This story is not at all the story the summary indicates. I started this book ready for a really good domestic thriller. Why was Donna estranged from her husband and daughter? Was her husband doing something to keep her isolated and off balance? Or was there really something wrong with Donna necessitating the separation? Instead, you get the slow, very slow, unveiling of a family's disintegration. A family that consisted of two unlikeable parents and their mentally ill daughter. The story is told piece meal through all three points of view, never providing anything more than a unreliable description of what took place. I was very disappointed.

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishings, Alexandra Burt, and Netgalley for my copy of Shadow Garden. Here is my honest review of the book.

The synopsis sounded interesting enough for me to accept the Galley - Donna is living the life of luxury in a fancy condo complex where she has dedicated staff catering to her every need. The only wants she has in life are to be in communication with her daughter and her estranged husband. She also feels like something is being kept from her - she can't trust her housemaid Marleen who is slipping sleeping pills into her daily pills and this condo complex is starting to feel more like a prison.

The very first thing I picked up on is the different points of view. Each chapter switches between Donna, Edward, and Penelope and Donna's chapters are the only ones in first person; Edward and Penelope are told in third person.

I liked the initial character building of Penelope being a difficult child, but as I got deeper into the book, the less I liked the character building aspect. I didn't find any of the characters likable, which I also don't think makes a book - they just seemed insufferable. Donna and Edward both had things they were hung up on and complained about it for pages on end before they got to their point - and every chapter had to mention whatever they were hung up on.

I also found the plot was messy with abrupt timeline changes. It seemed like the character was mid thought and a flashback or memory would consume them.

Overall, I try to be objective in my reviews and find pieces that I did like so it's not an overly negative review, but I struggled to find any parts I did like.

1/5 stars.

**3.5-stars**

A compulsively readable novel of Domestic Suspense!

This novel begins with Donna Pryor introducing us to the mysterious Shadow Garden property. A place her estranged husband has chosen for her to live. A living community that feels more like a fortress where wealthy people go when no one else wants them. Donna feels abandoned by her family and confused at how she ended up at this point.

Her husband Edward, although they are not divorced, is no longer taking her calls and she hasn't heard from her adult daughter, Penelope, in months. She does have her dedicated housekeeper, Marleen, but that's a small conciliation prize when one is missing their family.

Donna begins to feel like something isn't right at Shadow Garden. What are these pills Marleen keeps giving her? Why won't Edward or Penelope talk to her? She feels like maybe they are mad at her, but she can't recall why. Her life feels like a giant black hole of distant memories, one she is slowly sinking into.

Following three different perspectives: Donna, Edward and Penelope, this novel pieces together the story of their life and their downfall. I found this story so addicting. While not the most believable plot, there was still something about it that kept me glued to the pages.

It sort of felt like reading a Lifetime movie. It's not going to win any awards, but it's definitely an entertaining way to spend an afternoon!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Publishing and NetGalley, for providing me with a copy of this read and review. I truly appreciate the opportunity to provide my opinion!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley, and Alexandra Burt for the opportunity to read and review this novel. 3.5 stars rounded up for an intriguing, but somewhat confusing, mystery.

Donna Pryor is living in a luxurious, secluded condo and has a full-time caregiver with her during the days. She is recovering from an accident that she can't quite remember. Her husband, physician Edward, and daughter, Penelope, don't call or answer her calls. Things aren't quite right in the condo either - things appear and then disappear. Finally, Donna decides that needing answers outweighs anything else.

I was very intrigued to figure out exactly what happened to all these characters. I liked hearing the very different perspectives in alternating chapters of Donna, Edward and Penelope. However, it was a bit confusing because of course the story was a bit different in each voice and the time period changed from different points in the past to the present as the story unspooled. It was a very creepy mystery and I still enjoyed getting to the conclusion!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. This dark dysfunctional family drama centers around mother Donna living at an opulent place called Shadow Garden. Her husband Edward ignores her, and she wishes her daughter Penelope would call. Something is off, but Donna can't figure out what.

Though I was intrigued by the blurb, I had a hard time staying interested in the story. I found it too wordy, and the characters were flat and unlikable. A lot of abrupt timeline changes made the book hard to follow. In the end, I felt like I missed the reasoning behind the characters' behaviors. I suspected what was going from the beginning, and unfortunately there were no big twists that surprised me.

2.5 stars, rounded down.
I waffled a bit on my rating. Some parts are 2 stars, some are 3, so I went with a middle ground.
There are one or two clever twists, but overall I didn't find the story very believable and the twists (especially the one at the end) just weren't fleshed out enough to give the impact that they could have. I think what didn't work for me overall was that it was mostly a story of telling, not showing. I pretty much called what was going on from the beginning (or at least partially) so the "mystery" of why Donna was at Shadow Garden wasn't really that much of a mystery. The flow is disjointed with going back and forth between both past and present and between the three characters. I never got a real sense of Penelope and her motivations, although they are spelled out, it just didn't fit within the overall narrative.
This trope has been done much better in other books, so this one is just ok. If it weren't for the ending, I would have been much more disappointed. I think that this author's writing style just doesn't work for me (see my review for The Good Daughter )

Donna is the wife of Edward, a successful plastic surgeon. Their daughter, Penelope, is extremely intelligent. They seem to have it all. The true American dream. Yet, Donna is living apart from her family. Has Edward abandoned her? She was supposed to stay at Shadow Garden in order to recover from a hip injury, although Donna can’t remember how the injury occurred. And, why hasn’t Penelope called her in all the months she’s been away? So many questions and Donna is determined to find the answers.

Shadow Garden is a slow-paced story that starts out with more questions than answers. It is a story of a family that is disintegrating from within and the characters seem to be helpless when faced with their family’s crisis. I found this book to be well-written, although none of the characters held any sympathy for me. There is some repetition in the story, which seemed to slow the pace a bit. However, I think this might have been the author’s intention, in order to maintain the suspense and create a tense atmosphere. Shadow Garden is a dark and disturbing story of regret, loss, and heartache, and it will haunt many readers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Hmmmm. What's going on with Donna, who has a broken hip and is living at Shadow Garden with Marleen, a caretaker and personal aid. How did she break her hip? Why is she there and not at home with her husband Edward, who is emotionally and physically distant? What's the deal with her daughter Penelope? There's more to this story than it appears. It moves back and forth in time to tell the story of this family which is fractured by ambition, distrust, and, well, no spoilers from me. It's largely Donna's to tell but there's also insight from Edward and Penelope, who, despite it all, by the end, might be the only one you like or at least can understand. Burt has done a nice job with winding in clues so even someone who reads a lot of this genre might be surprised. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

An atmospheric and suspenseful read about a severely dysfunctional family. I really enjoyed this haunting read, although I would have preferred the pacing to be a bit faster. It's definitely a slow burn.

As much as I wanted to get into it, based on the description, and once I started reading, I realized that this wasn't the book for me. I found myself bored easily and my mind was wandering. I'm only rating it low because I wanted to enjoy it, but just didn't.

A thought-provoking study of the unraveling of an American family. They have it all: the plastic surgery career, the house, the socialite wife, the brilliant daughter. Yet, wife Donna finds herself neatly separated from her suburban home and her family with only a maid for company. Why doesn't her daughter Penelope ever call or visit? Why does husband Edward stop calling? Has he divorced her?
This chilling new thriller is a bit of a sleeper, but packs a punch. The Dante quotes and Trojan War references bring to mind a feel much like "The Silent Patient." The reading guide at the end lends clarity and illustrates what a great book group selection this could be. I would recommend it heartily.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This one was a tough for me, if only for how repetitive it feels. An affluent woman believes something is wrong with her life and people are against her. Her husband casts her off so as to not deal with her.

Not an awful read, but I did have higher hopes.

A very good book. I thoroughly enjoyed this. Very gothic themed and dark with lots of twists and secrets xx

The Shadow Garden is indeed about shadows – of places, of things, of people. It's a dimly illuminated walk through a shifting familial landscape filled with the kinds of memories that won't ever make it onto Facebook. Though her husband Edward thrives on routine, Donna Pryor's life at Shadow Garden is as vague as her memories. Why is she living at the posh community? Is she divorced or just separated? Why doesn't Edward call? And where is her daughter Penelope? One day fades into the next for Donna, with no one to guide her but her former housekeeper and a famous writer who collects tenants' garbage bags by night. And neither of them is talking.

In addition to Burt's unreliable narrator, we hear from Penelope and Edward in other chapters that reveal the story gradually in no clear order. This jagged narrative structure adds to the sense of unease, as well as to the suspense, but it will likely drive some readers crazy. I liked it, but it definitely left me feeling off-kilter for most of the novel. Another aspect of the novel that readers will either love or hate is the characters themselves. In proper Gone Girl tradition, there is no one to root for. Edward is a wealthy plastic surgeon who spends more time performing liposuction than getting to know his wife and daughter. Donna obsesses over her hair, her nails, her Botox, her parties and her spotless 17-room house. Or at least she did until....well, she can't quite remember. And Penelope. As a kid, she's not like other children and she knows it. As an adult, she's troubled. Which is a term her parents would use, not necessarily how a medical professional might categorize her.

There were aspects of the plot that were predictable, others that weren't. I will say it held my attention and that I found the ending satisfying in a twisted way. But the strongest aspect of the story for me was the intense imagery and the layers of these overlapping yet dysfunctional lives. I read somewhere that Burt once toyed with the idea of becoming a painter and that attention to visuals comes through in this book. Strange, vaguely familiar objects appear out of nowhere in Donna's apartment at the Shadow Garden, giving it an eerie feel, but her old house is also haunting. And then there are the dollhouses...enough said. I also liked the various literary references sprinkled throughout the book, the nod to Theodore Dreiser at the end, the Greco-Roman allusions, etc. And though it's not overt, the novel has something to say about affluence in America.

If you're a fan of dark, disturbing psychological slow burns, Burt's novel may be for you. Much thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 Stars
If you think you are going to get a Taste of the Stepford Wives with Gaslight you will be wrong. This is a tale that had most characters unlikeable. There was crafting to the story, though, but it was a hard read for me.

This really didn't do it for me, didn't keep me interested, and in places was a little too over-wordy.

A tense taut thriller .Drew me in from first pages a wife put in asylum by her husband.is he evil or does she need to be there for her own safety.Kept me on the edge of my seat.#netgalley#berkleybooks

I did not finish this book. It did not hold my attention and did not care for the main character. Maybe I didn't read enough, but didn't feel like the book description fit the first three chapters that I read.

One if those books that starts off slow and builds in suspense. Still trying to catch up on my sleep after staying up all night to finish. Beautifully written novel.

Shadow Garden reminded me of Manderley. The atmosphere was shrouded in mystery, in darkness, and secrets such that the reader doesn’t know whom to trust...is Donna, the wife of Edward, reliable? She is, after all, brought to Shadow Garden as a convalescent. But, her husband has left her there under the housekeeper’s care, and every time she asks, “Has Penelope called?” she is told, “No, not today.”

Penelope, or Penny, or Pea when she was very small, is Edward and Donna’s daughter. She has caused untold traumas for her family through behavior which she is unwilling or unable to control, and soon their perfect world has spun out of control. The affluent life of a surgeon, which is Edward’s profession, is unable to stitch together the image of perfection which all three of them succeed in ripping apart.

More of a family drama than a thriller, to me, I was caught up in the relentless suspense. I wanted to find out exactly why Donna was at a Shadow Garden, and if would she ever escape. Fortunately, the plot unfolded seamlessly, without tricky manipulations which authors of this genre so frequently use to create artificial suspense. One is left feeling both sympathy and horror for the family that suffered relentless pain due to impossible expectations and misunderstandings.