A. J. Banner is a MUST read author for me! Her books never disappoint and leave me wanting more! The Poison Garden was no exception and is probably my new favorite book of hers! Elise has the perfect life or so she thinks. Married to her second husband Kieran , living in her mom's house, and running the herb boutique her Mom had built. But nothing is ever what it seems. As twists and turns are revealed, Elise starts second guessing herself. This book kept me on my toes as I was shocked with all the layers. This is an absolute must read if you love psychological suspense! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

A.J. Banner is an absolute master at writing thrillers! The Poison Garden had me on the edge of my seat the entire way through!!! Just when I thought I had a grip on what would happen next, A.J. Banner would throw in a perfectly placed twist or turn and shock the heck out of me! I don’t want to touch on any details because the blinder you go into this novel the better, but I will say that I am confident that any mystery/thriller fans will think this book is as fantastic as I think it is! I wish I could give The Poison Garden more than 5 star because it’s just that good! A.J. Banner is always a sure thing for me, but I think she actually outdid herself with this gem!! The Poison Garden is most definitely on my 2019 favorites list!

The Poison Garden pulled me in the first chapter and never let go. I have to admit I was intrigued by the title. The ideal that a garden could be a place for a suspense novel to unfold had me wondering how? A.J. Banner took us into the world of pharmaceutical and herbal medicine and gave it a dark twist. It truly is a Hitchcockian story full of plot twists and much more!

A day before their first anniversary, Elise returns home from a work trip to find her husband, Kieran in bed with a woman he hired to stage his farmhouse. She catches snippets of their conversation in the bedroom that suggests Kieran is probably planning to do away with her. Has he been after her money the whole time?

When Elise confronts them, Kieran tells Elise that the sex meant nothing and that he still loves her. But Elise kicks Kieran out and calls her attorney immediately to change her will. Apparently, Kieran stands to inherit $5 million dollars in the event of Elise’s death.

That doesn’t deter Kieran from stopping by their house (which Elise owns by the way). He gets in with his spare key to their home to try and win Elise back.

Meanwhile, Elise’s ex, Brandon, whom she’d been married to for four years is still largely in the picture. He’s an architect, and sometimes he checks up on Elise whenever he’s in town for a project, asking to meet up for coffee (which she always turns down). When Kieran enters Elise’s house once again, uninvited, Elise asks Brandon to change the locks.

Following one of his unscheduled visits, Elise wakes up to find Kieran dead on the steps behind her house. She has no recollection of how she got there. She tries to resuscitate him, then she goes to get help but suddenly loses consciousness. When she finally comes to, Kieran is gone. Did she kill him while she was sleepwalking or was this all a dream? Or does her ex-husband have anything to do with Kieran’s disappearance?

As the story unravels, Elise wonders if she’s being targeted and starts questioning everything about herself, her life, and her marriage.

The Poison Garden is a captivating book that will keep the reader guessing and turning the pages to see how everything unfolds.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and A. J. Banner for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The title alone of this book had me intrigued. What would a poison garden have growing in it and what would someone do with the yield from this garden? The possibilities are endless in my mind.
Ms. Banner wove a very suspenseful and thrilling story around just such a scenario with characters that have hidden agendas that take unexpected twists and turns. Who is doing what to whom?
I had my heart pounding from the very beginning of this book. The prologue is intense! I am holding my breath and feeling frantic with Elise. That was it.....I was in this story completely.
Ms. Banner writes her scenes so well and descriptively. I can see in my mind as if I were there what the surroundings are. The sounds, the sights, the smells, the "feelings", the drama of what is going on. It pulls me into the story and makes me react along with Elise, the main character. I love the cliff hanger chapter endings. I just HAD to keep reading on....I couldn't put the book down. This story had me guessing and changing my mind. Reguessing and rechanging my mind again and again. The characters were unpredictable. I would think I had it figured out and then a new twist would occur and I'd be back to square one. I love stories that do this. Ms. Banner is extremely talented in doing just that.
This psychological thriller had me gulping and gasping! Shocked and stunned! My heart was thumping with adrenaline rush! It's another great read by this author who knows how to take the reader on a suspense filled ride.
I want to thank Ms. Banner and Netgalley for the privilege of reading this five star book!

The Poison Garden is the latest thriller by A. J. Banner. Fast paced, The Poison Garden keeps the reader guessing and turning pages to see what happens next. Ms Banner (as usual) gives us some edge of the seat moments. I was given an early copy to review.

Another heart stopping, fast paced psychological thriller by A. J. Banner!
I have loved all of her books and this was no exception. I literally did not want to stop reading this, I simply had to find out more. I was hooked from the very beginning. I knew as soon as I started that I would finish this book the same day and that's what I did. I cannot recommend her books enough. 5 stars!

This author is one of my favs. I have read all of her books and follow her on FB. This book follows her previous but can stand on its own if you haven’t read previous book. This thriller has you wondering just who is the bad guy in Elise’s life. Current husband or previous husband?? I changed my mind as story progressed. Throw in some other characters and a beautiful location in NW United States and you’ve got amazing book.

Wow! This was a wonderful mystery thriller. I loved the fast pace and how nothing was as it seemed. Great characters, premise and twist. My favorite AJ Banner story to date!!!

Wow! This book was quite the adventure! I was very surprised by many of the twists. This was a quick and engaging book!

A superior psychological thriller that I wholeheartedly recommend.

The main character Elise returns home one day from work to find her husband in bed with another woman only a few days from celebrating their 1st anniversary. Of course she kicks him out but he keeps stalking her everywhere.

Things go from bad to worse when the other woman turns up dead not far away from Elise's house.
From this point onward Elise's world starts unraveling and she discovers deadly secrets that will make her question everything and everyone in her life.

An amazing gripping book that kept me all night to finish, and I was really sad when it ended.
Thanks Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing, and author A. J. Banner for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn in from the opening pages.This was my favorite type of psychological thriller characters that come alive twists and turns scenes especially the opening scene that left me racing through the pages unputdownable. #netgalley #lakeunionpublishing,

This one was a crazy read to be honest. I didn't really read too much into the description when I chose this to request, I was more interested in the haunting title.
Elise returns early from a work trip, a day before hers and Kieran's 1st wedding anniversary to find a strange pair of shoes and a tote bag on the floor in her home. She creeps upstairs to find her husband in bed with another woman. Kieran, having in my opinion a somewhat smothering and obsessive nature, tells Elise it is nothing and that he is absolutely in love with her. Elise isn't having it. She kicks him out but it is not the last she sees of him. He continues to stalk Elise, using the spare key to their home and even entering through a screen once Elise has ex husband Brandon change the locks.
One day however, Elise finds Kieran dead in the woods between her home and apothecary type shop she has behind the house. She doesn't remember anything about how he got there.
The Poison Garden tells the story of how Kieran died but also explores the underlying storyline of how Kieran may have been the cause of other deaths, including that of Elise's mother.
It is an overall great read. I read it all in one afternoon sitting! The characters are believable and relatable, especially Elise!

I started reading this book this morning, and I didn’t put it down again until I finished.

A.J. Banner never disappoints in her writing, and she certainly didn’t this time. This was a fast-paced, suspenseful read, and my only disappointment is that I’m done with the book!

I would recommend this book over and over again!

The Poison Garden is the type of wonderful but gritty thriller that leaves you on the edge of your seat. After the first chapter I was hooked and read it in one sitting! Just when I thought I’d got the story figured out there was another twist! As soon as this is published I’ll be buying for my friends so they can share this amazing story with me.
A strong five out of five.

If you love a suspenseful psychological thriller books then you will absolutely love this book. By page 4 I was already on the edge of my seat reading this. So many twist and turns that you never would see coming. I read this book in 1 day with a toddler snd 4 month old at home that should show how much I loved it.

I loved this psychological thriller. It was filled with twists and suspense and definitely didn't disappoint. I love this author and this one was a wonder! I Rosalyn recommend it

Thank you to the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Poison Garden by author A.J. Banner is yet another awesome and twisty psychological thriller that does not disappoint! I absolutely love Banners books and her writing style! This one had all of the makings for a perfect psychological and Banner took it to the next level! My new favorite by her!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of The Poison Garden in exchange for an honest review.

A fast paced psychological thriller that was a quick read. Is the husband the bad guy or the ex-husband. What's a lie and what's true. Is Elise really doing things in her sleep? Several twists will keep you turning the page to get to the truth. Another great read by AJ Banner. Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

I found much to love about this book, herbal lore, lush gardens and a mystery that kept me biting my nails. Elsie Watters is living the dream, with a beautiful home and gardens, a wonderful husband and a job running her mother’s upscale herbal shop. What could possibly go wrong? Well, just about everything. Elsie uncovers some information that makes her doubt everything about herself, her life and her marriage. Banner does a fantastic job of planting just enough doubt in readers minds that they aren’t sure whether Elsie is being targeted or she’s losing her mind