Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Sep 2015
312 pages
Genre: Mysteries
Publication Information
Eden was its name. "An alternative school for happy children." But it closed in disgrace after a student's suicide. Now it's a care home, its grounds neglected and overgrown. Gloria Harkness is its only neighbor, staying close to her son who lives there in the home, lighting up her life and breaking her heart each day.
When a childhood friend turns up at her door, Gloria doesn't hesitate before asking him in. He claims a girl from Eden is stalking him and has goaded him into meeting her at the site of the suicide. Only then, the dead begin to speak - it was murder, they say.
Gloria is in over her head before she can help it. Her loneliness, her loyalty, and her all-consuming love for her son lead her into the heart of a dark secret that threatens everything she lives for.
"Starred Review. Better known for her 'Dandy Gilver' cozies, McPherson has written a terrific stand-alone that is complex, haunting, and magical. Readers who appreciate Kate Atkinson or Audrey Niffeneger for their intricate plotting and character development will be sure to pounce on this stunning title." - Library Journal
"Starred Review. A stunning combination of creepy thriller and classic mystery." - Kirkus
"One surprising plot twist after another leads to a shocking ending." - Publishers Weekly
"An enchanting brew of mystery, poetry, legends, and dreams, Catriona McPherson's The Child Garden is also an elaborate shell game that will keep readers guessing up until the very end." - Hallie Ephron, New York Times bestselling author of Night Night, Sleep Tight
"Deeply resonant, utterly original, compelling, and satisfying, Catriona Mcpherson's The Child Garden is the work of a master - of character, tone, setting, and plot - writing at the thriller-most top of her form." - John Lescroat, New York Times bestselling author
"I loved this book so much i can barely speak. From page one, it's seamlessly told, beautifully original, and the voice, well, the voice is proof that Catriona McPherson is a powerful force and major talent in crime fiction. And the last page? I cried." - Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, and Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author
"Weaving strands of literary mystery, horror, and magical realism, The Child Garden is a twisting, now-you-see-it-now-you-don't tale about the ripple effect of tragedy." - Jenny Milchman, author of Cover of Snow, Ruin Falls, and As Night Falls
"Mcpherson takes the reader on a suspenseful journey with Gloria Harkness, a devoted mother torn by doubt, love, and loyalty. A riveting, page-turning read; I did not want it to come to an end." - G.M. Malliet, Agatha Award-winning author of the St. Just and Max Tudor mysteries
This information about The Child Garden was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Neil McRoberts
Catriona McPherson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and lived there, in Ayrshire, in Dumfriesshire and in Galloway before moving to California in 2010. McPherson is the author of the Dandy Gilver historical mystery series, which was nominated for a Macavity Award in 2012.
Author Interview
Link to Catriona McPherson's Website
Name Pronunciation
Catriona McPherson: pronounced Katrina
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