The Neglected Garden

A page-turner seeded with mystery, romance and suspense

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Pub Date 08 Feb 2019 | Archive Date 15 Apr 2019

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Description

A garden designer with hope. A property developer with secrets. Will their love grow or will revenge make it wither?

Ireland, 2010. Gilly Townsend’s beloved landscaping business doesn’t survive the financial crash. Just when she thinks she’ll have to move back home, a profitable project to restore an inspirational walled garden lands in her lap. But she never expected her wealthy Londoner boss to inspire her in return.

Marc Fletcher just wants an escape for him and his four-year-old son. As he tries to forget a dark past, Gilly’s skills in the garden bring light back into his life. As he and his landscaper become something more, a family shadow threatens everything he holds dear.

Amidst increasingly angry blackmail, Marc and Gilly’s love starts to blossom. But when threats transform into criminal action, will the developer’s poisonous past bury Gilly six-feet-under?

The Neglected Garden is a standalone romantic suspense novel seeded with intrigue. If you like gutsy heroines, enigmatic heroes, and twists you won't see coming, then you’ll love Suzanne Winterly’s captivating garden mystery.

A garden designer with hope. A property developer with secrets. Will their love grow or will revenge make it wither?

Ireland, 2010. Gilly Townsend’s beloved landscaping business doesn’t survive the...


Available Editions

ISBN 9781999316808
PRICE $5.79 (USD)

Average rating from 39 members


Featured Reviews

Gilly’s landscaping business doesn’t survive the financial crash of 2008. Then she gets a commission to restore a walled garden. Marc the owner of the garden wants an escape for himself and his young son. Gilly’s work in the garden restores him leading to a deepening of their relationship. This novel has been described as standalone romantic suspense I would agree.
Felt this was a well written captivating novel with a dash of gothic. Enjoyed the varied locations Ireland Japan. Felt the characters were well drawn and had depth. I enjoyed the descriptive elements of the gardens without feeling it overwhelmed the story.
The story is not overly intricate and I felt it tied up nicely in the end. Interesting to see what this author does next. Would recommend this

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Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the eARC.
At first I didn't like Gilly, she had a small hissy fit at her sister's after walking out on a client whose garden she was working on. But when she gets a new one at Glanesford, outside of Dublin, to restore a walled garden, she got her act together and became much more sympathetic. It's a big job and she's thrilled to have the chance at restoring the space and earning some much needed money.
Her boss, Marc, is good to her, even though he's at first not easy to get close too. He has a little 4-year old son, who is alone a lot with his caretaker as his father travels back and forth to meetings. As time progresses they are drawn to each other, but Marc's past is mysterious and full of trouble.
As things come to a frightening head and the past catches up with Marc, there are some tense and dangerous times.I
On the whole I enjoyed this book. I had to suspend my belief a bit and sighed at the choices Ginny made, but it was a good read with a satisfying conclusion.

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When Gilly takes a job as gardener/landscape designer at a mansion nearby she becomes interested in the homeowner and his young son. I liked the descriptions of the gardens/plants and learned about some new flowers by reading this book. There was just the right amount of romance and suspense in this novel also. As Mark the homeowner tries to figure out how best to deal with a black mailer without involving his employees or his toddler son, Gilly and Mark begin to fall for each other. Mark hires a detective to try and solve the mystery of who and why Mark is being blackmailed. There are also secrets in Mark's past that he is trying to forget. What will become of their relationship when said secrets are revealed. A interesting, fun book to read.

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A little bit of romance, a bit of mystery and a whole lot of gardening. The imagery is quite marvelous. The plot is somewhat tenuous. The blackmail and kidnapping provided some suspense, the kidnapping especially seemed quite contrived, and a bit out of place. Lovely writing, good descriptions, and the restoration of an abandoned garden do make this a fun and worthwhile read.

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A romance with some mystery thrown in. Who is threatening Marc? This story is well written with believable characters and set in wonderful Ireland. It is more than a love story.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

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A nice refreshing story that I really enjoyed! Loved the mystery and romance! Perfect book for the beach

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The novel is set in Ireland in 2010. Gilly Townsend is an unemployed garden designer. The economic downturn has been disastrous for her business, and If it weren’t for her soon to be married older sister she would be homeless. Providentially a dream job is offered. Gilly is to restore a derelict walled garden on a grand estate. The estate, Glanesfort, is owned by Marc Fletcher, a property developer based in London. Marc is a young widower with a four year old son, Samuel. Gilly is intrigued by Marc, but she is equally interested in Fergus Browne, the charming estate manager. As Gilly spends time at Glanesfort, she becomes very attached to the grounds, to Samuel, and to Marc. As they get to know one another Gilly learns Marc has a secret in his past that he is not willing to share. Someone has been blackmailing him for more than six months and then Samuel is kidnapped. A clever crime and I was surprised by the perpetrator.
The characters are well developed and the setting plays an important role. If you’re a fan of Mary Stewart and Phylis Whitney you will enjoy this book. A good mix of romance and suspense with likable characters.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free electronic arc. Would recommend.

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The Neglected Garden.

Very good novel! This one is refreshing all around--not a typical mystery. I enjoyed the depth of characters, their relationships and actions, but most of all, the twists in the plot! Though Gilly talks too much and has lost some gardening design jobs, she was lovable and kind. On the other hand Marc, more serious and dependable, was burdened with terrible secrets. The adventures of these two individuals made for a very pleasant read--while a couple of the surprises nearly caused anxiety because the book was so well written! I will gladly read from this author again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Suzanne Winterly for the ARC!

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Ireland, 2010. Gilly Townsend’s beloved landscaping business has trouble surviving the financial crash and a break up with a boyfriend and her sister about to get married (and wishing she would move out) does not make life more rosy.

Then she is offered a project to restore a neglected walled garden on an country estate near Dublin. The owner is Marc, an English property developer, who lives there with his 4-year old son and his housekeeper. The house is used as a conference centre and the buildings on the estate are rented to tenants.

At first glance it looks all very idyllic but there are dark clouds on the horizon. Marc experienced two traumatic events in his life and is now blackmailed by persons unknown and Gilly and the small boy see a strange white lady.

The novel has some romance elements in it but I was not so impressed. It feels like that comes up from thin air and you see no gradual warming. But that might be just me.

Another aspect of the novel is the mystery part and I did like that. Also thought it well thought through.

What I found really interesting was Marc's time doing business in Japan.

There is a lot of gardening in the book. For people with green thumbs a must I think. In my case sometimes quite lost in translation. As Gilly explains to someone flowers and plants have Latin names because the local names can be very confusing when you cross a border. I can vouch for that :).

Pub Date: 08 Feb 2019

4 stars out of 5

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Gilly is anxious and impatient to prove her worth to her family so much so that she ignored all their advice and decided to do things her way which seems to be a big mistake on her part.
Now faced with such a gloomy and dismal outlook she places her hopes on a long shot.

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Gilly and her sister Vanessa could not be more different. Vanessa is organized, methodical and has a plan for everything. Gilly is haphazard, unwilling to think things through and right now finds herself in a predicament. She has given up on her present job, walked out on it actually, is overdrawn at the bank, has no place of her own and knows she is on sufferance at her sister's flat.

A chance offer of turning a neglected garden into an oasis of tranquility serving five apartments with an employer who is not a control freak is a wonderful chance for Gilly to assert her independence and get her life back on track.

The employer himself a wealthy businessman seems to have a lot going on in his life, lots of secrets and is an enigma. It does not help that both Gilly and Marc are attracted to each other but both are wary of the future.

Involving past secrets overshadowing the present, a complicated case of revenge, abduction and over riding it all beautiful garden talk makes this book very readable! Romance with shades of suspense and mystery all evolve very nicely together.

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Overall I liked this book. It had some good twists and turns. The premise was really good but occasionally I wondered if the protagonist had a brain. A good example of this is when she is trapped and (trying not to have a spoiler here) she pulls out her cell phone and threatens to call someone for help. She was WAY past that idea. She could have possibly had a way to reach out for help had she not given her only secret away.
The main character is Gilly who is a landscape designer. The story of her falling in love with the homeowner she is working for (Marc) who also happens to be a rich and handsome widower with a young child is a little rote, but the story is still well-written and has a lot of other good characters added that make the story a good read.
As I said earlier, there are also some good twists in the book. I think that most of the characters are well developed and likable. There are naturally a few villains thrown in also, but they serve their purposes and the story is rather clever in the end. .
I would recommend this book as a good solid read.

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A beautifully writtwn drama, sure to tug on your heartstrings and make you appreciate your relationships more . Will definitely read more book by this author.

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This book was such a joy to read making it impossible for me to put it down. I loved the front cover and the description made me want to read it. I hoped that the book would match up to it’s front cover and it really did. The book is also a standalone which is appealing for lots of people.


The book is based in 2010’s Ireland after the big financial crash. Which has affected much bigger landscaping businesses than Gilly Townsend’s small landscape business. She has already given up her flat and is living with her sister in trying to keep her business afloat, but her sister is organising her wedding and Gilly knows that she will soon have to move out and more than likely go back to living at home with her parents.

Just as the despair is about to set in, she gets the opportunity to restore an old walled garden to it former glory to an old home. For the new owner Marc Fletcher, who is a wealthy property developer from London. Giving her the much needed cash to keep her business afloat.

Marc Fletcher has his own hidden past, that he wants to forget and he finds his escape at his new home Glanesford, outside of Dublin. This is where he and his son can relax and be safe. Or so he thought. Someone has started to blackmail him and is threatening to share his family secrets with the world. Secrets that Marc is desperate to keep in the past.

As Gilly and Marc, start to become a bit more than boss and employee. The blackmailer starts to get bolder and has now started to threat his son’s safety, and has also told him that he must keep well away from Gilly if he knows whats good for him.

Marc is starting to wonder exactly who he can and can’t trust. He trusts Gilly as she has no idea about him being blackmailed and it started before she came along. Then his son goes missing!!! Is there someone closer to Marc that is responsible for the kidnapping of his son and the blackmail. Will he even find his son? What will all of this do to the only just blossoming romance between him and Gilly?

With lots of twists and turns, this book will keep you wanting more. It’s a romance with blackmail and suspense, with the lovely backdrop of Ireland. A really enjoyable read.

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The Neglected Garden is a very good romantic suspense. I enjoyed the plot, setting and the writing. I recommend this book to fans of suspense.

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A romantic, sweet story centered on a walled garden. I loved it though I found the main character difficult to relate to at first.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

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Very enjoyable story. Interesting plotlines. As someone who enjoys gardening, the plants and garden came to life in my imagination, and I could understand the attraction to her job.
I liked how the different aspects weaved their way in and around daily life. We are not responsible for our parents behaviour

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One of my new favorite books! This author has such a way with words the pages flew by in no time! I can’t wait to see the next work by this author! This was such a joy to read!

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Romance, suspense and several wonderful relationships make this book an enjoyable read.
The Neglected Garden is a pageturner. It manages to keep the reader engrossed with the suspense of it all. The characters are well-written and thought of. Some of them are annoying and some endearing. Who wouldn't fall in love with someone like Sam! And Gilly garden's comes to life in the text. One can easily imagine the whole garden just by reading through this book. The suspense was well thought about and written in a succinctly interesting manner.

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I was immediately struck by the plotting savvy and intrigue factor of "The neglected Gardens.". An fast paced romantic suspense mystery with many unexpected twists..

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This book is surround with such a spooky vice and I am here for it!! I loved getting to read this one and definitely recommend you read it during fall. Yes!!

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This is a book that kept me reading deep into the night and I finished it in almost one sitting. It is a great debut novel that had intriguing mystery, suspense and gentle romance storyline with a variety of good characters. I also loved the setting...rural Ireland and old building and neglected garden that is coming to life when the main female character is hired to do that. Her boss is good to her and they become close but something is bothering him, a secret from his past... after few twists and turns there is one satisfying end. All in all nice summer reading material that by that hint of gothic drama will give you a few gardening information too

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One of the best books I've read this year, it's a bit of a gothic romantic type book and I read it in two sittings, I had to know what secret Marc was hiding, where was Sam, who was the bad guy.
I really hope that Suzanne keeps on writing this genre of book
I loved it so much
Thank you netgalley.

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My first reading at Netgalley in another language, so it was difficult to adapt, but it is a beautiful and engaging story. In all, it was a positive experience, despite the difficulties I had.  
It is a book that I recommend to anyone who wants a good romance!

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Romantic and full of twists and turns to keep you guessing. This was definitely a surprise read for me. Didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I'm glad I tried it.

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A charming setting, a beautiful language, an easy to read mystery. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel. A lovely tale with much to enjoy.

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The Neglected Garden is a suspenseful romantic story that can be read alone.

Ireland, 2010. Gilly Townsend’s beloved landscaping business doesn’t survive the financial crash. Just when she thinks she’ll have to move back home, a profitable project to restore an inspirational walled garden lands in her lap. But she never expected her wealthy Londoner boss to inspire her in return.

Marc Fletcher just wants an escape for him and his four-year-old son. As he tries to forget a dark past, Gilly’s skills in the garden bring light back into his life. As he and his landscaper become something more, a family shadow threatens everything he holds dear.

Very well written. Quite enjoyable read.

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