This outstanding debut novel is distinguished by the quality of the writing and the author's insight into troubled family relationship. Loni has a successful career as a bird artist at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, and the last place she wants to be is back at her childhood home in swampy coastal Florida with her difficult mother. But when her brother summons her to help their mother through a crisis, Loni reluctantly goes home. Once there, she is pulled back into old dramas, including the questionable death of her father and the responsibility she has always felt for it. This book is not a fast-paced mystery or thriller, but is packed with intrigue and delivers a satisfying conclusion.

Loni Mae Murrow is happy in her job as a bird artist for the Smithsonian up in the nation’s capital. When she gets an urgent message from Philip, her younger brother by a dozen years, to come home for a few weeks, she isn’t thrilled that she’ll have to leave the comforts of DC in order to return to the small Florida town where she grew up. The summons is especially inconvenient given the budget cuts that threaten her job, but she knows that she has to head south in order to finally face up to the demons of her past.

One of those demons is her mother Ruth, who seems to have developed early onset dementia. Philip and his wife Tammy want to put Ruth in a nursing home, and need Loni to come help clean out the Murrow family home. Loni has long been at odds with Tammy, a hairdresser whom she views as the opportunistic vixen who sunk her claws into young Philip, cementing their marriage with two small children and irrevocably tethering her accountant husband to their small town. At least Loni enjoys the company of Heather and Bobby, her niece and nephew, whom she dotes on and is always willing to help out with while their parents work.

But not even the balm of their company can assuage the pain Loni feels in trying to grapple with her cold and casually cruel mother. Cleaning her childhood home unearths painful memories, but also a new hope that Loni might be able to use what she finds to finally connect with the green-thumbed Ruth:

QUOTE
Calendula. Didn’t I see that in my mother’s GARDEN journal? I’m trying not to trespass, but what if I could make a connection between this copy of Gerald’s <i>Herbal</i> she consulted and her own handwritten notes? It might help me get at the essence of her. Like the marginalia in Grandpa Tad’s bird books that show me his interactions with his environment, maybe I could consider Ruth’s little book a natural history artifact.
END QUOTE

It’s Philip, however, who opens the biggest can of worms when he tells Loni that he wants to press the state about the pension Ruth should be receiving as the widow of a Fish & Game officer who died while on duty. Boyd Murrow drowned in the swamp when Philip was still a toddler, and Loni has spent her entire life since then protecting her little brother from the truth of their father’s suicide. Boyd’s colleagues in Fish & Game helped perpetuate the lie, but Loni knows it won’t stand up to the scrutiny of the state’s auditors should Philip try to claim the money he thinks they’re owed.

As Loni scrambles to keep her beloved baby brother in the dark, she begins to realize that perhaps it was her own perspective that’s been skewed. At the age of twelve, she’d been so devastated by her loving father’s loss and so guilt-stricken at her own role in it, that she didn’t think to question the story she was told about his demise. Two dozen years on, though, she’s starting to see the gaps in the narrative. Will her quest to finally uncover the truth put not only herself but also the ones she loves in mortal danger, whether from threats human or otherwise?

The flora and fauna of panhandle Florida play a prominent role in the proceedings, especially in their interactions, willing or unwilling, with the humans around them. Virginia Hartman has an excellent eye for the natural world and the myriad roles people play in its display, as in this mainstay of the Florida tourist experience:

QUOTE
It’s real show biz–the strong man comes out and flexes his muscles, then taunts an adolescent alligator with something like a mop handle. The gator opens its mouth wide.

Of course, the guy doesn’t bait it enough to provoke the big, scary harrumph a gator makes when it really feels threatened, expanding its chest and expelling all the air in a loud, sudden rumble. I was kind of hoping for that, actually, the sound that surely inspired stories of fire-breathing dragons. It means, <i>Take one step closer and you’re food</i>. I mean, if you plan to exploit an animal, you might as well put yourself in real peril.
END QUOTE

Loni’s absorption in the nature of her home state, and particularly her sketching expeditions as she struggles to keep her job, were one of the highlights of this slowburn thriller for me. I wasn’t as much a fan of the truly bizarre reason for her fractured relationship with her mother – I’m never a fan of heroines internalizing blame for things outside of their control – but did appreciate how Loni’s eyes were opened to how judgmental she herself could be, particularly in regard to Tammy. Hectic and immersive, The Marsh Queen is a love letter not only to the healing of family ties, but also to the natural beauty of the Sunshine State.

For fans of Where the Crawdads Sing, this “marvelous debut” (Alice McDermott, National Book Award–winning author of The Ninth Hour) follows a Washington, DC, artist as she faces her past and the secrets held in the waters of Florida’s lush swamps and wetlands.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lonie Murrow is a bird artist at the Smithsonian. When her mother falls ill, she's drawn back to the marshy area of Florida where she's from, and she finds a clue that her father's death, so many years before, was possibly not what it seemed at the time.

This is a slow-burn novel with family drama and the mystery of what happened to Loni's father, and who wants to drive her out of town. It's been compared to Where the Crawdads Sing, which I loved! This book, however, did not meet that expectation. Much of the book is overwrought with descriptions of birds and drawing birds. It is slow and burdened with description.

Loni Murrow has escaped her childhood existence in the humid swamp/marshlands of Florida to work as a bird portraitist at The Smithsonian in Washington DC. She is called back home to attend to her mother who has developed dementia. Her return unlocks secrets about her father who she thought committed suicide when she was twelve years old as well as her arduous relationship with her mother.

Beautifully written and exquisitely detailed, the mystery is slow to unravel and there are a few different story lines. The descriptions of Loni’s canoe trips along the mangroves in search of a purple gallinule were so vivid, I felt I was there with her seeing the glorious flora and fauna of the area. Her characterizations of some of the locals were equally striking. I especially liked the man with the “barbecue belly”!

This is not an edge of your seat thriller. Read it not so much for the suspense, but rather for the eloquent depictions that transport you to the unique and primeval marshlands of Florida.

Thanks to @netgalley and @gallerybooks for the ARC

Definitely was a fan of this book but it did take me awhile to become that fan. The writing is excellent but I feel as if the storyline could have woven in better. But all in all, excellent novel and really enjoyed the main character.

Virginia Hartman has written an impressive debut about a nature artist who returns to her small town home in Florida to deal with her aging mother. Taking leave from her job at the Smithsonian, she expects to be gone for just two weeks. But between dealing with her younger brother and his wife, emptying out her mother’s house and trying to uncover more about her father’s death years ago, those plans go by the wayside. I found Loni to be a well developed character, although the other characters were less so.
Hartman’s writing is beautiful and atmospheric and I felt myself in the swamps. This isn’t a fast paced book by any stretch, but there’s a strong underlying sense of tension and suspense. The book covers old secrets and Loni’s attempt to suss out the truth. Someone really doesn’t want her looking into the past and there are ominous warnings repeatedly left for her.
And the family issues and how they might get resolved was just as powerful as the mystery surrounding her father’s death.
While it was obvious to me who the bad guy was, the suspense was in how Loni would figure it out, let alone prove anything all the years later.
My thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for an advance copy of this book.

It is difficult if you are distanced by physical miles from your parents to get that call that is life-changing. Loni Murrow is a wildlife artist at the Smithsonian in Washington D. C. when her brother calls to tell her that he needs her to come home. Her mother has experienced symptoms of Alzheimer's and he needs her help. Reluctantly Loni returns to the north Florida home where she grew up. Loni fled the small town when she finished high school and had some memories that she does not want to dredge up. However, when she returns things start to pique her curiosity in how her father, a fish and wildlife game warden actually died. Her mother is even worse than she had imagined, her sister-in-law is bossy and weird, and her brother twelve years her junior doesn't have the experiences embedded in his brain that she does. There is a handsome guy with potential if she will give him a chance and family problems that need to be solved. Loni starts with a week or so of family leave and the problems and work to be done just gets more complicated. Will she solve the mystery, calm her tortured memories, and be better able to build relationships...you will just have to read "The Marsh Queen" to find out.
Thanks to #NetGalley#TheMarshQueen for the opportunity to read this well-written book.

Summoned back to Florida to help her younger brother with an aging mother showing signs of dementia, Ornithologist Loni Mae is hating every moment in the podunk panhandle town of Tenetkee, FL. Sorting through her mother's belongings, Loni finds a cryptic note about the circumstances of her father's death years ago. If only sorting out her difficult mother were the only trouble in Tenetkee, but the ghosts of the past keep popping up and are leading Loni on a frightening collision course with the truth about her dad. Luckily there are a few perks of being stuck in the swamp town - best friend Estelle, that good looking fellow at the kayak rental shop, and "the brightest lights in town", her sweet nephew and niece.
I found this an enjoyable and compulsive read, and I really enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the natural world. Loni is a scientist at heart and an artist by trade. The author created a very human, complicated but likeable, relatable character of her.

I really enjoyed this slow burn novel, it had a great atmosphere and great character development. I loved getting to know the characters and their relationships. It was a beautifully done story and I enjoyed going on this journey.

"I pound my feet back to my car. Mrs. Rabideaux definitely knows Henrietta. It was clear in the way she denied it. And Dan Watson’s name sure pressed a hot button for Marvin. What are they afraid of?"

I loved this book! Even though it reminded me of "Where the Crawdads Sing" in location and scenery, the plot is entirely different. It had the same feel about it. Interesting story and I would recommend it to book clubs.

An atmospheric Floridian slow burn ! Loni Murrow is an artist at the Smithsonian. Loni paints portraits primarily of birds and loves it. She is reticent to return home when her brother requests help with their mother but she takes a short leave and assist with moving her to assisted living. As she goes through the home, she begins to learn secrets regarding her long dead father and clues to the problematic relationship she has with her mother. It's not until she begins asking around town for more information that she learns that uncovering these secrets could put her in danger.

Virginia Hartman paints an interesting heroine, who is still trying to make her way through life and not sure if she should take any gambles. I enjoyed the descriptions of the marshes and the birds and the flashbacks brought Loni's father to life. If you like an atmospheric slow burn, a Floridian wild adventure, or a complicated family mystery, then The Marsh Queen is for you! ..#Gallery #Gallerybooks #Netgalley #Netgalleyreads #TheMarshQueen #VirginiaHartman

Loni is an artist for the Smithsonian and learned her skills living in the swamps in the Florida Everglades. When her brother calls seeking her help with their ailing mother she packs up her life and heads home. While cleaning the house she finds a note about her father's drowning and she opens a can of worms with the locals. Drugs and intrigue are a major part of the book and I love Loni and her family. This is a story of family and an interesting homestead. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really enjoyed this atmospheric novel, both in terms of the evocative Florida panhandle setting and the way the protagonist's work as a bird illustrator for the Smithsonian is woven into the story. It's elegantly written and does a good job of balancing deep dives into the characters' family relationships and the mystery surrounding the protagonist's father's suicide. So top marks for setting, character development, plot, and writing style.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: I reside in the Florida panhandle, so this novel caught my attention quickly and didn't let me go. I love Loni and her storyline is believable and intriguing.

I love her cool job, her independence, and her vulnerability.

I highly recommend this novel.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. This story is extremely atmospheric and loaded with all the birds and gaters and other creatures that live near and make up the marsh. The characters are so realistic and add to the overall feelings of the book. The twists and turns run throughout and the marsh and rivers are part of the creepiness. I totally recommend this story to readers who enjoy a psychological drama filled with natural wonder and impending violence.

This book was beautiful and very visually written. Loni Mae lost her father when she was young. When she grew up she took the one thing her father and her shared, their love of the marsh and nature and she became a natural history artist. She drew birds for the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. One day, her brother calls her to tell her that her mother is having problems and they need her at home. She discovers her mom already moved into a living facility and that she has been losing her memory. Her brother and wife have already begun packing her things and have been thoughtless about including her until now. As she begins to pack up her mothers life, a mysterious letter is found that mentions someone knowing the truth about her father's death.
Now Loni is back in Florida and the circumstances around her fathers death are coming to the surface. Can she find out the truth? and can she do it without anyone else getting hurt?

Well written and the threads of the story tied well to one another in the end!

This was a great read! The author was very descriptive and the book moved at a great pace.
Loni Murrow never got over her father's suicide and ran from her Florida hometown to Washington DC. An avid and excellent artist for the Smithsonian, she receives a call from her brother regarding early onset dementia of her mother. Upon returning to Florida, she discovers a mysterious note regarding her father's death and realizes that friends and family are not always what they seem.

What a wonderful book! Rich complex characters tell the story of a woman coming home to help her brother and his wife transition her mother into assisted living. Her relationship with her mother has always been difficult. This is a tale of self discovery, buried secrets coming to light and closure; the story of a family reunited. You can almost feel the dewy air, smell the rich earth, hear the birdsong. Perfect for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing.

Loni is a very successful bird artist with a great job at the Smithsonian Museum.
However, her life is still defined by the death of her father when she was 12 years old. He was a fish and game officer, and died in the Florida marshlands where she grew up, and she has blamed herself for all these years. She goes home to help out when her mother is failing, and all kinds of secrets come out. This is a great family story, and also has a very distinctive sense of place. Very different, but this definitely reminded me of #wherethecrawdadssing #debutnovel #floridamarshlands #smithsonian #birdartist #themarshqueen #virginiahartman #bookstagram #lovetoread #booklover #readersofinstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendations #tbr #booksbooksbooks #readingismagic #bookloversofinstagram