While this one does follow Gus Monet, I don't think you need to read DARK AUGUST before reading this one. Poison Lilies has family secrets, twists and turns and a great ending. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!

Somehow, I was unaware that this was a sequel to another book and spent a lot of the book entirely confused. I don’t think I can properly review until I read book one!

I expected this to be a little different than it actually was. Based on the description, I was all in. But this was slow moving and none of the characters really drew me in. I didn't realize this was a second in the series, so I wonder if I had read the first if I would feel differently.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I thought based on the description it would be. I just couldn't get pulled in.

Poison Lilies is the follow up to Dark August - a book that was set in the surrounding towns of my small town! Poison Lilies is set in Ottawa, the main city closest to me, which I loved. It was great reading about places I knew and had been to myself, which added a fun element I'm not used to in books. I did enjoy this book quite a bit more than the first. I should have written this review closer to when I finished it because I'm struggling to remember a lot of details, but I do remember thoroughly enjoying (most of) the characters and the twist towards the end! This book jumps back and forth between current and past timelines, which I thought was great to help fill in blanks for this story.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a widget of this ARC!

This is book 2 by Katie Tallo and while you don't have to read book 1 first it would definitely give more context as to what happened in the past. The story switches from present day to recent past and I love how it was tracked through the trimesters of the lead character - Gus' pregnancy.

The storyline was engaging and I was hooked from the beginning to find out what happened in Poppy's past. I think I enjoyed this one more than book 1! Definitely recommend to thriller lovers.

One of my favorite characters, Augusta "Gus" Monet is back! In the second book in the series, Poison Lilies, Katie Tallo brings us another quirky mystery featuring Gus and her beloved dog, Levi. I absolutely love Gus and her eccentric ways. The characters that the author has created are so real to me. If you haven't read the first book in this series, please do! If you love mysteries with outstanding character development you are in for a treat! Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Really loved the first Gus Monet book. This book not so much. The manner in which the story was told jumped times which made it confusing. The character of Poppy was fascinating but her mystery was convoluted. I felt a lot of the relationships were no realistic at all and the story suffered for it.

It's the return of Augusta "Gus" Monet (Dark August)! Previously Gus had moved back to her hometown and solved her mother's murder. She is still reeling from the experience and has not yet found her stride. After a relationship mistake she picks up and leaves and finds herself alone in Ottawa. Fortunately, she befriends the wonderful Poppy in her apartment complex.

Before long, Gus is embroiled in another mystery that threatens her friend Poppy's mental well being and Gus's actual life. It turns out that Poppy is related to a very wealthy family, a family that will do anything to keep secrets buried. If you like a spunky heroine, a unique mystery story or just love a who-done-it filled with eccentric characters, then Poison Lillies is for you!
#HarperPerennial #HarperPaperbacks #Harper #Netgalley #Netgalleyreads

I found this to be a very entertaining read! The pace was great and I really enjoyed the main character. She was easy to like and root for. It is the second book in the Gus Monet series and even though I haven't read the first book I didn't feel like I was missing anything! But I will be going back and catching up before the next book! And the ending was perfect it didn't feel rushed or out of the blue it felt natural! I'm looking forward to reading more about Gus Monet!

Poison Lillies


“But what they don’t realize is that dead shit just gets this girl going”.

Okay y’all, this was a wild and bumpy ride. After almost DNF because I was so confused until Chapter 4, this turned out to be an eventful and clearly written thriller.

First and foremost, this starts off with present day, and then goes back to first trimester, second, third. The flashbacks are so strong in this that I literally thought I was missing a chapter, or that my audio was messed up and that I skipped the chapter. I was so confused and saw the table of contents, and it seemed to help a bit.

I love a younger child becomes a whole south and gets to band together with an adult to figure out a mystery. This little duo of Gus & Mojo were quite the pair. I loved that they were able to connect and really work this case. I don’t think you need to read Dark August before Poision Lilies, but if you don’t want to know what happens in Dark August beforehand, you should read it. Otherwise, this can be read as a standalone.

I really liked the audio from Harper Audio. While I felt the story jumped from place to place without clear transitions, Piper Goodeve did a great job setting my brain straight. I hung on because of the audio, and I’m glad I did. I ended up yelling and exclaiming at the same time as the reader, which shows how invested I finally became in the story.

Overall, there was quite a bit of twists that almost seemed too much. There was also a lot of back and forth from present day that confused me in what part we were in. Regardless, the story was intriguing and the mystery instead was really good. Thank you so much @harperaudio and @harperperinneal for the gifted copy. Poison Lilies is out 5/24!

QOTD: There’s a lot of genealogy/DNA info in this book. If you’ve taken a genealogy test, did anything stand out to you?

Poison Lilies by Katie Tallo is a highly recommended thriller about family secrets set in Ottawa, Canada.

Augusta "Gus" Monet and her dog Levi have moved to The Ambassador Court, an art-deco apartment building with cheap rent. When she finds a cat, Gish, and looks for the owner, Gus makes friends with, her elderly upstairs neighbor, blind, reclusive Poppy Honeywell. Soon the two are sharing dinner together every night and Gus learns that Poppy is a descendant of the Mutchmores, one of the city's founding families. When a body is found in the pond at a neighborhood park, Poppy says she knows who it was, a lost lover. Gus is drawn to the story and begins investigating, a dangerous decision.

This is a direct sequel to Dark August, so it helps to have read the first book before this outing of Gus. You can read this as a stand alone novel, but I think it helps to have read the first novel. The novel is broke up into four segments: first trimester, second trimester, third trimester and birth. Obviously, Gus is pregnant in Poison Lilies and will give birth. We know from the opening that she is locked in a sub basement with no way out and about to give birth.

Gus is a well developed character as an amateur PI, so her skills and interests seamlessly continue in this second novel. She can be sassy and funny as well as serious and doggedly determined. Poppy hires Gus to uncover the truth in her investigation of events from Poppy's past and the Mutchmore family. She is assisted by a journalist she meets, Howard, who is an interesting character and a nice assistant for her. The investigation is full of suspense and secrets that some want to keep buried in the past. You'll have to suspend disbelief, but this is another entertaining investigation by Gus Monet.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins via NetGalley
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Definitely creepy. Just a little slow and unbelievable at some points. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

YES! Love this almost as much Dark August. We get more of our beloved Gus and get a new favorite character in Poppy. Much like Dark August, this one keeps you guessing and ends rather beautifully.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: May 24, 2022
Augusta (Gus) Monet has left her hometown in the dust. After solving her mother’s murder, Gus hopes that a new town will help her start over, and she is close to doing just that when she befriends her elderly neighbour, Poppy Honeywell. Poppy recruits Gus to help her solve a mystery from her past- where did her young lover, Leo, disappear to? Did he really just cut and run, abandoning Poppy and their plans to have a life together? As Gus begins to investigate, she finds secrets darker than anything she ever expected, and all roads lead to the richest and most powerful family in Ottawa, a family who is willing to do anything to keep the secrets unearthed.
“Poison Lilies” is the second novel in Katie Tallo’s August Monet series (the first being “Dark August”). An eerie thriller, “Lilies” reminded me of “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest”, with its rich family secrets that seek to be unearthed by a spunky and unwanted heroine. Tallo’s novel is filled with all of the twists and turns you’d expect from a suspense novel, with a surprising ending that packs a punch.
I am new to Katie Tallo, and did not read “Dark August”. I can honestly say that it is not necessary to read the first Gus Monet novel in order to enjoy the second. Most of the important character aspects are reiterated in this novel, so even newbies like me won’t get lost along the way.
Gus became an instant hit with me (as did, of course, her lovely dog.) That and the Canadian setting and I was pulled in from the first page. Spunky and down on her luck, Gus innocently befriends sweet, endearing Poppy, and her granddaughter Mojo, and it changes her life in every way. Nerdy, lovable Harold gave me strong Spencer Reid (from Criminal Minds) vibes (and that is NOT at all a bad thing). The evil characters in this novel are just who you expect them to be, and the ending brings about a satisfying conclusion.
There are a lot of connected characters in this novel (with incest, secret siblings, May-December love affairs....just what you’d expect from a rich and powerful family), but that didn’t stop me from wanting to see the Mutchmores get everything they deserved. “Poison Lilies” is gripping, taut and entertaining from the get-go. I am now inspired to read “Dark August”, and will leap at the chance to read any future novels Tallo releases to the world.

I did not read the prequel to this book, the author's debut Dark August, but you don't have to, you get enough info to enjoy this book. part thriller, part mystery, the quirky characters and plot will seduce their way into your head, and keep you reading long into the night! What will a family do to keep long held secrets hidden, and their standing in the community intact? Gus is soon to find out, and hiding will no longer be an option, as what she thought she knew comes crumbling down and a new future quickly becomes endangered! Don't miss this one!

Thank you to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, Harper Paperbacks and NetGalley for allowing me to read this digital ARC of Poison Lilies.

When I read the synopsis I knew I had to give this book a go, even though I've not read any works from this author before. Poison Lilies is Katie Tallo's second novel. This book grips you from the beginning with plot twists, well developed characters (especially MC sleuth "Gus" Monet). With past and present included in the story timeline, we are hit with moral dilemmas, love, and risks that are unprecedented. Loved this whodunit novel!

In this eerily riveting thriller—the follow-up to the international bestseller Dark August—Gus Monet becomes dangerously entangled with a powerful family whose wealth and success are built on dark and deadly secrets.

I love the MC Gus and this thriller. I immediately went and bought book 1. Tallo is a new author to me this year, but it won’t be the last time I read her books! Loved it! Secrets, wealth, murder! A perfect trifecta.

Wow this book was just incredible! I want to first start out by saying that this is the sequel to Dark August. Poison Lilies, can be read as a standalone, however I would not recommend it as you will fall in love with Gus and want to know every detail about her.

Gus is a multi-dimensional character that will have readers just falling head over heels for her. If Gus was a real person, I could guarantee you we would be best friends. Howard and Mojo were also fun characters that you found yourself really getting to know. Mojo is definitely a bit quirky but aren't we all?

After a one night stand that doesn't exactly go the way Gus had anticipated, she finds herself on the run. Did Gus really just sleep with a serial killer?

This is an easy read that will have your attention from the start. I easily followed along and enjoyed beginning, middle and end.

Katie Tallo, is a true story teller and a creative genius. I would love to see what she comes out with next.

The whole time I was reading this I kept thinking “wow, I really love this Gus character, I could see her in a series.” And then I find out this is a follow-up book to Dark August (which I haven’t read but now must!)

This book was really good, I loved the characters as I said, Howard and quirky Mojo, and the storyline was engrossing but the ending was kind of jumbled for me, like there was a lot about brothers and lovers and if I say too much more I'll give it away but it got a little muddy there at the end. I still figured it all out and enjoyed the ride!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book, I loved Gus and Levi!!