Marguerite by the Lake by Mary Dixie Carter is the horrifying story of a woman sinking slowly into madness, and sadly, for no reason at all. She had a guilty conscience, but not for what she was guilty of. Marguerite Gray was an influencer along the lines of Martha Stewart. Her forte was gardening and interior design. The interior design was hers but the gardening she stole from someone who worked for her: Phoenix. Then, came the grand unveiling, and a storm. A huge old tree blew down and Phoenix rushed forward to save Marguerite’s husband, Geoffrey. Thus began their affair. Some time afterward, Marguerite was walking too close to the cliff, taking pictures of the sunset as she had done any number of times before. Phoenix tried to pull her back: far too dangerous. Marguerite slipped and fell. They found her body a couple of days later. It was not too long before Geoffrey and Phoenix were living together.

As Phoenix tried to help Geoffrey keep Marguerite’s empire afloat by contributing to the gardening portion, she began to see things and hear things: Marguerite, back to haunt her. It was a careful case study of a woman losing her mind. It was fascinating. Like a car wreck. Her boss, Frank, kind of knew wha was going on and he tried to stop it, but to no avail. The die was cast. Geoffrey, helpless as he had always been, had no concept. Their daughter, Taylor, believed her mother had been murdered, So did Detective Rachel Hanna. Marguerite’s empire began to fall apart. Until Taylor stepped in. Being the clone of her mother, people responded. This was a book that drew one in. You didn’t realize where it was going until it was too late. The plot was simple. The characters were not, each contributing to the overall patchwork of misery. It was well done. Touching, in its misery.

I was invited to read Marguerite by the Lake by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #MaryDixieCarter #MargueriteByTheLake

⭐⭐⭐.5 rounded up

Pre-Read Notes:

I don't have many expectations for this one but am wondering about the GR rating, which is a little low. Haven't read reviews yet as I want to see what I think first!

"“Miss Sullivan,” Gilda said. “There’s no one.” She unlocked the door and opened it. “Noooooo!” I screamed. A strong blast of air pushed me back. But then I opened my eyes, and I saw no one was there." p160

Final Review

This is less a thriller than a suspense novel, and it's more a psychological suspense book than a domestic suspense. There's some overlap here, in terms of genre.

I think the rating is a little low for this one but that may be because of the vague genre, honestly. I can see a lot of people picking this one up expecting a thriller (I did!) but the pacing was too slow and steady for a thriller.

With a simplistic story, simplistic characters with little development, and a simple writing style, I found that the suspense layered on thick and kept me turning the pages. I recommend this one for fans of mystery and suspense, psychological themes, and stories about bad marriages. I had fun with this one!

My 3 Favorite Things:

✔️ I like the foil between the fmc (I can never remember names of first person narrators because their names don't get repeated enough) and her brother, Curtis. She seems to empathize with him when she's not thinking things like this: Moments like this one with Curtis made me feel nauseous. Like I was on a roller coaster that I shouldn’t have gotten on. Sometimes I felt like it was my fault the world hadn’t been fair to him . But really, the world wasn’t fair to anyone. Curtis had a chip on his shoulder, and he was always looking for a shortcut. He thought the rules were for suckers. p27 Their relationship is definitely complex, which makes good reading. I want to see more of Curtis for myself, to judge the fmc's judgments. And usually privileged characters who think down on characters who've had it harder than they have see some really growth coming their way. Let's see what happens.

✔️ Mary Dixie Carter is an excellent writer of unlikeable characters. The only character in this book who isn't repulsive is Curtis, the fmc's brother, who doesn't get nearly enough page time. But the fmc is icky and I'm very ready for her to faceplant lol! Seriously I can't stand it how often this character overtly worries about her lack of control, mostly over other people.

✔️ I normally like ambiguous endings but there was too much left unattended in this story. The impression I got by the ending was that...this book wasn't actually about anything. All the elements were so random and didn't come together well.

Notes:

1. Content warnings: cheating, early childhood stress/trauma, falling, gaslighting


Thank you to the author Mary Dixie Carter, publishers Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of MARGUERITE BY THE LAKE. All views are mine.

I loved Phoenix, the skilled gardener with a twisted past. Marguerite, the trendy owner of Rosecliff, used her estate and gardens as her brand. Husband Geoffrey licks out when Phoenix saves his life at a garden party.
So many twist and turns. Great writing and enjoyable mystery! Thank you Net Galley.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

I was really hoping this book would have a big twist or something epic happen, but it did not.
The build up was slow and a complete let down in the end.

The overall writing was beautiful and I could picture Rosecliff easily. A gorgeous house with beautiful trees and gardens surrounded by the lake. I really wanted to love this book.

Wally Lamb's "The River is Waiting," is a gripping and an emotionally intense read with complex, authentic characters, consistent with his previous books, all of which I have read. The novel is a big story with a big heart. It's a story of a family, broken by a a tragedy that resulted in the imprisonment of Cody, father and husband. Cody's journey through unfathomable fear and abuse of prison, and his complex quest for forgiveness and redemption is both gut wrenching and heartbreaking. This is a very tough read that brought me to tears. But, it is also a read I will not forget. This book is now on the top of my best books of 2025 and has my strongest recommendation.

2.5⭐️’s
This book has a great premise, but it was quite disjointed leaving too much to the imagination and too many unanswered questions in the end. Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Thank you @minotaur_books & @macmillan.audio & @marydixiecarter for my complementary print and audio copies. All opinions expressed are my own.

BRIEF SUMMARY: When lifestyle icon Marguerite Gray falls to her death, a young gardener finds herself entangled in a web of lies. And every good gardener knows, nothing stays buried forever...

MY THOUGHTS: Gothic romance mysteries are undoubtedly my favorite sub-genre of thrillers, and 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘉𝘺 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘬𝘦 does not disappoint! The beautiful setting alone in this one quickly captivated me and drew me into the suspense!

A slow burn, atmospheric read. I loved how the flowers and garden created a parallel to life, between not connecting with the characters and the extremely slow burn, I found I was a little lost as I listened to this one.

There was a lot of tension in part created by the haves and the have nots. It might be better marketed as a mystery instead of a thriller or suspense novel.

Helen Laser narrated this one and she did a good job creating the atmosphere of the novel.

If you are a fan of slow burn mysteries, this one will probably work for you.

This was my first Mary Dixie Carter novel and I enjoyed the lifestyle influencer angle and the gothic mystery vibes. Marguerite Gray, a popular garden influencer, falls to her death and her gardener, a young woman named Phoenix, becomes caught up in the drama. Phoenix's obsessive personality, Marguerite's creepy (and predatory) widower, weird kind-of-alive paintings, evil rosebushes, and a daughter who's out for revenge round out the story.

Marguerite by the Lake has a dark, mysterious vibe with strong writing and an eerie atmosphere. It’s a slow burn with interesting characters and a haunting setting. While the story has some great moments, the pacing can drag at times.

A solid read for fans of psychological suspense, but not quite a standout.

Marguerite Gray is a famous garden influencer-the Martha Stewart of our times. She even has famous painters creating works dedicated to her that are displayed in museums throughout the US. Phoenix is her go-to gardener who is the woman behind her success, bringing to life all her visions with her talent and knack for growing various plants and flowers. Phoenix is a mainstay at all the large mansions in the CT area and is well known and liked. During a storm, she saves Marguerite's husband, Geoffrey, from a falling tree and an attraction takes root (no pun intended!). Thus begins the complication that may or may not have resulted in Marguerite's death.

It's a great premise to start with, but the writing is stilted and matter of fact. The first 1/3 of the book is narrated by Phoenix, and we already know what happened to Marguerite so there is no mystery there. As other characters show up and start to uncover the truth, it gets a bit more interesting, but it's slow and plodding. I didn't really care about any of the characters or what happened to them.

"Marguerite by the Lake" is an atmospheric and suspenseful Gothic thriller. The book started off really strong, with so much action and tension beginning in the first few pages. The plot was intriguing, unique, and unpredictable. While the story was told from the sole point of view of Phoenix, there was still some uncertainty as to what was real and what she was imagining. Although it was quite fast-paced in the beginning, it did become a bit of a slow-burn. But I really enjoyed the unpredictability of it all and not knowing whether Phoenix was a reliable narrator as she increasingly became more unhinged. Overall, an entertaining read, and I will read more from this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an interesting read. I felt I was spiraling the whole time. The writer creates a sense of anticipation and anxiety throughout the whole book. I felt my heart rate increase as each new character was introduced. It was a ride but there are so many questions left unanswered. There isn’t closure for any of the story lines. What happened with the investigation? What happened to Taylor? What happened to Geoffrey? Did Geoffrey and Serge ever come to a conclusion about the estate? What did Helen and Nina see and why didn’t they say anything? What happened with Curtis?

I think my anxiety was more about the unanswered questions than the actual story. Is the end of everything left up to my imagination and interpretation? Maybe that was the true intention of the author. If so, well done.

"My home is a reflection of me. I worked hard to put my stamp on this home . It’s layers and layers deep. Any future mistress of this house will find it impossible to get rid of me."

“I know something ugly about myself. And I can never unknow it.”

It's the way it sneaks up on you. You know you're listening to or reading a psychological thriller, but as the unnerving descent into paranoia madness escalates, you realize you didn't see it coming, and then there was no stopping the fiery spiral.

The above is exactly how I experienced the fast, almost frantic paced, Marguerite By The Lake, by subtle, yet unsettling, psychological thriller author Mary Dixie Carter. It's a study of losing control, bad decisions, and untethered fear.

Phoenix is the gardener for the lavish Rosecliff Estate, owned by lifestyle guru Marguerite Gray. When Phoenix saves Geoffrey, Marguerite's husband, from a falling tree, it sets up a series of events leading to an affair, long buried secrets being unearthed and a startling death.

Every time I have the privilege to listen to voice actress Helen Laser I am enthralled by her perfection. Phoenix becoming unhinged manic was a page turning performance.

Marguerite By The Lake is a famous painting of Marguerite, one that begins to haunt Phoenix. Is it guilt? She hasn't been the most honest moral person; in fact she's often unlikeable. Is she losing her mind? Or is it Marguerite making sure she remains the mistress of Rosecliff?!

*If you love Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier this story is for you.

I received free copies of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a very interesting read as it dealt with the death of Marguerite and it had more going on beneath the surface that added to the intensity of the book.

Marguerite by the Lake by author Mary Dixie Carter is a roller-coaster ride of thrills, action, suspense and maximum emotion from start to finish. At no point will you know who to believe or trust – from the past, the present or looking to the future – and almost all the characters will give you reason to either dislike or fear them. Or dislike and fear them, at least some of the time.

Phoenix is the hard-working gardener on the famed Rosecliff grounds, working for Marguerite and her husband Geoffrey Gray. Marguerite is an intimidating, hard-to-please, wildly successful lifestyle icon, often hard and difficult, including to her husband. Maybe because they are both trying to deal with Marguerite, Phoenix and Geoffrey begin an affair.

And then Marguerite has an accident and dies.

Buckle up because things happen at the speed of light from this point on. If there was ever an unreliable narrator, Phoenix is it. Just when you think she’s insecure and worried, she becomes defiant and bold. The relationship with Geoffrey seems real – he asked her to move into the manor – but then he seems to pull away. Police are ever-present, as is Geoffrey and Marguerite’s daughter, a Marguerite look-alike and act-alike.

Marguerite by the Lake is atmospheric and tense, revealing secrets and horrifying events, leaving you baffled when another guess goes wrong. I received an advance copy of Marguerite by the Lake from St. Martin’s Press Minotaur. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

Marguerite By The Lake by Mary Dixie Carter is a book I just could not jive with I always say the end of the book could change my rating and overall feeling of a book, but for the first time in a very long time the end of this one did nothing for me. I didn’t like it I didn’t like Phoenix I thought her And Jeffrey’s relationship came out of nowhere I found her to be self absorbed I got tired of hearing about all the plants and trees etc I mean I get it she loves gardens got it having said that, read it if it sounds like something you would like I myself did not. I don’t even think it all had to do with Phoenix but there was something overall about the book I just didn’t enjoy. #NetGalley, #MyHonestReview, #TheBlindReviewer,

I was so excited to receive this book in an advanced reader copy! Thank you to netgalley for proving me to read this book!

I absolutely devoured the story! It was so good and so captivating! I was on the edge of my seat!

To start, this is neither a thriller or a mystery, so I wonder if those tags were added to increase interest. What it does accomplish is to describe a descent into madness. Marguerite and Geoffrey Gray are the owners and occupants of Rosecliff, a stunning estate on a cliff above a lake. Phoenix Sullivan is the gardener/landscaper who maintains the grounds so that Marguerite can have the glory of a very Martha Stewart-esque lifestyle and following. Tragedy strikes, Marguerite falls to her death, and Phoenix infiltrates the Gray's life. The daughter, Taylor Gray, comes to play a large role in the plot of this book, too large for Phoenix to accept.

There really isn't a single likeable person in this story, maybe except for Frank, Phoenix's boss. The story is described as 'atmospheric' but to me it is shallow and predictable. It is the story of obsession, jealousy, weak characters (i.e. Geoffrey), narcissism - you name it, flawed character traits are in this. But it is not the book that I thought was advertised, and although it was at times a bit gut wrenching, it was not a book that I could recommend.

This ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher, the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

Thank you NetGalley for early access of this book in exchange for an honest review...

This book was not it for me. The FMC was unbearable and the MMC was a pompous narcissist in my opinion. The daughter was your typical whiny young adult. The brother was a mooch who only helped his sister with strings attached. I could not wait to finish this book but in a I am not going to DNF because I need to place an ARC review kind of way.