On the eve of her first wedding anniversary, Elise Watters's outwardly perfect life begins to unravel. Still mourning the death of her mother, Elise discovers unsettling things about her husband that threaten her marriage, her safety, and her very sanity. As her situation spirals out of control, Elise finds there is no one she can completely trust, as the others in her orbit have consequential hidden secrets and personal agendas of their own. Elise is living an increasingly dangerous nightmare from which she can't seem to escape.

Set on a remote island in the wilds of Washington State, this twisty tale of obsession and retribution is a hold-your-breath page turner with shocking revelations at every turn. A.J. Banner continues to deliver outstanding psychological thrillers, and in my opinion, is one of the most talented authors of this genre.

Really quick and enjoyable read. Has many twist but most of them I figured out so I am giving this book 4 stars. Thanks Netgalley for an early copy.

Fantastic story. Lots of relationships that weave in and out and create a really well rounded story.

I loved how you followed it one way then found it twisted another way until it all unravelled at the end.

I am now going to seek out more from this author.

5* Juliet Stars

When I saw the enticing cover and title of the book, then read it was a psychological thriller, I dived head first into the book and did not surface until I had read the last page. Needless to say I absolutely loved this book.

You will be hooked from the first page and taken on a very fast paced ride with lots of twists, turns and red herrings and guessing until the last page is read. If you are looking for a thrilling read with deception, lies, love and loyalty then I highly recommend this wonderfully written suspense.

Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for my copy to read and review.

Enjoyable story...A bit predictable, but kept me engaged the entire time. Will definitely read more by this author.

Absolutely brilliant!

What an incredible read with twists and turns in every chapter. The book draws the reader into the life of Elise Watter and holds the reader captivated till the very last page. A. J. Banner outdone herself with this masterpiece.

Elise Watters seems to have it all—a blissful marriage, a gorgeous Victorian home surrounded by lush gardens, and a dream job running her late mother’s herbal boutique.

But on the eve of her first wedding anniversary, Elise makes a shocking discovery that turns her life upside down and casts doubt on everything she thought she knew—about her marriage, her friends, and even herself. As she treads into dangerous territory, Elise is forced to wonder: Is her whole future at stake? Or is paranoia getting the best of her?

If she is to believe what she sees, Elise has every reason to fear for her life…

This is a definite page turner that will keep you guessing till the end. It is just so easy to feel the emotions of Elise, that I found myself gasping for breath, trying to keep my head above the water as I see Elise drowning in the storm that is her life. Will she keep a float?

A book that must definitely be on every reader's wish list!

Thanks for letting me read and review this book
It was a good fast paced novel with enough twists and turns to keep it interesting

I appreciate NetGalley allowing me to read this book as I do all of the pre-print novels offered.
But, and it is a big "but", "The Poison Garden" has little to recommend it.
Perhaps it is a mock-drama with every element intentionally cliched: plot, character, setting?
I do not think do, but it could easily be so.
Chick-lit-crime? Probably. From sleep-walking heroine to mixing flower potions; not one but two villainous husbands; a glamorous island setting...and all women gorgeous and strong, aside from one who who is shallow and sleeps with another woman's husband.
Guess what will happen. Guess again and again. Each almost-conclusion is implausible.
It is a "page turner". If started, turn the pages as quickly as possible.

A great novel, beautiful depiction of the characters with some tense moments thrown into the mix. Will definitely pick more books by this talented author.

Thank you net galley for giving me the opportunity to read this suspense/thriller. Every time I thought I had it figured out there was another twist thrown in. For fans of A.J. Banner a fast thrilling story.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC!

What a thriller! From the beginning, you hit the ground running with this one. I didn’t expect the story to go the way it did, and it was hard for me to figure out any twist that came. I love a book that keeps you guessing - which is hard to do when you primarily read thrillers. I literally inhaled this book and the writing was incredible all the way through. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong, and that was quite an amazing feeling. I love being surprised by the twist. That gasp, the jaw drop, hands in their air feeling - yes. This book has it. I highly recommend it!

This was not good. The writing is weak, the plot ludicrous, the characters actions are ridiculous and I'm just glad it was a quick read.


Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this Author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!

I really struggled through this book. It just did not work for me. The story was all over the place and the characters were unlikeable and annoying. The twists and turns in the book seemed a little too convenient. I wish I could say nice things about the book but I just can't. It wasn't for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Poison Garden is an amazing book that will keep you guessing until the end. I loved the characters and descriptions in this book. A.J. Banner's books just keep getting better. I cannot wait to see what the next one brings

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time finishing The Poison Garden. There were way too many plot twists and the whole story line was just too far fetched... It just wasn't the right kind of suspense for me.

Fascinating premise, and the garden was almost a character in and of itself. Slow burn, good twists, and definitely psychologically twisted.

So this book was a bit crazy sauce but it did keep me guessing. It was kind of all over the place but the writing was good and I did enjoy it. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC!

Disclosure: I am a huge fan of all of A.J. Banner’s books. The Poison Garden is no exception. Banner’s straightforward prose offers twists that I don’t see coming, even though I’m an addictive mystery reader. Her characters are complex and confused which leads us, the readers, to wonder about the reliability of the narrator, or at least the narrator’s perceptions. The setting is lush- we feel as though we’ve been plunged into the forests of a northwest island, next to the unpredictable seas. The plot leaps forward, a true page turner, and my only disappointment was that I had to put the book down to go to work before I finished. When I reached the end, what satisfaction! I love un-gory thrillers, puzzles inhabited with full bodied characters, and clearly, The Poison Garden hit the mark for me.

I'm having a hard time considering how to rate this book. It wasn't that it was bad, but it was not exceptional either. There were probably too many twists and surprises, none of which were that surprising, but maybe were because I couldn't believe something so spectacular was happening again.
What I did not like about the book is the constant talking in circles... dragged out conversations... and thought processes by the main character. Multiple times (so many times), I was mentally saying, "yes, yes, the rest of us have a full grasp on what is happening, so what's taking you so long to catch up to speed?!" This made me want to skip particularly large chunks of the book to avoid being in the MC's mind so as to avoid these types of thoughts. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.