The Woman in the Garden: A Novel by Jill Johnson
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Web ID: 19876582An enjoyable cosy mystery
The Woman In The Garden, previously published as Devil’s Breath, is the first book in the Professor Eustacia Rose Mystery series by British author, Jill Johnson. In the year since the incident at her lab that saw her made redundant, former Professor of Botanical Toxicology at UCL, Eustacia Rose has remained a recluse. She lost her beloved father around the same time, and still wears his suit, fob watch and hairstyle. Instead of teaching, she carefully tends her rooftop garden: fifty-two highly poisonous specimens that require very special handling. Also on the rooftop, her high-resolution telescope which, on cloudy days, is aimed at her neighbours’ windows: observing that most puzzling aspect of life, human behaviour. Each person gets labelled with an appropriate botanical name according to what Eustacia sees of them from her perch. She worries about one particularly attractive neighbour, a woman regularly visited by four very different men, one of whom she is dismayed to recognise, while another seems violent. Her concern sees her stalking the woman, apparently called Simone, about whom she learns a little more in a chance encounter. Then she witnesses Simone being abducted from the street. The police are useless, but Simone’s elderly neighbour proves very resourceful. But then, her precious garden is thoroughly vandalised and some of her specimens are stolen, and when there’s a death by plant poison, Eustacia once again comes to the notice of DCI Richard Roberts: her access to these plants, and her history with the victim, make her his prime suspect. Johnson gives the reader a quirky protagonist who has a little trouble reading social cues but acts purely out of good intentions. The liberal inclusion throughout of botanical names and the symptoms those plants cause will have the eyes of many readers glazing over, although she does provide a handy glossary of plants at the end. An enjoyable cosy mystery with a few twists to keep the reader guessing before the reveal, and it will be interesting to see what Eustacia gets up to in book two, Hell’s Bells. This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Phenomenal
This one absolutely blew me out of the water. The synopsis hooked me, and the book delivered so much more than promised. It was thrilling the whole way through, and kept me turning pages for hours after I told myself I'd be sleeping. I also didn't expect the fabulous ND representation. It's never stated anywhere that the character is autistic, but if you're familiar, you will see it. She's extremely capable - in a lot of ways, moreso than everyone else around her - but she faces enormous challenges that others don't. The frustration that comes with that is described immaculately.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Well Written
Picked this book up Friday and completed it by Sunday morning! Such a well written story! I just couldn’t put the book down.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Highly entertaining, full of twists and humor
The Woman in the Garden by Jill Johnson is a clever novel about an eccentric botany professor who finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. Eustacia Rose has a poisonous garden on the rooftop of her building where she spies on her neighbors, most notably Simone. When one of Simone’s visitors ends up dead from poison, Rose is implicated in his death. She must clear her name and solve the mystery. Rose is an interesting character who has a dry sense of humor that you will truly appreciate. One of Rose’s quirks is giving people nicknames of poisonous plants, she also notices plants capable of killing people often used in public areas as decoration though people never seem to care about her concerns. I recommend this novel for mystery and psychological thriller fans, it’s a tale with many twists and revelations. You will also learn about poisonous plants that you should avoid. The characters are enjoyable and the story keeps you guessing until the end. Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com