Bleeding Heart

October 15, 2014
A landscaper thinks she's designing the garden of her dreams...until money troubles and a possible murder pull her into a nightmare.Alice Hyatt is trying to move on with her life after her husband's disappearance; he took millions of dollars and a female accomplice with him. She finds solace and stability in her landscaping business, Green Acres. When nearby millionaire Graham Mackenzie asks her to design his garden, she can't say no-not just because he promises to give a generous donation to her best friend's charity, but because she wants to take on the challenge of creating the most beautiful garden in the Berkshires. Mackenzie doesn't exactly have a spotless reputation, however-he earned his money in the hydraulic fracturing industry, and many residents aren't happy about it. Alice's controversial client soon causes her problems with many locals, including Tom Deaver, the environmental writer on whom she develops a crush. But Mackenzie doesn't really cause trouble until he drops dead-without paying Alice the hefty check she earned by creating his garden. When the police reveal that Mackenzie died under suspicious circumstances, Alice realizes that she's a suspect. It turns out most people in town had a motive to kill Mackenzie, and Alice takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of the mystery. "Gardening thriller" may seem an unlikely genre, but Gyllenhaal (A Place for Us, 2013, etc.) pulls it off. The novel deftly balances comforting descriptions of gardens and small-town life with the suspenseful unraveling of a mystery. A compelling story of one woman's attempt to find herself, build her business and solve a mystery.

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October 15, 2014

Welcome to Woodhaven, an idyllic small town in Massachusetts where everyone has something to hide. Gyllenhaal's (A Place for Us) latest novel follows the plight of Alice Hyatt, a newly minted landscape architect who's busy rebuilding her life after her accountant husband disappeared with his clients' money. With a promiscuous, gold-digging best friend and a sarcastic, ultraprivate assistant, Alice has thrown herself into her work to avoid her painful past and the possibility of forging new emotional ties. When billionaire and fracking expert Graham Mackenzie moves into town, he enlists Alice as the architect for his gardens. Recognizing the opportunity to make a name for herself and her company, Alice jumps in despite the warning bells in her mind and a stern warning from Tom, a handsome environmental activist. When Graham's company begins to tank and his health deteriorates, Alice once again is thrust amid criminals and into a future that is less than certain--only this time her life is on the line. VERDICT The multilayered plot and deceptive characters makes this a strong crossover chick lit/mystery novel. Great for book club discussion groups.--Chelsie Harris, San Diego Cty. Lib.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2014
Alice Hyatt would never work for Graham MacKenzie, an ostentatious businessman who made his money in fracking. But then she meets him and sees the grounds of his estate, and her hunger for a major creative success for her landscaping firm, Green Acres, has her agreeing to the challenging job. She stretches her credit and her friendships with vendors, only to find that MacKenzie's checks are bouncing. She should have known; after all, her banker husband absconded with millions and has not been heard from in years. Then, in the middle of the biggest garden tour in the Berkshires, MacKenzie turns up dead. Plenty of people had reason to kill him, from his housekeeper, who lost her savings in a bad investment, to Alice's best friend, whose professional reputation was on the line. Meanwhile, Alice's adult daughters are pushing her to pursue a relationship with a handsome local environmentalist who was dazzled by her gardens. Though the incomplete, red-herring ending will frustrate seasoned mystery readers, Gyllenhaal nicely weaves environmental politics, financial shenanigans, and murder into Alice's compelling story. Could get heated for book groups.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)