worlds. Really looking forward of more Allison Barton cases!

Twitter is a wonderful place to hear about books, especially debuts, so if you're not on Twitter, let me tell you about The Darkest Flower. I'll start by saying that I remember the pitch that Wright posted, and I couldn't wait to read it from that point on. That cover, the synopsis--stellar. I'm a sucker for legal thrillers, but give me PTA moms on power trips, and you'll win my heart.

When Kira is accused of poisoning Summer's smoothie at the fifth grade graduation event, she hires Allison Barton to defend her. As the investigation begins, the pristine lives of these PTA moms unravel, unearthing motive, secrets, and more lies than you can fit in a Prada bag. From gossip to long-held grudges, Allison must sift through the accounts and find a way to prove her client's innocence--even if she's not entirely convinced herself.

I loved this book.

Legal thrillers can be tricky for me. Much of the time, they skew toward the dramatic: sprawling courtroom scenes with chilling testimony, surprise witnesses, and damning evidence. There is drama in The Darkest Flower, don't get me wrong, but it's calculated and practical. It's not pointing fingers and revelations for the sake of scandalous gasps.

Allison's character is grounded in reality. She's methodical, albeit scattered in her execution because--and this is what I found most refreshing--her workload isn't limited to this single case. She has dozens of cases on her plate, oftentimes requiring her to spread herself too thin and highlighting the juggling act that is her life as a single working mother. This was so relatable: guilt that you're not doing enough for the job, guilt that other parents are doing more for their children. The never-ending supply of questions that come when you compare yourself to others.

And what better place to bring a mother's insecurities to light than a PTA of supermoms--different in looks and upbringings, but all of them determined to out-mom each other. I loved how Allison's voice was both confident and unsure, and I especially loved how Wright executed her interactions with Kira. We get both sides of the voices, their impressions of each other and our own impressions, and the end result is nuanced characters and a culminating trial that will leave you guessing until the very last page. No spoilers, but the structure of this book worked so well, a slow-burn reveal of secrets and lies that is everything you want from the genre.

Overall, The Darkest Flower is a compulsively-readable suspense with deliciously-wicked voices that will make you question how far you would go to set your child up for success. Desperate Housewives meets Law and Order, you won't want to miss this.


Huge thanks to Thomas and Mercer for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

This dark tale is an absolute must-read for anyone who dares explore the world of a deviant mind!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the free digital ARC.
This review is made of my own accord and with no monetary compensation, whatsoever from the names mentioned above and/or the rightful owner/s of the digital ARC.

This is a real page turner of a criminal case. The characters are excellent and the author did an amazing job creating each of them, especially Kira. The plot was well thought out and had some great twists to it. I enjoyed every page and didn’t want to put it down. You will never look at another school function the same. Lol. The book moved smoothly between the two main characters with no abrupt turns to put you off. An all round trip excellent story with the right amount of suspense and intrigue. A huge thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer publishing.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one and my enjoyment of it. While I expected to like it I didn’t know I would want to read it all in one sitting. I didn’t know I’d want to ignore everything around me for an entire night and immerse myself in this world.

The characters are all flawed to the point you root for no one and everyone. You don’t know how you feel when you hear the outcome.

Is it good? Bad? Does she deserve the verdict? It’s really a no win situation either way.

A very fun, quick read. Perfect for the beach this summer! My first from this author. Told in two points of view, this story follows a woman charged with poisoning a fellow PTA mom and her lawyer that's trying to defend her. I really enjoy stories with an unlikable character and this most definitely has one. I'm looking forward to reading the next book when it comes out. I think this will be a fun and entertaining series.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was very enjoyable; a mixture of a mystery, courtroom drama, and romance. It centres on the committee of an elementary school PTA where one committee member is charged with the poisoning of another by means of a smoothie served at the Grade 5 'graduation'. There are chapters from the perspective of Kira, the accused mother, and Allison her lawyer. Kira was initially very amusing, although she became less so as the plot developed, and I really liked Allison, so I am glad this looks as if it is only the first in a series.

I LOVED this book! The characters had so much depth, the writing was fantastic, & the storyline kept me interested until the very last page. I fell in love with the lawyer, Allison, and I found myself wholeheartedly rooting for her to succeed through the whole book. The ending came as a shock to me, something I truly didn’t see coming. I never lost interest because I HAD to know if Kira was innocent or guilty.

Thoroughly Despicable,Often Devious, Often Disturbed…
Life of suburban PTA mothers explored in this dark, entertaining suspense with some thoroughly despicable, often devious, often disturbed characters, a twisting, turning plot line and presented in a well worked, dual narrative. Fun, escapist reading.

After a nearly fatal poisoning at a PTA event, seemingly perfect Kirs Grant is arrested. Her idealistic attorney, Allison begins to investigate other PTA parents to offer Kira a defense.

This was a hard one to put down. Alternating between the defendant and her lawyer’s perspective, you’re not quite sure what the truth is... although you have an idea. This isn’t so much of a mystery/who dunnit as I thought it would be. There were many nasty characters. We weren’t entirely sure who the “bad guy” was but we had some ideas. The story was pretty darn exciting. I’d categorize it as a legal
thriller. There are many court room scenes and we are front row for the defense’s process.

“Damned Southerners. I knew. I was one. They hated a mess. They’d stick a knife in you like anyone else, but they’d coat it in butter and make it smell like honeysuckle first.”

“She loved that perfect life - clothes, hair, house, garden, kids, clubs- and nobody had a single idea that inside, she was as rotten as a four-day corpse in the summer sun.”

The Darkest Flower comes out 6/1

You’ll never believe the terrible things being said about the perfect president of the PTA. Poisoned by a wolfsbane-laced smoothie at the fifth-grade graduation party, one of the moms on the committee struggled for her life in Lynchburg, Virginia’s Wolf Run Elementary School cafeteria.

This is quite possibly the best legal thriller and whodunit I’ve ever read! To think that the author started writing in 2013 and almost shelved this novel idea because she was told that the protagonist wasn’t likeable enough by multiple publishers, gives me the shivers.

I loved Kira Grant! I loved her BECAUSE she was the opposite of likeable. I loved her BECAUSE she was an anti-heroine. She was manipulative, arrogant and a schemer who believed that her exalted privilege exempted her from the rules and morals that everyone else lived by. She had absolutely no redeeming qualities except that she’d do anything for her children. I found myself giggling at her snarky comments and laughing out loud at her preposterous behaviour. I really hope we meet her in another book.

Wright contrasts conniving Kira with a moral counterweight, the defense lawyer, Allison Barton. Allison is suspicious of Kira and can’t stand her ostentatious behaviour, but needs to prove her ability to the firm and desperately needs to keep her job. Allison stands her own against Kira and the weak-cased Commonwealth in this ‘female-forward courtroom drama’ and wins … the romantic subplot. The witty banter between Kira and Allison will keep you entertained while you try to figure out who poisoned a PTA mom.

I was giddy with excitement to hear of a sequel, “The Darkest Web,” being published April 12, 2022 and that Wright has completed chapter 3 of a super twisty third novel in the series. Although we won’t see Kira in book 2, I’m confident Wright won’t let us down.

You don’t need to be on the PTA or have school aged children to love this book. This clever novel needs to be on your ‘to buy’ list...NOW.

I was gifted this phenomenal read by Kristin Wright, Thomas & Mercer Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Loved this book! It is definitely different than you think it will be. I loved the huge twist that made up the end. Great story with amazing characters that spring to life.