The Girls in the Garden

Starred review from April 25, 2016
Clare and her two daughters, 12-year-old Pip and 13-year-old Grace, move into a “cute little flat” near a Narnia-like park in London. When the girls make friends with the neighbors and the park clique, it looks like they are on the right path. But on the night of Grace’s birthday, she goes missing. When she is found, she is partially undressed, unconscious, and bloody. No friends, neighbors, or even husbands are above suspicion as the taut mystery unravels to reveal the neighborhood’s dark secrets. Jewell (The Third Wife) jumps straight into the story with the discovery of Grace, then flashes to the past, setting up an eerie foreshadowing of the events to occur. Rich characterization and intricate plot development are combined with mid-chapter cliffhangers that cut from one character’s point of view to the next, resulting in a riveting pace. Vivid descriptions of the bucolic park contrast with the evil lurking around the themes of teenage sexuality, perversion, peer pressure, and the desire for a complete family. Jewell adeptly creates a pervasive atmosphere of unease in this well-spun narrative.

April 1, 2016

Jewell (The Third Wife) crafts another page-turner that keeps the suspense flowing. Thirteen-year-old Grace Wild is found injured and potentially assaulted after a party in the rose garden of her central London housing community. Pip discovers her older sister, and when Grace comes to, she is unable to remember what happened to her. Has she been harmed by her first boyfriend? Or by her friend's grandfather, who was suspected long ago of assaulting another young woman? Other possible attackers include her friend's father, who's perceived as being too close to other neighborhood daughters, and her own mentally unstable father. Jewell sharply evades the truth while bouncing the story among multiple characters' perspectives. The book's conclusion will leave readers saying, "Of course that's whodunit" after ricocheting about with uncertainty. The author slices our attention among distinctive characters with lovely descriptions and the lilting Britspeak that enchants so many Americans. VERDICT Recommended for lovers of mysteries built on the complexities of family and the dismantling of the idea that being part of a community keeps us safe. [See Prepub Alert, 12/7/15.]--Jennifer M. Schlau, Elgin Community Coll., IL

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