“Marguerite by the Lake” was not what I was expecting — less murder mystery and much more psychological drama (which was good). Also, Phoenix was surprisingly unlikable; she starts off as a sympathetic character but that does not last.

What a fun read! I could not put this one down. I was compelled to keep reading. Each time I thought I could stop, something else would happen, and I had to continue.

Get ready for some twists and turns, with characters that you will not forget!

While this was a little hard for me to follow, timeline wise, the writing was absolutely beautifully done.
The emotions, especially the tension, jumped off the page and had my heart stuttering as I read.
This was my first book by this author, and while it wasn't my favorite book ever, I would like to try more of her works.
It's definitely worth a try, id suggest everyone that likes timeline jumping thrillers to jump on!

I gave this book a 3.5 stars. While I did enjoy my time reading it, I feel like it took me forever to get through. None of the characters were super fleshed out and honestly just seemed a little randomly added in and I just didn't understand some of the choices. About 75% of the way through it seemed to turn into a haunted house story. I did really like the ending.

I can appreciate the imagery of the painting changing as Phoenix’s mental state deteriorates. For most of Marguerite by the Lake I felt like I was being forced down a rabbit hole with an insane person. Obviously, I was. There are so many things that Phoenix should have done but then there would be no book. I personally did not enjoy most of it.

Marguerite by the Lake is my first read from @marydixiecarter , and it won’t be my last. From the opening pages, I was pulled into her atmospheric writing and completely absorbed in the story. What starts as an intriguing premise slowly unravels into a haunting, slow-burn psychological thriller that’s both emotionally intense and deeply suspenseful.

At its core, this novel explores obsession, toxic love, privilege, and the unsettling desire to live another person’s life. The story is told through Phoenix, a captivating and complex narrator whose past is as layered as her motives. She’s flawed, unpredictable, and utterly compelling, which makes her perspective all the more gripping as the tension steadily builds.

The setting is another standout. The estate by the lake, perched above a dramatic cliff, creates a hauntingly beautiful backdrop that perfectly mirrors the story’s emotional undercurrents. The contrast between the idyllic scenery and the darker themes at play adds depth and unease to every chapter.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers that take their time, dig deep into character psychology, and leave you questioning everything, this is the book for you, with unforgettable characters, rich atmosphere, and a chillingly memorable storyline.

Thank you so much, @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the advance copy of this!

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐤𝐞
𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐱𝐢𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫
𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
𝟒⭐️

Back in 2021 I read 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫 by author Mary Dixie Carter and really loved it so when I saw that she was releasing a new thriller I had to get my hands on an early copy! Special thanks to @netgalley for the early ecopy and thank you to @minotaur_books for the gifted physical copy.

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐤𝐞 was a unique, tense, slow burn thriller that I truly enjoyed. The plot focuses heavily on plants, trees, flowers, and all the landscaping techniques you can think of. Our main character works as a gardener for a well off couple and in my opinion she’s a very knowledgeable and professional gardener at that. I found the main characters, the plot, and the setting, to be very creative for a thriller- it was almost a breath of fresh air to read a thriller set in a unique setting such as a lavish garden.

The opening scene was very strong and the story started off with a bang. I was hooked from page one, and although the story slowed down about half way through it still flowed smoothly. The plot has many storylines but we mostly are following main character Phoenix as she navigates her feelings for Geoffrey after she saved his life. Phoenix has an odd relationship with Geoffrey’s wife Marguerite and things get real weird real quick!

I really enjoyed this book but I do wish the ending wasn’t so abrupt. I definitely felt that many questions weren’t answered and I needed more- but still a solid 4 star read. This book is out next week, add it to your TBR!

Atmospheric and richly descriptive, this novel explores the intoxicating pull of power, privilege, and buried secrets. While the premise is compelling—an outsider tangled in the web of an elite family—it never quite delivers the emotional depth or suspense it promises. Still, the slow-burn unraveling of truth and the eerie allure of Rosecliff make for an engaging, if not unforgettable, read.

Marguerite by the Lake is about the death of a wealthy garden designer, a widow who is lonely and the young garden designer who steps into the garden designer's life in this captivating read. This has so many secrets, suspense and so much more that had me turning pages until the very end. All of the characters in this were good. The author wrote this well and it was a fast paced read. Overall, this is one that I highly enjoyed and would recommend to any reader who likes mystery or thriller reads. Thank you to Minotaur Books for this great read in exchange of my honest review of Marguerite by the Lake by Mary Dixie Carter.

This is a well written, twisting and mysterious tale of two women, centered around a famous portrait known as "Marguerite by the Lake". Phoenix is the head gardener for the wealthy Marguerite's estate. The book opens at a large garden party at the estate. Suddenly, a violent storm with driving rain, high winds and lightening uproot a large, aging spruce at the center of the estate, and threatens the life of Marguerite's husband, Geoffrey. Phoenix rushes to him and saves his life. Both Marguerite and Geoffrey are grateful, but Geoffrey's feelings quickly go beyond gratitude. Mary Dixie Carter has written a haunting and suspenseful story, full of secrets, deceit and infidelity, pervaded by an overpowering sense of impending doom, that kept me spellbound from beginning to the unexpected and bizarre ending! I thoroughly enjoyed the book! Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy. The opinions of this review are my own.

This book was slightly unhinged but so much fun! Told from the POV of Phoenix, a young gardener who loves her job and creates beautiful landscapes for her customers, including a famous garden influencer: Marguerite Gray. Phoenix finds herself invited to a party hosted by the Grays and saves Geoffrey (Marguerite’s husband) from being killed by a falling tree. This is the catalyst to a series of events that lead in Marguerite’s untimely death and Phoenix moving into her home. I was unable to put this book down… it was a big train wreck and I couldn’t look away. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

Very twisty and turny...I loved it! This book just goes to show that you don't really know anyone, especially when it comes to money and love.

I provided feedback via the audiobook. I did not read the physical copy of the book, but I was granted access to the digital book and audiobook.

Thank you to Mary Dixie Carter, TLC Book Tours and Macmillan Audio for the ARC/ALC!

Marguerite Gray is a lifestyle icon, known for her lavish garden parties, business ventures and most importantly, being the inspiration for a famous painting, Marguerite by the Lake. For the past few years, Phoenix has served as gardener on Marguerite and her husband Geoffrey’s estate. When a storm hits one of Marguerite’s parties, it’s Phoneix who pulls Geoffrey away from danger. Geoffrey is grateful, but Marguerite seems jealous. Phoenix just can’t help but be drawn into their fancy lifestyle, and is particularly enamored by Geoffrey. Shortly after they begin an affair, Marguerite falls to her death at the very cliff she posed for her famous painting.

The setting of this story - Marguerite’s estate - was SO rich and set quite the atmosphere for the book. Set alone from everything else, the grounds were practically their own character. Speaking of characters, I found it hard to like any of them lol - but I really enjoyed that for a change of pace. Phoenix was easy to root for initially, but soon her behavior had me shaking my head. Deeply layered and unsettling, this story is far from your typical thriller but I still really enjoyed it.

“Marguerite by the Lake” is out NOW! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

This book wasn't anything like I thought it would be. It was intriguing, weird, crazy and confusing at times. While you think the story is going to only be bout Marguerite, who is a lifestyle maven, it's really about the gardener, Phoenix, that works for her and who she gets all of her gardening information from. It goes back and forth between the two and while some of it is interesting, the way back story of Marguerite isn't so much.
Phoenix begins to hallucinate about the painting of marguerite in the house and that continues throughout the book. There were some very interesting scenes (I don't want to give anything away) but all in all it wasn't really a mystery because we all knew what happened, or do we. it was a decent book that because of the writing kept me intrigued to continue and at times I didn't want to put it down. But due to some of the confusion in the story, the constant issues with the painting and the ending, I am giving it 3 stars. Definitely not my favorite ending as it's much to abrupt and left us all wondering what really happened.
All that said I will definitely check out another book by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

The first chapter of this pulled me in with excitement and suspense. Phoenix managed to save Geoffrey from a falling tree at his wife, Marguerite's, book launch party. Geoffrey is very grateful, and Marguerite is jealous, which sets the premise for this story. When Marguerite mysteriously falls to her death, Phoenix moves in on her life. But she can't shake the feeling that Marguerite is haunting her, and Marguerite's daughter is determined to undermine her place in the house and the heart of her father. All of this is a recipe for a 5-star book. However, the pacing felt slow and the writing a little cumbersome. The ending was also a little strange.

Phoenix, a gardener at the lavish Rosecliff estate, becomes dangerously entangled in the lives of her employers, Marguerite and Geoffrey Gray. After saving Geoffrey during a storm, she begins an affair with him, sparking Marguerite’s jealousy. When Marguerite dies under suspicious circumstances, Phoenix is left with a dark secret that threatens to unravel her life as investigators close in.

This book started off really strong and with a lot of action from the very first page, and I was immediately hooked. Phoenix's character started off as likeable and she even saves Geoffrey's life, but as the book goes on her character becomes very unlikeable. All of the characters are unlikeable to me, and maybe that was the point of the book?

While the writing and psychological aspect of the book kept me reading, I do feel like the book was very repetitive and the same issue kept arising. This may have been to amplify Phoenix going crazy, but it left me wanting more to the story. I'm also undecided on how I feel about the ending, but overall I did enjoy the read and recommend if you are into psychological thrillers/mysteries.

Rating: 3/5
Spice: 1/5

Tropes:
Secrets and Lies
Betrayal
Unreliable Narrator
Femme Fatale

Thank you to the author Mary Dixie Carter, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Phoenix is just a gardener, a highly skilled one. She falls for the husband of a wealthy client after saving his life at a garden party. Soon after, the wife “Marguerite” is found dead at the bottom of the cliff at their estate. Very soon after the death, Phoenix moves in with the husband and everyone is now wondering if Marguerite jumped, fell or was pushed?

I was intrigued by the artist-home influencer premise but I found the writing to be stodgy. Parts that I think were supposed to be tension filled were not. Many scenes just felt flat or unfinished, I did feel like most of the characters from the daughter to the detective felt like real people.

Marguerite by the Lake was an entertaining thriller about "the help" (a head gardener at a well-known mansion) making her way to the top. Our main character Phoenix (a fitting name!) finds herself in an interesting situation when her lover's wife dies suddenly, and she is elevated to head of household as his girlfriend. She understandably butts heads with his daughter and with the other household employees--and she was the only witness Marguerite's death.

All of the characters make some particularly bad decisions throughout this book, which makes for a fun read. The grass is always greener, right? I do love an unlikeable character, and no one in this book was likeable except for the main character's brother.

I was expecting a thriller but would consider this more of a domestic suspense. The ending is somewhat ambiguous, leaving the reader to speculate at what really happened. I appreciate the opportunity to read this book and am looking forward to more by this author in the future!