Marguerite by the Lake by Mary Dixie Carter had me completely mesmerized. From the very beginning, I was drawn into this haunting psychological thriller that explores the dark complexities of wealth, desire, and buried secrets. At the center of it all is a glamorous garden designer, a widower haunted by his past, and a young, beautiful gardener who finds herself dangerously entangled in their lives.

As I turned the pages, I felt the tension slowly tightening, thanks to Carter’s evocative, almost hypnotic prose. She doesn’t rush the suspense. Instead, it builds with a quiet intensity that kept me on edge, second guessing every character and motive. I loved how the lines between truth and illusion, sanity and madness, became increasingly blurred.

By the end, I found myself questioning not only the characters’ choices but also the darker corners of human nature. This book doesn’t just reveal hidden truths. It makes you feel the weight of them. Marguerite by the Lake is chilling, beautifully written, and impossible to forget. I was completely captivated.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I am not sure why but this book did not work for me. However, as I always say when I don't like a book, just because I did not like the book, it doesn't mean that someone else won't like it. It also doesn't necessarily mean that I may not like another book by the same author. Or even that I may not like the book if I try it again in the future.

This is NOT this books fault - but I thought this was a new translation of a Maigret novel by Georges Simenon when I requested it *rolls eyes at self and dumb eyes* So not at all what I was hoping for... I'm sure this is great, though.

Not a fan. Well-written but the protagonist was WAY too unhinged.
Marguerite Gray is a lifestyle icon. There is a famous painting of her, Marguerite on the Lake, that is the backbone of her business.Phoenix has been the gardener on the Gray estate for 15 years. She knows the grounds better than anyone else. Phoenix starts an affair w/ Marguerite's husband, Geoffrey. And then Marguerite falls to her death. Phoenix IMMEDIATELY moves in w/ Geoffrey and tries to take over the lifestyle business for him. But Taylor, Marguerite's daughter is not having it and she digs into Phoenix's dark past.
The whole thing felt off and meh. You cannot root for any of these characters; they're all terrible people with no redeeming qualities. Luckily, it's a pretty easy read.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this digital e-arc.*

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of Marguerite by the Lake, by Mary Dixie Carter, from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

If observing a thoroughly unreliable and unlikeable main character go out of her mind sounds like your idea of a good time, then you will probably enjoy this book.

I could pick nits….like, umm, ANSWER YOUR BROTHER’S TEXTS BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING IS BAD WRONG, and, what was all that about the grandma, and my little black cat who has just about the sense God gave lettuce would be a better detective than that Rachel…..

But, why? This was some good trashy escapism and I enjoyed it, probably because it read like some weird early 1970s schlock horror movie. Even if I did wind up disliking every single character in it by the end.

DESCRIPTION
From Mary Dixie Carter comes an atmospheric, tense novel about the death of a glamorous garden designer, a widower trying to keep his secrets buried, and the beautiful young gardener who finds herself entangled in their lives.

Marguerite Gray is a lifestyle icon known for her garden parties, high-end business ventures, and being the muse behind the famous Serge Kuhnert painting, Marguerite by the Lake. Her presence is overpowering, her taste, legendary. For the last few years, Phoenix has been the gardener on the famed Rosecliff grounds, home of the Gray family: Marguerite and her husband Geoffrey. Phoenix came from humble beginnings, and now she works hard to craft the landscape that underpins Marguerite’s brand.

When a storm threatens the launch party for Marguerite’s latest book, it’s Phoenix who spots the danger to the guests and rushes to Geoffrey’s side to save him from a falling tree. Geoffrey is grateful—perhaps too grateful. Marguerite is . . . jealous. Phoenix senses the danger of being drawn deeper into their lives but can’t resist the attention, becoming embroiled in an affair that could destroy her career.

But soon after the affair begins Marguerite falls to her death, from the same high point at Rosecliff where she posed for Marguerite by the Lake. Now Phoenix has another secret, one that haunts her even as Geoffrey invites her to move into the manor with him. A secret that Detective Hanna and Marguerite’s daughter—her spitting image—are circling closer and closer to. Phoenix tries to put it all behind her and find her rightful place at Rosecliff. But as every gardener knows, nothing stays buried forever.

I really struggled with this book. The story dragged especially at the beginning and I had to keep putting it down and then go back and read a little more. I found the characters to be shallow and unlikable. I realize that the book centers on one woman’s decent into madness, driven there by her conscience but that could have been achieved in half the pages.

I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.

A woman who is renowned for her gardening tips and expertise on landscaping realizes her husband is having an affair with the actual person who does all the work and planning. She doesn't audibly say anything, but Phoenix knows she knows. Phoenix is with her at her death. Even though she tried to save her, the guilt starts taking a toll on her mind. One mistake after another on Phoenix's actions does t help with her mental, or physical health. The reader can see the gardens and grounds around the mansion as you read, but also how the mental decline of an innocent of murder person, is just ignored by everyone around her. The husband and daughter don't have a clue of what's in front of them, and neither are likable characters. The main characters aren't all that likable either, but the story telling is very good, and it kept me turning pages. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, I think this one may stick with me for awhile.

This is a well-written, entertaining, thrilling mystery novel. It has a sympathetic female protagonist, vividly described settings, suspense, jealousy, twists and turns, and an unexpected conclusion. Many thanks to Ms. Carter, St. Martin's Press, and Net Galley, from whom I received an advanced reader copy of this fantastic novel. This is my honest opinion.

thank you SMP and MacMillan audio for review copies. My review is complicated, this promises a plot of interest, a murder, themes on bad rich people, the behind the scenes writing world... and the audiobook is well acted and thoughtfully executed. However, I couldn't quite get into this one, the pacing dragged for me from the start and I never found my footing in terms of finding a character to connect with, to at least cheer on, and the plot didn't draw me in.

Audiobook: this is a thoughtfully produced, and authentically acted, audiobook. Marguerite by the Lake, despite the strong performance by Helen Laser (a favorite of mine), misses the mark.

I gave Marguerite by the Lake three ⭐️⭐️⭐️. Thank you Minotaur Books, Mary Dixie Carter and Net Galley for the ARC. These are my honest opinions.

These characters were well developed, for the most part - although I would have liked a little more background on some of them. But, I didn’t like them. I, not sure who was more manipulative, Phoenix or Geoffrey. That was an odd relationship right off the bat. And, Phoenix turned out to be unhinged to say the least.

The story moved fast in some aspects and extremely slow in other aspects. This just wasn’t for me.

I wanted a little bit more from this book. I did like how the jealousy and paranoia played out within the main character and trying to make a name for herself or fit in. I wish the other characters had a little more of a play in the story but I do get the main focus on Phoenix. Still a good easy mystery to read though.

While the author does a beautiful job with her prose, I found this story not to be as captivating as I initially thought it would be. The plot sounded intriguing but sadly wasn't executed to its full potential. I think that might be from the slow pacing. It took me a while to get through this book, even though the characters felt real, they weren't the most likable. I found myself hesitating to pick this book up and would more often than not choose to read something else. Again, the writing was beautiful but I just wasn't into the story. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

MARGUERITE BY THE LAKE was a really good story! I liked how the book started off with a fast pace. I also enjoyed the gardening aspect and how it intertwined with the family. It had some paranormal aspects as well, but nothing crazy or completely unbelievable. It was definitely different from the author's first book and I can say I think her books just keep getting better. I hope she writes some more!

Many thanks to NetGalley Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for my gifted copies.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Thank you to MInotaur Books for the widget to read Marguerite by the Lake! Those that tried the latest Minotaur sampler got a taste of this story there.
I'm struggling to put in words how I feel about this so let's just start with what I said about the chapters in the sampler and after that I'll ramble for a while:

"The beginning of this one started with a strong scene of a woman saving many people from a massive tree falling on a tent where an event is taking place. I didn't get enough in these two chapters to get any idea of who Phoenix is as a person. Hopefully there will be lots more substance given to her character throughout the book as I couldn't connect in just this short preview. I love the descriptions of the plants and feel that will play a large part in this story. It drew me in with the premise that Marguerite is not a character to be trusted."

That opening scene was indeed strong, thrilling, and the catalyst for how the main characters end up on the path that leads to the rest of the story. That strong scene was one of few that really made a big impact. The hope that Phoenix's character would be given substance-- not really something I got. I still couldn't connect after 300-some-odd pages of her perspective. The plants do indeed take a front seat in the story as it's a big part of Marguerite and Phoenix and how they connect. Marguerite not being a character to be trusted? Well, found out that no one in this story seemed like they could be trusted.

Overall, I really struggled with this one. I finished and immediately screwed up my face like ".....that's it?" Honestly, I think I might be too dumb for this story because I don't really get it. I get the mental health playing a part but her psychopathy didn't really go anywhere??? Again, I'm probably too dumb. Side note: sister LOVES a list. Every few pages this character/ author was making a list. Lots of words, separated by commas, I think it might have something to do with the characters mindset but honestly it got distracting for me at a point.

I liked some stuff about this though. The writing was enjoyable! THAT COVER is gorgeous! There are some thrilling moments. Phoenix's mental mindset was FASCINATING to read (although it did seem incomplete, like why was she declining like that? Is she dealing with some sort of issue, did she stop taking meds, is this just guilt manifesting physically? I needed more substance to that).

I think my main problems and reasoning for not rating this higher are the plot holes and unfinished story lines, slow pacing, low characterization and that terribly ambiguous ending. Ya girl needs things wrapped up pretty and I'm not ashamed to admit that (let's go back to that dumb thing). Like,who doesn't love to see the baddies get what they deserve at the end of a book? This did not give those vibes. I know lots of readers will love the ending so take my opinion with a grain :-D

This was an odd one.

Phoenix is a landscaper and works on a large beautiful estate. At the beginning of the story, she saves the life of the man who lives in the home. The woman who owns the estate is a garden vlogger and makes money off of Phoenix's work. The rest of the book goes downhill quickly as Phoenix becomes more and more delusional.

I didn't really care for this. If Phoenix had listened to herself, her boss and her brother none of this would have happened. Why didn't she listen to herself especially? She knew this wasn't good for her, she knew she was suffering. Just stop and go home.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/ Minotaur and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. The publication date is May 20, 2025.

Marguerite Gray is a lifestyle influencer, a high-end tastemaker who’s like the Martha Stewart of gardening. Gardener-but-not-quite-landscape-architect Phoenix is the creative vision behind Rosecliff, the lakeside estate prominently featured in Marguerite’s glossy photographs and flowery words. Soon after Phoenix gets drawn into an affair with Marguerite’s husband Geoffrey, Marguerite falls to her death from the cliff’s edge. Marguerite is barely cold in the ground before Phoenix slides farther and farther into Geoffrey’s life, even as a suspicious detective circles closer.

Carter’s writing style is so compelling that I was immediately drawn in by her lush prose, richly describing a beautifully landscaped estate setting and infusing it with a subtle gothic vibe. Her style choices as the story unfolds perfectly illustrate how Phoenix’s mental state is spiraling out of control. Unfortunately, although the premise of this book held so much promise, it fell a little flat for me. Although Carter clearly has a gift for writing obsessive characters (see her debut “The Photographer”), Phoenix and her motivations (and really all of the characters) are underdeveloped and her actions don’t always make sense. There are also quite a few plot threads that never get resolved, which makes the ending feel abrupt and the novel unfinished.

I do have to give props to the audiobook! This is one of those times when the audiobook really enhances your enjoyment of a novel. Helen Laser does an outstanding job of bringing Phoenix to life and making the listener feel like they’re immersed in Phoenix’s deteriorating sanity.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for providing me an advance copy of this book.

This was well written but I found it unsettling as though I was missing a piece of the puzzle. What was Phoenix’s motivation? Did she really love Geoffrey and is it believable that their relationship grew so quickly? Why was it so important for her to claim the estate as her own? I just couldn’t figure out her motivation nor her perseverance in the face of obstacles. A little paranormal vibe too. I would recommend but I’m curious how others feel.

Atmospheric unique novel with a gothic flair about the death of a wealthy garden designer , her sad husband left behind, and the young female gardener who steps into her life, just like that! This is a story of toxic love and wanting another persons life- until you get it!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Not too sure what to make of this one. I liked some of it. Didnt like other parts and found it a tad hard to follow or bored at times.

Not really sure how to rate and review this book to be honest. While I thought it was mostly entertaining the pacing was off and the writing style was a little different to me. The relationships and characters never felt very developed they definitely were not likeable and I was not really invested in any of them. There were some mysteries to be solved but not really and it felt a little unfinished if I'm being honest. Rating this 2.5/3 stars would always recommend anyone to read and form their own opinions. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.