Book Review of 'The Garden Girls' by Jessica R. Patch

Happy Monday Bookworms!

Welcome to another beautiful spring week and another book review! This month has been flying by and it's taking every ounce of me to keep my head straight and my emotions in check. This week I will be celebrating my eleventh wedding anniversary, my youngest nephew is turning eighteen, and I'm going on my first college walk-through with my youngest son. It's a lot but it's in these moments of chaos that I find myself clinging more and more to the Lord. I truly do not know what I would do without my faith.

Amid the chaos that is life I have been sneaking in moments to myself, which usually involves escaping into a novel. Today's feature is one that I have been itching to talk about and I am so glad the day is finally here! I hope you enjoy and, as always, don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post to enter an amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours!

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Garden Girls
Series: Strange Crimes Unit: South Division
Author: Jessica R. Patch
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired Trade
Release Date: April 23, 2024
Genre: Christian Psychological Thriller

On a remote Outer Banks island, a serial killer collects his prized specimens. And to stop him, an FBI agent must confront his own twisted past.

FBI agent Tiberius Granger has seen his share of darkness. But a new case sets him on edge. It’s not just the macabre way both victims—found posed in front of lighthouses—are tattooed with flowers that match their names. There’s also the unsettling connection to the woman Ty once loved and to the shadowy cult they both risked everything to escape.

Bexley Hemmingway’s sister has gone missing, and she’ll do anything to find her—including teaming up with Ty. That may prove a mistake, and not just because Ty doesn’t know he’s the father of her teenaged son. It seems the killer is taunting Ty, drawing everyone close to him into deeper danger.

As the slashing winds and rain of a deadly hurricane approach the coast of North Carolina, the search leads Ty and Bex to an island that hides a grisly secret. But in his quest for the truth, Ty has ignored the fact that this time, he’s not just the hunter. Every move has been orchestrated by a killer into a perfect storm of terror, and they will need all their skills to survive…

My Review

When your heart is pounding and your anxiety is heightened within the span of a short prologue you know you’re in for one intense read. It’s going to be hard to review this without giving away any spoilers, but I am going to try my best. Let me just say, even if you think you know what’s going to happen you will still be surprised by some of the twists contained within this narrative, and I was living for every twist.

This novel combines so many of my fascinations. It’s like the author looked into my psyche and drew out my dark obsessions and molded them into a stunning suspense that was almost physically painful to pull myself away from.

I am not one to give anything away, but I have to say there is one scene in particular that is seriously one of the sickest things I’ve ever read. What’s crazy is it’s not even graphic but the psychological abuse is so vile and grotesque that I still cannot get it out of my head. The imagery is so powerful and everlasting that it sticks with you long after you’ve read it, and shows the power and talent behind the author’s words.

While I was reading I hated tearing myself away. I started reading during a busy time in my life, but if I could have I would have read this one in one sitting. I was completely absorbed in the story and the rollercoaster of emotions it put me on. This series is absolutely phenomenal and this novel knocked it into the stratosphere. It is not for the faint of heart by any means, but if you’re looking for a good psychological thriller with suspense galore then look no further. You will not be disappointed.

My Rating: ★★★★★

More Books In This Series

About the Author

Jessica R. Patch is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author known for her dry wit, signatures twists, and complex characters. She loves reading true crime books, discussing cold cases over chips and salsa with her girlfriends, and hunting down serial killers in her romantic suspense novels and psychological thrillers.

Jessica loves to encourage and inspire people to forward living devotionals through her monthly email newsletter. You can join the Patched In community at her website.

She resides in the Memphis area with her husband and her spoiled tri-color Shetland Sheepdog since becoming empty nesters. Jessica is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Management.

Connect with Jessica by visiting jessicarpatch.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will win a signed paperback copy of Her Darkest Secret and A Cry in the Dark and a $25 Amazon card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 15, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 22, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only for print. Ebooks available if winner is Canadian. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!