Shadow Garden

June 1, 2020
Donna Pryor, the narcissistic protagonist of this intimate, often lyrical thriller from Burt (The Good Daughter), is recuperating from a fall at Florida’s luxurious Shadow Garden. Memory flashes tell her that something horrible has happened. Her only certainty is that neither husband Edward, a brilliant surgeon indifferent to the world around him, nor mentally unstable daughter Penelope, who at age 29 still lives at home in the family mansion, has called or visited. That Donna’s apartment contains many of her personal belongings suggests to her that Edward is trying to separate her from Penelope and is going to divorce her. Eventually, decides to leave Shadow Garden and confront Edward and Penelope. The tragedy that led to Donna’s confinement slowly and devastatingly unfolds. Burt presents these severely flawed people in such a way as to win reader empathy. Fans of domestic suspense will be satisfied. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Agency. (July)This review has been updated to remove a spoiler.