This concept was a breath of fresh air. A botany professor who specializes in toxic plants, unraveling the mystery of her neighbor? Yes please.

The execution left something to be desired though. The sheer number of characters to keep track of was a lot for this length of book. Adding to that was the cryptic comments about her past and her family. Overall, I was hoping for more resolution and more finality in this book. I’ll be interested to see where Jill takes this character in the next book.

The premise of this book was incredibly interesting, however I feel that it fell short. There were a lot of moving pieces to this story that ended up feeling a bit unresolved. A lot of it could’ve been explored further to make the book more cohesive. One example of this would be how, in the course of maybe a day, the main character went from number one suspect to assisting the investigation?

That being said, I really enjoyed the writing and seeing inside of the main character’s mind.

This was an interesting book, although a little slower than I would have preferred. Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy! Publication date July 16, 2024.

This was so interesting. The Woman in the Garden has me hooked from the very beginning. I stayed up late to finish it! There were so many twists and turns, and many times I was confused but like in a good way if you know what I'm saying! This book truly pleasantly surprised.

I truly love a suspense/mystery type book and this one checked all the boxes for me. I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend to anyone I know!

Thank you to NetGalley and Jill Johnson for allowing me to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are that of my own.

I really enjoyed this book! As a lover of all types of plants, this was a very addictive read where I learned fun facts about plants along the way. I can honestly say I’ve never read anything like this. I would have liked a little more drama but I enjoyed the twists as the Professor tried to solve several mysteries in this book!

The Woman in the Garden was a nice change of pace after a string of thrillers, and I really liked it! This book got off to a bit of a slow start. But, I’m glad that I stuck with it because I found myself starting to really get into the story by the 40% mark. I loved that the plot went in directions that I hadn’t anticipated, however, there were a few instances where it took away from story. The main character, Eustacia Rose, was my favorite part of the book. I wasn’t initially sure how I felt about her, but I grew to love her. She was quirky, funny, and never failed to say exactly what was on her mind. [3.5 stars rounded up to 4].

Read if you enjoy:

✨Botany
✨Secret gardens
✨Unique MC’s

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Thank you #Netgalley and #PoisonedPress for the ARC of this book.

I had higher expectations for this book. It dragged a lot and the main character was kinda boring? I wish there was more suspense and action!

Guess curiosity can change you in more ways than one!
Eustacia's inner conflict between whether to stay in her 'fortress' of solitude or meet the neighbor who's caught her eye (and the attention of some questionable men) will teach you some important things about the human psyche and the surprises that await!
Yes, I admit it's a bit BORING in the beginning, but it gets EXCITING when Eustacia takes on the daring venture of tailing her neighbor to know more, and, in the process, blooms out of her earth-void (see what I did there?), even gaining a better understanding of feelings she believed would NEVER sprout within her psyche!
There are plot twists and- let's NOT forget- dirt to be found and secrets to unearth, and I'm impressed by how all the ends meet to reveal shocking facts that will shake the ground beneath her feet!
Overall, it's a good, decent read, especially for nature-lovers!

I was drawn into this book immediately by the description of Professor Rose and the fascinating way she lives her reclusive life. She is a botanical toxicologist with a meticulously cared-for yet dangerous garden of toxic/deadly plants. She develops an obsession with a neighbor and starts to follow her. When she discovers the neighbor has some toxic relationships, she becomes determined to help keep her safe. I love the characters Johnson creates, and the way the suspense carries throughout the book. My only complaint is the dialogue. It seemed a bit stilted. Characters spoke in english that was grammatically correct, even proper, which did not ring true to life, and pulled me out of the otherwise compelling story. Recommended for lovers of suspense novels and/or lovers of gardening. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

#TheWomanInTheGarden
#NetGalley

"The Woman in the Garden" is an exciting read with suspense and interesting facts about toxic plants. Eustacia Rose, a botany professor with a quirky personality, investigates when her neighbor disappears. The book has quirky characters, a London backdrop, and diverse representation.

While I enjoyed most of the book, the ending of the mystery felt unclear. Despite this, the story wraps up nicely.

If you like mysteries with unique characters and plant details, this book is a fun choice. I received an early copy from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for review.

As a long time gardener I was looking forward to this mystery. I enjoyed the sinister plot, not at all what I expected. It’s set in London where Eustacia had been a Professor of Botany. She specializes in rare sometimes obscure poisonous specimens. Eustacia is socially awkward largely due to isolation by her father. She’s still grieving his death a year later and not adjusting well. Her perfectly ordered rooftop garden is her only solace. When she thinks a neighbor is in trouble her life takes a sharp turn. There could be kidnapping, theft, jealousy, murder, a love triangle and betrayal. Eustacia sets out to discover what is really going on with the beautiful neighbor. Will she solve it or die trying? I was familiar with most of the plants in the story, many of them in my own garden over the years. The mystery kept me jumping from one suspect to another. It was a bit of a slow start but picked up as the story progresses. I enjoyed many of the characters and thought the ending was very nicely tied up. It’s always fun to discover an author I had not read before. The cover is gorgeous!
An Advance Reader Copy of “The Woman in the Garden” by Jill Johnson, published by Poison Pen, Sourcebooks, publication expected 07/16/2024, was provided by NetGalley. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

Loved this story. I enjoyed how the story flows while the main character is trying to solve cases. I would definitely recommend this book to friends and family. A nice summer beach read 😊

thoroughly enjoyed this book as I have never come across a crime novel involving poisonous plants before so it was a joy to read. I loved how the main character really knew here plantar insiders out and was protective of them. Actually felt said when her collection was destroyed as it took a long time to nurture these plants.
Having once visited a poisonous plant garden myself I found this book intriguing and well put together,there are good healing plants out there but also ones with a deadly effect too so it was good to read what the plants could do to people of they were not in safe hands. I look forward to more books like this as they offer a different but enjoyable read.

Thanks to net galley the opportunity to read such a gem of a book.

I loved this book, a good mystery with interesting characters. I was satisfied with the ending, with Rose being more open socially and the adjusted justice. Also, I learned about the plants. I did some research to learn about these beautiful but toxic plants while reading the book.

I’m quite surprised that I actually enjoyed this book! The beginning dragged a bit for me and I wasn’t really sure how it would progress but I kept reading and found myself reading faster to find out what was going to happen next. The Woman in the Garden is written very descriptively and the author made me want to have my own rooftop garden ( not necessarily with toxic plants, tho).
The storyline is interesting: I haven’t read a plot like this in a long while.
I came to like Professor Rose, her eccentricities and her brilliance.
A very good read and I recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my ARC ecopy.

The Woman in the garden is an intriguing old school style mystery set in the modern day. As a slow paced story it does take a little while to really get into it, but once you do it’s so easy and enjoyable read.

I loved diversity of the characters. The MFC Professor Rose is a quirky, likely neurodivergent recluse with a love of toxic plants. Her character is well built and rather endearing, also very relatable to those of us who can be socially awkward.

One thing I enjoyed more than I thought was the vivid addition and explanation of the toxic plants. I spent some time after reading searching more about these beautiful yet toxic plants.

Living alone she has an extensive glass house on her roof full of exotic and toxic plants. The research by Johnson in regard to these plants is evident in the beautiful and vivid details of each plant and its toxic characteristics.

This is a rich, suspenseful story which is at times fun, especially where the MFC is concerned. Her lack of social skills certainly leads to some strange but funny situations.

My only issue that holds back my rating is I found the plot a little slow at times and the ending was a little predictable. That aside I would definitely love to read the next book in the series and see where it leads.

Review is posted on GoodReads as of today. I will be posting this review to Instagram on the 8th of July

Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ
"𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒙𝒊𝒄, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒂 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒐 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕"

Eustacia Rose is a professor of Botanical Toxicology and lives alone in her London flat, collecting toxic plants, found on the black market, in her rooftop garden.
After hearing a scream from one of her neighbours, she begins to develop a slight obsession with Simone, who she names 𝑷𝒔𝒚𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒂 𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒂 after a plant whose flowers mimic the look of puckered lips.
With the intent of protecting her neighbour, she begins to spy on her and document events she deems significant. Before long, Eustacia finds herself caught up in a murder investigation, in which the victim suffers effects of a toxin derived from a rare poisonous plant. She falls under suspicion but is determined to prove her innocence and assist in capturing the true culprit.
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I absolutely loved this book!
As well as providing an engrossing story, Jill Johnson further captivates readers with her knowledge of toxic plants. For me, I think that was my favourite part of the book, and don’t worry about highlighting each plant mentioned; she provides a plant glossary at the end of the book!
The pace of the story was perfect and Johnson displays a meticulous attention to detail. The character of Eustacia is so intriguing, unapologetically herself and such an interesting narrator to read. The way each word flowed into the next was quite methodical and captivating.
A perfect read for plant and murder mystery lovers!
Publication date: 16th July 2024

From the very first paragraph of the first chapter, I knew this was going to be an incredible book.
I could not put it down and finished it in 4 days.
I love the storyline, the main character is very likeable and the author clearly knows a lot about poisonous plants. I love how the main character had secret plant nicknames for the other characters.

If you like plants, murder mysteries and absolute page turners, this book is for you.
100% recommend and look forwards to reading more by the author!

A very unique concept. Unlike any other book I’ve ever read. . I loved the character. She is a bit offbeat, but then so am I. The book offered both fantasy and a botanical learning experience. Thank you, NetGalley, and publisher for providing an advanced copy to

"The Woman in the Garden" by Jill Johnson is a captivating novel that transports readers to a lush and evocative world where secrets lie hidden among the flowers. Johnson's exquisite prose paints a vivid picture of the garden setting, infusing the narrative with a sense of enchantment and mystery. The protagonist's journey of self-discovery unfolds against this backdrop, as she unravels the truth behind the enigmatic woman who haunts the garden's paths. Johnson deftly weaves together themes of love, loss, and redemption, crafting a story that is both poignant and haunting. The characters are deeply drawn, their emotions and motivations laid bare as they navigate the twists and turns of fate. "The Woman in the Garden" is a spellbinding read that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned, making it a must-read for fans of atmospheric fiction and heartfelt storytelling.