The Woman in the Garden by Jill Johnson is a clever novel about an eccentric botany professor who finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. Eustacia Rose has a poisonous garden on the rooftop of her building where she spies on her neighbors, most notably Simone. When one of Simone’s visitors ends up dead from poison, Rose is implicated in his death. She must clear her name and solve the mystery. Rose is an interesting character who has a dry sense of humor that you will truly appreciate. One of Rose’s quirks is giving people nicknames of poisonous plants, she also notices plants capable of killing people often used in public areas as decoration though people never seem to care about her concerns.

I recommend this novel for mystery and psychological thriller fans, it’s a tale with many twists and revelations. You will also learn about poisonous plants that you should avoid. The characters are enjoyable and the story keeps you guessing until the end.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for this arc! I really enjoyed this wild ride that definitely kept me hooked. Despite a slow start, this book had so many twists and turns that I was so intrigued by. A book of originality and it will remain in my mind for a long time to come!

I really enjoyed this story and found it to be a unique tale within the psychological thriller genre. I absolutely loved the main character and the writing style of this book, its beautifully written ❤️

This was a wild ride!
I did overall like this book! Kind of a slow start, but once it got going, it got good! There was a lot of twists and turns and when I thought I had it figured out, something else would happen and make me question myself again!

Thank you Jill Johnson and Netgalley for letting me read this book.
This book is about a professor who is quite eccentric and unusual and studies poisonous plants. She keeps to herself but from her rooftop garden becomes involved in a neighbor and the goings on in the neighbor "Simone's" life. Eustacia the professor embarks on an adventure that eventually brings up things that happened in her past.
I loved this book. I love unique characters and Eustacia is most definitely a unique character. From the way she lives to her mode of dress. It was fascinating learning about everyday plants we see around us all the time and what they can be used to do. I also loved the plant index at the end. I would recommend this book!

I enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down because it was so suspenseful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Loved everything about this book! Fantastic characters and great story. Gave me vibes of old school murder mysteries would definitely recommend and be looking out for more books by this author.

First of all, oh my god, I loved this book.

When I first started reading this I was unsuspecting of how amazing it would be. The incredible details Jill Johnson put into this book are so good! I love all the interesting plant information, and how Eustacia compares humans to plants because it makes it easier to understand people, which I think is very funny because honestly, I need that too.

The story was so interesting, to the point where I couldn't stop reading, I just had to know what happened. I love a book where you cannot predict what will happen next and that is what this book did for me!

I also really like the character development in Professor Rose, you notice how at the start she is basically very avoidant of anything and anyone (I relate) and she gradually comes out of her shell, she faces her fears, and she starts socializing again after a hard time.

Words cannot explain how much I liked this book, amazing work!

Thanks to netgalley and the author for providing me with a copy of this amazing book in exchange for an honest review! Glad I had the opportunity

Overall, it was fine. The plot was quite original and the mystery was intriguing enough. I did like the botanical aspect of the novel, it was my favorite thing. Most characters are rather bland but the main character is enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

An amateur sleuth who is very quirky who likes to watch her neighbors thru a telescope. Life is quite with her plants until it gets destroyed and it looks like she can be implicated before of her plants
You will learn a ton of facts of poisonous plants.
It does have a lot of twist and turns but the ending is dull.
I don’t think I will be reaching for the second in the series if there is one.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy

Eustacia Amelia Rose was once a professor botany, but the year her father died, she lost her job and became even more eccentric. Now, she tends to her poisonous plants on her rooftop garden, and spies on her neighbors through her telescope. She has problems recognizing faces, and remembering names, but she fills twenty notebooks of observations about the people around her. One is a young woman in the flat across who hosts a number of men, including one who hits her, and one Eustacia recognizes from years earlier. Although Eustacia views toxic plants as her addiction, she's just as obsessed with the young woman. When the woman is pushed into a car, and disappears for three days, Eustacia reports a kidnapping to the police. She's shocked when an old opponent from the police shows up, more interested in her toxic plants and a subsequent poisoning than in the disappearance of Eustacia's neighbor. When the poison victim dies, Eustacia is arrested. Forced out of her private life, she sets out to find a killer.

Published previously in England as Devil's Breath, the convoluted story might appeal to those who appreciate socially awkward unreliable narrators, but it wasn't for me. I had a difficult time finishing the book since I couldn't like or identify with Eustacia.

I need everyone’s attention…

The Woman in the Garden

Johnson is a front runner for author of the year, 2024. Her twists are so wild and so meticulously delivered that you will never see them coming . Every time I think I have it all figured out this sassy little lady throws me for a curve ball. Johnson, is the queen of the thriller world and the fresh faced author we never knew we needed until she arrived.

I can still remember Johnson’s, debut novel, The Time Before the Time to Come, and the feeling of full body euphoria I got after concluding. I knew right there that she would become a favored and auto buy author.

Lies, deceit and secrets galore… The Woman in the Garden, will keep you up all night.

Don’t believe me? Check out this teaser :


Eustacia Rose is a Professor of Botanical Toxicology with only her extensive collection of poisonous plants for company. Her life is quiet, her schedule is unchanging, and her closest friends are the specimens she tends to. But she does have one other hobby: watching her neighbors through her telescope, taking extensive notes on their lives for "research."

When Eustacia hears a scream one evening, the temptation to investigate proves irresistible. Through her telescope she catches a glimpse of her extraordinarily beautiful new neighbor, Simone, and soon becomes obsessed with her and her life. But who are these four men that orbit Simone? And why does Eustacia get the feeling she needs to protect her from them?

One day, Eustacia comes home to find her precious garden destroyed, and learns that someone close to Simone has been murdered with a rare poisonous plant. As she is drawn deep into the crime, Eustacia's closed-off life begins to crumble, forcing her to break free from the walls of her secret garden and take matters into her own hands. Soon, she's forced to realize that the world is filled with people who are just as toxic as her plants…

The Woman in the Garden, Eustacia Rose, is a brilliant and quixotic botanical toxicologist. When the book opens, Eustacia has lost her position at the university, and she is currently tending to the garden of carefully cared for toxicological plants that completely cover her roof. At the same time, she has a high powered telescope that enables her to observe and spy on her neighbors. After a dramatic scream, she is pulled into a mystery that involves Simone and four men who are involved with her in various ways. The plot and characters skillfully draw in the reader, and a murder carried out with a poisonous plant seems to connect the professor and the crime.

The author's prodigious knowledge of plants, particularly toxic ones, teaches readers Latin names and plant characteristics This information is educational and skillfully tied into the plot.

I didn't realize that Jill Johnson has written other books, and having read The Woman in the Garden, I will be searching for her other books, as The Woman in the Garden is compelling and engaging.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

Eustacia Rose's world revolves around the silent companionship of her poisonous plants until a piercing scream shatters her solitude. Drawn into the mystery next door, she discovers an enigmatic neighbor, Simone, and the mysterious men who orbit her life like deadly petals. As she unravels the tangled web of secrets, Eustacia finds herself entangled in a dangerous game of deception and murder. Kerryn Mayne's atmospheric novel is a captivating blend of botanical intrigue and gripping suspense, where the line between protector and suspect blurs in the shadows of a secret garden.

If only I didn't have to sleep. I could have read. ...all night!

"The Woman in the Garden" by Jill Johnson bought two of my loves together..... gardening and reading.

Slowly revealing itself, by the end I found myself trying to work out who did what and how the many characters were linked. What a great old-school idea Eustacua used with the string and sheets of paper to visualise these connections.

The main character Eustacia Rose is quirky, damaged and lives a closed off life, trapped in her love of her deceased father and her secret garden harbouring toxic plants that can kill. Her voyeuristic tendencies, using her fathers telescope to watch the neighbourhood goings on from her rooftop Hampstead garden, coupled with her toxin plant collection, find her in the middle of a international murder mystery.

The author Jill Johnson has studied botany and has lived all over the world so she brings this knowledge to a fascinating delve into exotic Latin named plants and their properties.

This is the third book in the Professor Eustacia Rose mystery series..... I only wish I had discovered them earlier!

Thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Jill Johnson for my copy.

The Woman in the Garden by Jill Johnson

My 6P review

Rose has become a recluse after being stood down from her job at the University. She tends to a garden of poisonous plants in her rooftop. In amongst these poisonous plants is her beloved telescope, which she not only uses to stargaze, but uses to spy on her neighbours. This is the only way she feels connected with those around her.

When one of her neighbours goes missing and her rooftop garden is destroyed, Rose takes it upon herself to investigate what happened as she doesn’t believe the police are doing their job.

This was such a quick and easy read. Even with all of the Latin names and detailed plant descriptions. An educational read too.

Rose was delightful in her own way. I loved her quirkiness and her intellect. I also loved her elderly neighbour, Susan.

I could picture myself in this rooftop garden in Hampstead Heath such as the sense of place.

The plot also has all of the elements of an old-fashioned Whodunit but set in a modern setting. Plenty of twists, turns red-herrings.

I was surprised it was part of a series. This book could definitely manage being on stand-alone. I am delighted though, as I will read the next instalment.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy.

Loved this unusual book and the complex characters. It had me mystified to start with but Eustacia Rose is a fascinating heroine and I was drawn into her strange world. Great writing, very accessible and terrifically put together.

"The Woman in the Garden" unfolds slowly, requiring patience as the plot gradually develops.

Throughout the story, the author's expertise in botanical knowledge is evident in vivid descriptions of poisonous plants, adding depth and authenticity to the setting. This botanical backdrop not only enriches the story but also provides readers with an educational glimpse into the world of horticulture and herbalism.

However, despite the strength of the botanical elements, the novel falls short in its execution of the ending. As the story reaches its climax, the pacing becomes drawn out, and the resolution feels disappointingly predictable. After investing time and energy into following the intricacies of the plot, the lack of a surprising twist or revelation leaves readers longing for a more satisfying conclusion.

Eustacia Rose has a roof garden of poisonous plants that she lovingly tends to. Professor Rose also has a telescope on said roof garden that she uses to make case studies of her neighbors. This leads her into the heart of a twisted mystery.
Eustacia is a unique character that I had trouble connecting with for a while. The story starts out a little slow, and the reader is left in the dark about a lot of things. It is worth it to stick with it, as all starts being revealed.
This quirky mystery sucked me in.

Thanks to Netgalley and Poison Pen Press for an early copy for review.

Stunning! Simply, brilliantly, stunning! I adore this book, what an incredible read! So utterly immersive and resonated deeply into my soul. This book is a keeper and no mistake

Anybody who is socially awkward or introverted will relate to Professor Rose, a botanical toxicologist with an extensive albeit dangerous roof garden. Professor Rose is a character I can get behind, and her experiences and development, written with such clarity and empathy, captivated the very core of my soul

I simply adore this book

Thank you to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the amazing Jill Johnson for this incredible ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own