Review: 'The Poison Garden' by A.J. Banner

 I have always been fascinated by mixing potions. When we were young, my sister and I engaged in the highly dangerous activity of mixing various cleaning supplies together, pretending they were potions. How we didn't succumb to the fumes I'll never know, but I do know our parents were not pleased. So of course I was going to be intrigued by a thriller novel with poison in the title. Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pub. Date: 10/22/2019
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

A woman’s idyllic life becomes a deceptive hall of mirrors in a thriller of exquisitely constructed psychological suspense by A. J. Banner, bestselling author of The Good Neighbor.

Elise Watters seems to have it all—a blissful marriage, a gorgeous Victorian home surrounded by lush gardens, and a dream job running her late mother’s herbal boutique.

But on the eve of her first wedding anniversary, Elise makes a shocking discovery that turns her life upside down and casts doubt on everything she thought she knew—about her marriage, her friends, and even herself. As she treads into dangerous territory, Elise is forced to wonder: Is her whole future at stake? Or is paranoia getting the best of her?

If she is to believe what she sees, Elise has every reason to fear for her life…

(Domestic) Thrillers are made up of a few set of tropes and traditional storylines which are exciting in their familiarity. I love seeing what every new author is going to do with these story elements, whether it will be a full reversal, a slight alteration, a traditional approach or a complete red herring. It is also what makes reading thrillers something of a comfort for me. It's like re-watching TV shows. The general plot is familiar and comforting, despite its ups and downs, but the details keep surprising and delighting you. At times not all these dots get connected equally successfully, which is a shame. In The Poison Garden a lot of elements are at play and they don't always go as deep as you would like. The book is fun, quick, and hits all the spots, if sometimes weakly.

Elise can't wait to spend her first wedding anniversary with her husband on their boat, sipping champagne and reminiscing. But when she comes home early to surprise him she walks in on something she wasn't expecting at all. This is only the beginning of her problems however. With her ex-husband once again on the island and the cause of her mother's death still mysterious, everything begins to fall apart for Elise. The Poison Garden is a rollercoaster of twists and turns that is immensely readable. The novel is mostly written from Elise's point of view, but occasionally we get an outside glimpse through her neighbour, Chantal. The latter becomes a way to attempt to balance out Elise's growing fear and confusion, but she has her own secrets as well. I would hesitate calling The Poison Garden a psychological thriller, mainly because the characters' psychologies weren't really consistent or explored all that much. Rather, Banner plays with the intrigues of domesticity and family relationships. While the plot does feel over the top at times, moving at almost break-neck speed from reveal to reveal, I had a great time reading it. 

This is my first novel by A.J. Banner but I very much enjoyed her writing. She gets us right into Elise's mind, into her confusion and paranoia, but drops enough hints for the reader to see the bigger picture. As I mentioned above, the plot is a little much at times. Most of the novel takes place over a few days and with everything that happens it can be hard to not lose track of the timeline. The characters overall are quite traditional for the genre. The loving wife who may lose everything; the charming, beautiful husband who maybe cannot be trusted; the lingering ex-husband, the divorcee neighbour whose motives are questionable. But Banner brings them all together into a riotous story. However, I was completely enamored by Banner's descriptions of the island, Elise's house, its surrounding woods and her apothecary. I also have Banner's In Another Light lined up for later this year and can't wait to get into it.

I give this novel...

3 Universes!

The Poison Garden is a fun and quick read, full of thrills and surprises. While it may not go as deep as other thrillers, it will make for a great summer read!