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The Child Garden
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.
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.
293 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2015
96 people are currently reading
2329 people want to read
About the author
Catriona McPherson
52 books526 followersCatriona McPherson (she/her) was born in Scotland and immigrated to the US in 2010. She writes: preposterous 1930s private-detective stories about a toff; realistic 1940s amateur-sleuth stories about an oik; and contemporary psychothriller standalones. These are all set in Scotland with a lot of Scottish weather. She also writes modern comedies about a Scot-out-of-water in a “fictional” college town in Northern California.
She has won multiple Anthonys, Agathas, Leftys and Macavitys for her work and been shortlisted for an Edgar, three Mary Higgins Clark awards and a UK dagger
Catriona is a proud lifetime member and former national president of Sisters in Crime.
She has won multiple Anthonys, Agathas, Leftys and Macavitys for her work and been shortlisted for an Edgar, three Mary Higgins Clark awards and a UK dagger
Catriona is a proud lifetime member and former national president of Sisters in Crime.
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December 31, 2023DNF
It’s been awhile since I had such a run of DNFs.
First time reading this author- my GR friends posted so many great reviews about her books. But I will admit that horror isn’t my jam and this one started to get darker and darker (I read 60% before I bailed) as I progressed.
Scary and tense— heck yeah… but the darkness and odd main characters just didn’t work for me… emphasis on this is clearly a “me” problem because it was as creepy as advertised!!
With respects to Ms McPherson, I’m moving on.
(Reviewed 11/23/23)
It’s been awhile since I had such a run of DNFs.
First time reading this author- my GR friends posted so many great reviews about her books. But I will admit that horror isn’t my jam and this one started to get darker and darker (I read 60% before I bailed) as I progressed.
Scary and tense— heck yeah… but the darkness and odd main characters just didn’t work for me… emphasis on this is clearly a “me” problem because it was as creepy as advertised!!
With respects to Ms McPherson, I’m moving on.
(Reviewed 11/23/23)
August 13, 2015
3.5 I know this author writes the Dandy Gilver series, but I am not a big cozy reader, so my first experience reading her was the novel As She Left It. I loved her writing style in this standalone and loved it in this novel as well. She manages to combine an eeriness, some follklore and superstitions with some amazing characters and many elements of the traditional mystery.
This outing features a woman who becomes embroiled in a mystery, who done it when a friend from her earlier school days lands on her doorstep. So she investigates suspect by suspect, with some pretty coincidental discoveries. She is also the divorced mother of a seriously handicapped young man who is her top priority. Loved the trail she sets off on and also liked that though there are many people involved she takes them one by one. A good solid mystery and I certainly hope McPherson keeps writing her stand-alones.
ARC from NetGalley.
This outing features a woman who becomes embroiled in a mystery, who done it when a friend from her earlier school days lands on her doorstep. So she investigates suspect by suspect, with some pretty coincidental discoveries. She is also the divorced mother of a seriously handicapped young man who is her top priority. Loved the trail she sets off on and also liked that though there are many people involved she takes them one by one. A good solid mystery and I certainly hope McPherson keeps writing her stand-alones.
ARC from NetGalley.
November 12, 2020
It is October – so of course I wanted to read a novel with a creepy cover… This one fits the bill wonderfully!
“The Child Garden” of the title has a twofold meaning. It alludes to the poems of Robert Louis Stevenson in “The Child’s Garden of Verses” and also to the garden of Eden Boarding School, near Galloway, Scotland.
The protagonist of “The child garden” is Gloria Harkness. Though only forty years of age, she has led a tragic life. She wouldn’t agree. Divorced and the mother of a severely disabled fifteen year old boy, Gloria nevertheless feels lucky to have him in her life. Her son Nicky suffers from a neuro-degenerative disease called PKAN. He lives in a long-term facility. In order to afford the fees associated with his care, Gloria has moved into the house next door to the home. She lives there rent free in exchange for taking care of the house and pets, and daily visiting the owner, Miss Drumm, who also resides in the care home in an adjoining room to Nicky. Oh… and another duty she is to carry out…. rocking the ancient stone in the garden which folklore and Miss Drumm declares is said to house the Devil himself. Gloria, being the sensible sort, doesn’t believe in the legends, but she obligingly rocks the stone twice a day to humour the old lady.
Her lonely routine seldom varies. By day she works as a registrar in the nearby town of Dalry. Her evenings are spent in the care home chatting with Miss Drumm and reading to her son. This is her only social life – except that which she finds between the pages of books.
Her unvaried routine is shattered when Stephen “Stig” Tarrant, a school friend, turns up on her doorstep saying he’s being stalked. He has arranged to have a meeting with his stalker, April Cowan, on the grounds of the former school – now nursing home. He seems apprehensive, so Gloria suggests that she accompany him. This simple act will forever change both their lives and will eventually shed light on a twenty year old mystery.
On May Day, twenty years ago the students of Eden School spent the night out of doors. In the morning one of them was dead. The resulting scandal caused the headmaster to be fired and the school closed down. The secrecy and lies surrounding this event has shadowed the lives of all those who were there. Stig and April were two of those children. Gloria, who has access to records at her work – delves into the other students who were there that fateful night. To her horror, she discovers that many of the students have committed suicide, and even more close to home… her ex-husband was one of those children as well!
The novel which expounds on the ancient superstitions and folklore of Scotland, portrays how evil blamed on otherworldly causes has, more often than not, a very human source.
An atmospheric thriller, with well-rounded characters and a compelling mystery ensured that this novel kept my attention throughout. I very much enjoyed the references to folklore, with references to Devil’s bridges and Devil’s stones. My only complaint is that at certain places in the plot I felt that Gloria leaps to conclusions rather too quickly.
Last year I read and reviewed “The day she died” by Catriona McPherson. I really enjoyed it and it led me to read more by her. She is now one of my personal favorite authors.
“The Child Garden” of the title has a twofold meaning. It alludes to the poems of Robert Louis Stevenson in “The Child’s Garden of Verses” and also to the garden of Eden Boarding School, near Galloway, Scotland.
The protagonist of “The child garden” is Gloria Harkness. Though only forty years of age, she has led a tragic life. She wouldn’t agree. Divorced and the mother of a severely disabled fifteen year old boy, Gloria nevertheless feels lucky to have him in her life. Her son Nicky suffers from a neuro-degenerative disease called PKAN. He lives in a long-term facility. In order to afford the fees associated with his care, Gloria has moved into the house next door to the home. She lives there rent free in exchange for taking care of the house and pets, and daily visiting the owner, Miss Drumm, who also resides in the care home in an adjoining room to Nicky. Oh… and another duty she is to carry out…. rocking the ancient stone in the garden which folklore and Miss Drumm declares is said to house the Devil himself. Gloria, being the sensible sort, doesn’t believe in the legends, but she obligingly rocks the stone twice a day to humour the old lady.
Her lonely routine seldom varies. By day she works as a registrar in the nearby town of Dalry. Her evenings are spent in the care home chatting with Miss Drumm and reading to her son. This is her only social life – except that which she finds between the pages of books.
Her unvaried routine is shattered when Stephen “Stig” Tarrant, a school friend, turns up on her doorstep saying he’s being stalked. He has arranged to have a meeting with his stalker, April Cowan, on the grounds of the former school – now nursing home. He seems apprehensive, so Gloria suggests that she accompany him. This simple act will forever change both their lives and will eventually shed light on a twenty year old mystery.
On May Day, twenty years ago the students of Eden School spent the night out of doors. In the morning one of them was dead. The resulting scandal caused the headmaster to be fired and the school closed down. The secrecy and lies surrounding this event has shadowed the lives of all those who were there. Stig and April were two of those children. Gloria, who has access to records at her work – delves into the other students who were there that fateful night. To her horror, she discovers that many of the students have committed suicide, and even more close to home… her ex-husband was one of those children as well!
The novel which expounds on the ancient superstitions and folklore of Scotland, portrays how evil blamed on otherworldly causes has, more often than not, a very human source.
An atmospheric thriller, with well-rounded characters and a compelling mystery ensured that this novel kept my attention throughout. I very much enjoyed the references to folklore, with references to Devil’s bridges and Devil’s stones. My only complaint is that at certain places in the plot I felt that Gloria leaps to conclusions rather too quickly.
Last year I read and reviewed “The day she died” by Catriona McPherson. I really enjoyed it and it led me to read more by her. She is now one of my personal favorite authors.
October 26, 2015
This was quite a surprise. Knowing Catriona McPherson was a Sisters in Crime President, and of her series entries- still, this one was a surprise. It's almost a 5 star.
The only thing that kept me giving it that 5th star was that the beginning was awkward. Not knowing any minutia or detail of this, not even that it WAS a mystery, I was not engaged in the first 4 or 5 pages at all and nearly did not continue.
And once surrounded by the countryside and town around the old school that was once called "Eden" the story quickly, quickly became enthralling. This is not an action piece, although there is movement of the principle character, Gloria, to interview within surrounding areas. But the Scottish natural elements are clearly felt throughout. This is not a city book. Nor is it gruesome or chewy. The crimes are subversive and manipulative, not slasher.
Excellent personality investigations of at least 7 or 8 characters. And McPherson is an absolute genius in descriptive human persona, IMHO. She nails the core with curt words from evasive eyes to the outward appearance. Excellent and highly recommend this book.
One of the characters is a 15 year old who has not moved, been conscious for some years and his care deeply concerns our protagonist. It's her son. But it is NOT sad, in the way his Mother celebrates him.
Wonderful and entertaining read. And the Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson- quotes and poems- that was appreciated, as well.
13 children and an occurrence of 28 years ago cores. But this is slow, slow burn and scalding at the end. Much more about change to soul and psyche, beyond the physical inevitability.
Found completely serendipity without even reading a trailer, this will not be the only stand alone I read by this author.
The only thing that kept me giving it that 5th star was that the beginning was awkward. Not knowing any minutia or detail of this, not even that it WAS a mystery, I was not engaged in the first 4 or 5 pages at all and nearly did not continue.
And once surrounded by the countryside and town around the old school that was once called "Eden" the story quickly, quickly became enthralling. This is not an action piece, although there is movement of the principle character, Gloria, to interview within surrounding areas. But the Scottish natural elements are clearly felt throughout. This is not a city book. Nor is it gruesome or chewy. The crimes are subversive and manipulative, not slasher.
Excellent personality investigations of at least 7 or 8 characters. And McPherson is an absolute genius in descriptive human persona, IMHO. She nails the core with curt words from evasive eyes to the outward appearance. Excellent and highly recommend this book.
One of the characters is a 15 year old who has not moved, been conscious for some years and his care deeply concerns our protagonist. It's her son. But it is NOT sad, in the way his Mother celebrates him.
Wonderful and entertaining read. And the Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson- quotes and poems- that was appreciated, as well.
13 children and an occurrence of 28 years ago cores. But this is slow, slow burn and scalding at the end. Much more about change to soul and psyche, beyond the physical inevitability.
Found completely serendipity without even reading a trailer, this will not be the only stand alone I read by this author.
October 23, 2015
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Plot/Story:
The Child Garden has an amazing plot story full of well-timed twists and turns. I enjoyed reading it t and tremendously and felt compelled to read it in one go. I was sucked right into the book from starting to end. The main suspense of the book is also mindblowing and there is no way in hell one could have guessed that the things will turn out the way they did.
The pace of the story is great and the writing proceed smoothly without interfering the flow of the story. I really liked the deliberate slow progress of the investigation as it kept me intrigued throughout the book. One more thing that I'd like to add is that the small part of the book where the author used a little demon reference was the stroke of a genius. Why? Because it really made me put down the book at the night. it was a really small part (maybe a few pages,) but it really gave me a good scare.
Characters:
In spite of liking the story, I wasn't able to feel entirely connected to the main character, Gloria. The story is written in first-person but still I felt a little detached from her. In fact, at one point I felt that she herself was the murderer. I'm not sure what went wrong, but it just felt that the narration was responsible for the detachment I felt.
The other main character is that of Stig and I really liked him, though I felt a little irritated at times to find out that in spite of whatever Gloria did for him, he continuously held back the truth from her. Still, I liked him a lot and enjoyed the amazing foods he dished out.
Romance/Killings:
There was no romance, but there were a number of killings. Though at times the murders were a little confusing (maybe because of Scottish names and surnames or the fact that a few names were similar,) I still enjoyed the book thoroughly. All the killings really intensified the pace of the story and left me wanting for more.
Writing:
As I mentioned earlier, the writing is good and flowed beautifully without interfering the reader's imagination. Though I felt the characterization was a little (just teeny-weeny) weak. I would have enjoyed more if the MC would have been a tad more relatable but nonetheless I still enjoyed the story.
The attention to detail is remarkable!
Beginning:
This book hooked me right from the beginning. It started with a beautiful prologue and carried on with the same effect.
Ending:
The ending is mind blowing and I was completely spell-bound by suspense that was revealed at the end. Though I felt that the story was a little rushed right before the suspense was revealed.
Book Cover:
I love this book cover because it really gives me the willies! I picked up this book because of the cover and the blurb.
Blurb:
Okay now, this is where it gets a little ugly. The blurb is quite misleading. I thought that the book is a supernatural one (as the blurb says) but it is NOT. It's a suspense-thriller book.
You can also read this review at The Reading Bud.
Plot/Story:
The Child Garden has an amazing plot story full of well-timed twists and turns. I enjoyed reading it t and tremendously and felt compelled to read it in one go. I was sucked right into the book from starting to end. The main suspense of the book is also mindblowing and there is no way in hell one could have guessed that the things will turn out the way they did.
The pace of the story is great and the writing proceed smoothly without interfering the flow of the story. I really liked the deliberate slow progress of the investigation as it kept me intrigued throughout the book. One more thing that I'd like to add is that the small part of the book where the author used a little demon reference was the stroke of a genius. Why? Because it really made me put down the book at the night. it was a really small part (maybe a few pages,) but it really gave me a good scare.
Characters:
In spite of liking the story, I wasn't able to feel entirely connected to the main character, Gloria. The story is written in first-person but still I felt a little detached from her. In fact, at one point I felt that she herself was the murderer. I'm not sure what went wrong, but it just felt that the narration was responsible for the detachment I felt.
The other main character is that of Stig and I really liked him, though I felt a little irritated at times to find out that in spite of whatever Gloria did for him, he continuously held back the truth from her. Still, I liked him a lot and enjoyed the amazing foods he dished out.
Romance/Killings:
There was no romance, but there were a number of killings. Though at times the murders were a little confusing (maybe because of Scottish names and surnames or the fact that a few names were similar,) I still enjoyed the book thoroughly. All the killings really intensified the pace of the story and left me wanting for more.
Writing:
As I mentioned earlier, the writing is good and flowed beautifully without interfering the reader's imagination. Though I felt the characterization was a little (just teeny-weeny) weak. I would have enjoyed more if the MC would have been a tad more relatable but nonetheless I still enjoyed the story.
The attention to detail is remarkable!
Beginning:
This book hooked me right from the beginning. It started with a beautiful prologue and carried on with the same effect.
Ending:
The ending is mind blowing and I was completely spell-bound by suspense that was revealed at the end. Though I felt that the story was a little rushed right before the suspense was revealed.
Book Cover:
I love this book cover because it really gives me the willies! I picked up this book because of the cover and the blurb.
Blurb:
Okay now, this is where it gets a little ugly. The blurb is quite misleading. I thought that the book is a supernatural one (as the blurb says) but it is NOT. It's a suspense-thriller book.
You can also read this review at The Reading Bud.
March 5, 2016
Catriona McPherson is a multi-talented author, first gaining a wide following with her Dandy Gilver series, and, while still carrying on that entertaining line of books, she has racked up numerous awards in the last few years with her suspenseful, thrilling standalone novels. Her fourth standalone, The Child Garden, is just out and already receiving high praise, and I expect it to garner award attention, too. Nobody sets up a an atmospheric thriller better than Catriona, and she then weaves into this perfect setting a story with chilling twists and turns, populated with characters who may or may not be trustworthy. As a reader, you want to know the answers as much as the main character who is desperately trying to gain these answers before more death or bloodshed. I always seem to become completely ensconced in that character in Catriona's novels who is unraveling the lies and deceits to get to the person who perpetuates evil and murder.
In The Child Garden, Gloria Harkness is a single,divorced mother living in an isolated area of Scottish countryside, inhabiting a house aptly named Rough House on a neglected estate, where a care home also is located. The care home is a residence for Gloria's son afflicted with PKAN and the elderly woman, Mrs. Drume, who owns the estate, including Rough House. Gloria's life is uneventful with a routine of going to work as a registrar, registering births, weddings, and deaths; visiting her son and Mrs. Drume in the care home; and reading books. In exchange for paying no rent, Gloria has agreed to take care of Mrs. Drume's senior dog and to rock the "rocking stone" in the backyard of Rough House twelve times a day to keep what her elderly landlady says is the devil imprisoned within. Thus has life continued for Gloria Harkness over the past ten years.
On the perfect dark and stormy night, Gloria's life is turned upside down. A chance recognition by a grade school friend results in that friend knocking on her door that moonless evening, and as she opens the door to Stephen "Stig" Tarrant, she is letting in danger and evil. Her life and the lives of those she knows will never be the same. Stig Tarrant is being chased by a past from 28 years ago when he was one of twelve students at a private school named Eden. Eden occupied the large estate house where the care home now operates. In the one and only year the school existed, a young boy lost his life there, and the children who attended school at Eden, including Stig, have had unkind fates ever since. Now, someone has set up Stig to look like the murderer of one of his old classmates, or that's what Gloria has chosen to believe when she agrees to help Stig. As Gloria investigates the lives of the other students and tries to piece together just what happened that tragic night that one student died on the grounds of the school, she uncovers far too many coincidences and encounters lie after lie, some from Stig himself. There are plenty of suspects as to who's behind the nefarious doings of past and present. Even the Devil is high on the list.
Catriona McPherson has once again given readers an on-the-edge-of-your-seat mystery thriller to fray the nerves and tax the brain. It is unpredictable, but never unfairly so. Readers will enjoy every creepy moment and probably won't mind that it haunts them afterward.
In The Child Garden, Gloria Harkness is a single,divorced mother living in an isolated area of Scottish countryside, inhabiting a house aptly named Rough House on a neglected estate, where a care home also is located. The care home is a residence for Gloria's son afflicted with PKAN and the elderly woman, Mrs. Drume, who owns the estate, including Rough House. Gloria's life is uneventful with a routine of going to work as a registrar, registering births, weddings, and deaths; visiting her son and Mrs. Drume in the care home; and reading books. In exchange for paying no rent, Gloria has agreed to take care of Mrs. Drume's senior dog and to rock the "rocking stone" in the backyard of Rough House twelve times a day to keep what her elderly landlady says is the devil imprisoned within. Thus has life continued for Gloria Harkness over the past ten years.
On the perfect dark and stormy night, Gloria's life is turned upside down. A chance recognition by a grade school friend results in that friend knocking on her door that moonless evening, and as she opens the door to Stephen "Stig" Tarrant, she is letting in danger and evil. Her life and the lives of those she knows will never be the same. Stig Tarrant is being chased by a past from 28 years ago when he was one of twelve students at a private school named Eden. Eden occupied the large estate house where the care home now operates. In the one and only year the school existed, a young boy lost his life there, and the children who attended school at Eden, including Stig, have had unkind fates ever since. Now, someone has set up Stig to look like the murderer of one of his old classmates, or that's what Gloria has chosen to believe when she agrees to help Stig. As Gloria investigates the lives of the other students and tries to piece together just what happened that tragic night that one student died on the grounds of the school, she uncovers far too many coincidences and encounters lie after lie, some from Stig himself. There are plenty of suspects as to who's behind the nefarious doings of past and present. Even the Devil is high on the list.
Catriona McPherson has once again given readers an on-the-edge-of-your-seat mystery thriller to fray the nerves and tax the brain. It is unpredictable, but never unfairly so. Readers will enjoy every creepy moment and probably won't mind that it haunts them afterward.
October 7, 2015
REVIEW: THE CHILD GARDEN by Catriona McPherson
THE CHILD GARDEN is a scrumptious Scottish noir delight, jam packed with isolation, scenery, old secrets full of lust and greed, jealousy, bullying, and cruelty. The protagonist, Gloria, is an incredible heroine, an individual for whom the Universe seems to have been against from the beginning-yet she found her North Star and held to that anchor through the worst. A dedicated mother, friend, and in terms of animals and her task of care with the Rocking Stone, an earth mother--the kind of person once termed "salt of the earth." The mystery--twenty-eight years old, but newly erupting in the present day--is cunningly revealed, a matter of smoke and mirrors, now you see it, now you don't--and the revelation is incredible. Readers, we have here a true Best of 2015.
THE CHILD GARDEN is a scrumptious Scottish noir delight, jam packed with isolation, scenery, old secrets full of lust and greed, jealousy, bullying, and cruelty. The protagonist, Gloria, is an incredible heroine, an individual for whom the Universe seems to have been against from the beginning-yet she found her North Star and held to that anchor through the worst. A dedicated mother, friend, and in terms of animals and her task of care with the Rocking Stone, an earth mother--the kind of person once termed "salt of the earth." The mystery--twenty-eight years old, but newly erupting in the present day--is cunningly revealed, a matter of smoke and mirrors, now you see it, now you don't--and the revelation is incredible. Readers, we have here a true Best of 2015.
December 27, 2016
A very different book. Very good storytelling. Full review coming very soon.
April 13, 2023
Honestly, the only thing I can say about this was I should have DNF. It took me a very long three days to read this and I was just bored the whole time.
September 20, 2015
From the opening prologue, The Child Garden will pull you into a stunning and complex tale of everyday evil and bittersweet redemption in a beautifully drawn Scottish setting.
The storytelling is seamless, the pacing flawless, the characters are human, believable, and compelling. Once I hit the fifty page mark, I told myself to slow down because I knew I had an amazing read on my hands, and this book delivered. I don't want to give any spoilers away, but I recall at least two logical and jaw-dropping reveals that I simply did not see coming.
The storytelling is seamless, the pacing flawless, the characters are human, believable, and compelling. Once I hit the fifty page mark, I told myself to slow down because I knew I had an amazing read on my hands, and this book delivered. I don't want to give any spoilers away, but I recall at least two logical and jaw-dropping reveals that I simply did not see coming.
August 31, 2015
(Thanks to NetGalley and Midnight Ink for the ARC!)
I think this is one of those books that would have been a four-star read if not for some small, niggling issues. It was a great mystery and had a creepy setting, so if you love slightly creepy mysteries (it isn't quite "cozy crime", but it's close), then I think you might really enjoy this one. However, these are the things that knocked it down to merely a "like" for me:
--I couldn't connect to the narrator at all. Not a lick! I think part of this has to do with the fact that I couldn't wrap my head around her hermitage, closing herself off just so she can live near her disabled son. It seemed kind of jarring that she would just suddenly leave that existence to go solve a crime. I also felt like she did some dumb things in the course of the book (like taking in a man suspected of murder!) and her reasoning wasn't always the soundest.
--The supernatural/creepy overtones weren't strong enough. I wanted to dive more into the folklore behind the bridges, the stone, etc., but it felt like these little elements were merely glossed on for flavor, and not really part of the story.
--The way everyone was referred to with a nickname got really confusing for me. Maybe I was just tired when I was reading, but I had trouble keeping track of who was who and where they were and what happened next...ugh. This gave me a bit of a headache.
As I said, overall, this was a great mystery with a nice ending to it--I just had some bumps in the road while reading it. The mystery was compelling enough, however, that I definitely wanted to see how it would wrap up!
I think this is one of those books that would have been a four-star read if not for some small, niggling issues. It was a great mystery and had a creepy setting, so if you love slightly creepy mysteries (it isn't quite "cozy crime", but it's close), then I think you might really enjoy this one. However, these are the things that knocked it down to merely a "like" for me:
--I couldn't connect to the narrator at all. Not a lick! I think part of this has to do with the fact that I couldn't wrap my head around her hermitage, closing herself off just so she can live near her disabled son. It seemed kind of jarring that she would just suddenly leave that existence to go solve a crime. I also felt like she did some dumb things in the course of the book (like taking in a man suspected of murder!) and her reasoning wasn't always the soundest.
--The supernatural/creepy overtones weren't strong enough. I wanted to dive more into the folklore behind the bridges, the stone, etc., but it felt like these little elements were merely glossed on for flavor, and not really part of the story.
--The way everyone was referred to with a nickname got really confusing for me. Maybe I was just tired when I was reading, but I had trouble keeping track of who was who and where they were and what happened next...ugh. This gave me a bit of a headache.
As I said, overall, this was a great mystery with a nice ending to it--I just had some bumps in the road while reading it. The mystery was compelling enough, however, that I definitely wanted to see how it would wrap up!
October 13, 2015
I recevied a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The original review can be read at Genuine Jenn
At first I wasn't too sure about this book. From the synopsis I was super excited to read it. When I got started it took me about 25-30% of the book to really get into the story, once I did though I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are many characters we are introduced to within this story and the author does a great job with the detailing of each. We meet a group of school kids from years ago and Gloria, her son Nicky and Miss Drumm. What took me awhile to grab onto in this story was that Gloria decided to hide a body and investigate the whole "murder" herself from snooping into the lives of each kid that went to Eden. It is a sort of cozy mystery.
The story is a spooky tail of a cursed bridge, the devil inside a rock that needs to be rocked 13 times daily and people "committing" suicide from not being able to handle the past event. It has some creepy parts and folklore. I enjoyed the story once it picked up, Gloria's character did bug me and I think that is why it was harder for me to get into it at the beginning. We didn't know much about why she lived in a rickety old house alone with a dog and a couple cats in the middle of nowhere at the beginning.
I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars. I would read more from Catriona McPherson as I did enjoy her writing style.
At first I wasn't too sure about this book. From the synopsis I was super excited to read it. When I got started it took me about 25-30% of the book to really get into the story, once I did though I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are many characters we are introduced to within this story and the author does a great job with the detailing of each. We meet a group of school kids from years ago and Gloria, her son Nicky and Miss Drumm. What took me awhile to grab onto in this story was that Gloria decided to hide a body and investigate the whole "murder" herself from snooping into the lives of each kid that went to Eden. It is a sort of cozy mystery.
The story is a spooky tail of a cursed bridge, the devil inside a rock that needs to be rocked 13 times daily and people "committing" suicide from not being able to handle the past event. It has some creepy parts and folklore. I enjoyed the story once it picked up, Gloria's character did bug me and I think that is why it was harder for me to get into it at the beginning. We didn't know much about why she lived in a rickety old house alone with a dog and a couple cats in the middle of nowhere at the beginning.
I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars. I would read more from Catriona McPherson as I did enjoy her writing style.
August 13, 2019
what if, as a fun experiment, I began DNFing and one-starring any books whose protagonists claim that disabled lives aren't worth living
This protagonist has a disabled son in full-time care. When another character asks if she worries about the staff there ("They could kill him"), she says "Then his troubles would be over" and fetches a photograph of her son to, I guess, prove the point that he would be better off dead, based on his physical appearance? The other character says "Oh" and the protagonist says "Nothing hurts him, nothing helps him, nothing ever will."
This protagonist has a disabled son in full-time care. When another character asks if she worries about the staff there ("They could kill him"), she says "Then his troubles would be over" and fetches a photograph of her son to, I guess, prove the point that he would be better off dead, based on his physical appearance? The other character says "Oh" and the protagonist says "Nothing hurts him, nothing helps him, nothing ever will."
August 10, 2020
Gloria Harkness is one of those characters who stays with you after you finish and close the book. The Child Garden is haunting and a little magical, and as brillantly voiced as anything Catriona has ever written.
March 3, 2016
First Sentence: It was far from silent in the dark wood.
Gloria Harkness lives in a lonely, rundown house in order to be near the care home housing her son. The building was once a school called Eden, but was closed due to a student’s suicide. Or was it? Gloria’s childhood friend, and son of the school’s founder, turns up asking for help as he is being stalked by one of the former students. He is to meet her at the site of the suicide. What they find leads Gloria on a path for the truth and personal risk.
McPherson has a wonderful voice. She makes you feel as if you’re sitting in her kitchen with a cuppa, being told a story. Her dialogue is well done and very natural—“Who’s Walter Scott?” I pointed at the basket. “The dog. Not the real Walter Scott, obviously. For one, I don’t believe in ghosts, and for two, I prefer Stevenson.” “Who?” said Stig. “Writers,” I told him.
From very early on, a sense of tension is created—“There were footprints. … In the middle though, footprints criss-crossed, leading away from the door to the far side in front of the alcove. There they were muddled and scraped about, and at one spot the floor was completely clear. A square with no dust at all….”Why would she clean off that one slab and leave footprints everywhere else?”” he said.
This is balanced by McPherson’s very evocative descriptions—“The quiet at Rough House had saved my sanity. Except it wasn’t quiet at all: it was swifts and tits and wrens… It was the wind streaming over the grass making it whisper… Sometimes, I thought I could hear the stars turning on in the evening and the sun sighing like an old lady when it set.” Yes; McPherson is one of those special authors who both makes you pause and consider, and makes you wish to read passages aloud to others.
Gloria is a character with whom many may identify. She’s not given to artifice and is very comfortable in her skin. She’s the type of person one would want to know, and upon whose loyalty one could depend. At the same time, it is a pleasure to have a character so realistic; one who becomes exhausted, and overwhelmed to the point of tears. Her friend Stig is delightful. No big, brave man is he, unless it’s in the kitchen. It’s quite lovely to see a reversal of traditional roles. Yet one may also find oneself questioning and a bit suspicious of him. Miss Dunn, the owner of Rough House, Gloria’s landlady, and now living in the neighboring room to Gloria’s son, is a delightful character. She is also the link to the story’s pagan mythology.
The story’s plot is extremely good. Having Gloria learn about the same events from different perspectives increases, and amplifies, the suspense. There’s a twist one definitely doesn’t see coming.
“The Child Garden” is a very well done, engrossing mystery with great characters, told by an author whose voice makes one want to immediately read another of her books.
THE CHILD GARDEN (Myst-Gloria Harkness-Scotland-Contemp) – Ex
McPherson, Catriona – Standalone
Midnight Ink – Sept, 2015
Gloria Harkness lives in a lonely, rundown house in order to be near the care home housing her son. The building was once a school called Eden, but was closed due to a student’s suicide. Or was it? Gloria’s childhood friend, and son of the school’s founder, turns up asking for help as he is being stalked by one of the former students. He is to meet her at the site of the suicide. What they find leads Gloria on a path for the truth and personal risk.
McPherson has a wonderful voice. She makes you feel as if you’re sitting in her kitchen with a cuppa, being told a story. Her dialogue is well done and very natural—“Who’s Walter Scott?” I pointed at the basket. “The dog. Not the real Walter Scott, obviously. For one, I don’t believe in ghosts, and for two, I prefer Stevenson.” “Who?” said Stig. “Writers,” I told him.
From very early on, a sense of tension is created—“There were footprints. … In the middle though, footprints criss-crossed, leading away from the door to the far side in front of the alcove. There they were muddled and scraped about, and at one spot the floor was completely clear. A square with no dust at all….”Why would she clean off that one slab and leave footprints everywhere else?”” he said.
This is balanced by McPherson’s very evocative descriptions—“The quiet at Rough House had saved my sanity. Except it wasn’t quiet at all: it was swifts and tits and wrens… It was the wind streaming over the grass making it whisper… Sometimes, I thought I could hear the stars turning on in the evening and the sun sighing like an old lady when it set.” Yes; McPherson is one of those special authors who both makes you pause and consider, and makes you wish to read passages aloud to others.
Gloria is a character with whom many may identify. She’s not given to artifice and is very comfortable in her skin. She’s the type of person one would want to know, and upon whose loyalty one could depend. At the same time, it is a pleasure to have a character so realistic; one who becomes exhausted, and overwhelmed to the point of tears. Her friend Stig is delightful. No big, brave man is he, unless it’s in the kitchen. It’s quite lovely to see a reversal of traditional roles. Yet one may also find oneself questioning and a bit suspicious of him. Miss Dunn, the owner of Rough House, Gloria’s landlady, and now living in the neighboring room to Gloria’s son, is a delightful character. She is also the link to the story’s pagan mythology.
The story’s plot is extremely good. Having Gloria learn about the same events from different perspectives increases, and amplifies, the suspense. There’s a twist one definitely doesn’t see coming.
“The Child Garden” is a very well done, engrossing mystery with great characters, told by an author whose voice makes one want to immediately read another of her books.
THE CHILD GARDEN (Myst-Gloria Harkness-Scotland-Contemp) – Ex
McPherson, Catriona – Standalone
Midnight Ink – Sept, 2015
September 25, 2015
The Child Garden Catriona McPherson 4 stars
Convincing Scottish mystery
This is one of those novels where the title gives you no clue as to the plot, but it is none the worse for that. The title is in fact a reference to Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘A Child Garden of Verses’, which Gloria Harkness, the main character, reads to her invalid son each evening.
Despite the obvious hardships of her life, Gloria is content with the regularity of her days. She works as a Council Registrar, and in the evenings visits her landlady, Miss Drumm, and also her fifteen year old son, Nicky, both of whom reside in the same nursing home. Nicky has a life-limiting illness and is now fully sedated, but he remains the axis around which Gloria’s world revolves. Gloria then returns to her home, Rough House, which she cares for in exchange for being able to live there, and also cares for Miss Drumm’s elderly dog. She also is responsible for making sure that The Devil does not escape from the ‘Rocking Stone’!
Gloria has no visitors and so is upset and disturbed when she is followed home by a man in a car, a man who then arrives soaking wet at her front door. He is somehow familiar, but Gloria is unable to place him until he calls her ‘Knickerbocker Gloria’ and she realises that he is ‘Stig of the Dump’, aka Stephen Tarrant, who sat next to her at primary school. They lost contact when Stephen went to ‘Eden’ a new and progressive school which was situated in the same building as is the current nursing home.
Gloria is propelled into assisting Steve in a ‘big adventure’ which hinges on a death at the school in 1985, which has come back to haunt the pupils from that time.
This is a well-crafted tale, brim full of surprises, where the pace is fast enough to keep the reader turning the pages at an impressive rate. It is also satisfyingly convincing as a Scottish novel, and having lived there previously, I found the way of life and the phrasing very familiar.
The central character of Gloria is totally convincing as a woman, who through circumstances has fallen into a very restrictive and isolated lifestyle, and Stephen is similarly convincing as a seemingly nice and comforting reminder of the past, but who Gloria is not entirely sure she can trust.
There is mystery, intrigue, unexplained deaths which mount up, superstition and hatred in what turns out to be a jolly good read. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as will, I think, many more fans of the genre.
Pashtpaws
Best Selling Crime Thrillers received a copy of this book to review
Convincing Scottish mystery
This is one of those novels where the title gives you no clue as to the plot, but it is none the worse for that. The title is in fact a reference to Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘A Child Garden of Verses’, which Gloria Harkness, the main character, reads to her invalid son each evening.
Despite the obvious hardships of her life, Gloria is content with the regularity of her days. She works as a Council Registrar, and in the evenings visits her landlady, Miss Drumm, and also her fifteen year old son, Nicky, both of whom reside in the same nursing home. Nicky has a life-limiting illness and is now fully sedated, but he remains the axis around which Gloria’s world revolves. Gloria then returns to her home, Rough House, which she cares for in exchange for being able to live there, and also cares for Miss Drumm’s elderly dog. She also is responsible for making sure that The Devil does not escape from the ‘Rocking Stone’!
Gloria has no visitors and so is upset and disturbed when she is followed home by a man in a car, a man who then arrives soaking wet at her front door. He is somehow familiar, but Gloria is unable to place him until he calls her ‘Knickerbocker Gloria’ and she realises that he is ‘Stig of the Dump’, aka Stephen Tarrant, who sat next to her at primary school. They lost contact when Stephen went to ‘Eden’ a new and progressive school which was situated in the same building as is the current nursing home.
Gloria is propelled into assisting Steve in a ‘big adventure’ which hinges on a death at the school in 1985, which has come back to haunt the pupils from that time.
This is a well-crafted tale, brim full of surprises, where the pace is fast enough to keep the reader turning the pages at an impressive rate. It is also satisfyingly convincing as a Scottish novel, and having lived there previously, I found the way of life and the phrasing very familiar.
The central character of Gloria is totally convincing as a woman, who through circumstances has fallen into a very restrictive and isolated lifestyle, and Stephen is similarly convincing as a seemingly nice and comforting reminder of the past, but who Gloria is not entirely sure she can trust.
There is mystery, intrigue, unexplained deaths which mount up, superstition and hatred in what turns out to be a jolly good read. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as will, I think, many more fans of the genre.
Pashtpaws
Best Selling Crime Thrillers received a copy of this book to review
September 28, 2016
I love Catriona McPherson's writing, whether it's the Dandy Gilver series or her standalones, of which this is one. Hopefully now Constable are publishing her books they will reach the wider audience they deserve.
Gloria "Glo" Harkness opens her door one night to find her best friend from primary school, Stephen "Stig" Tarrant. After primary, Glo had went to the local high school, while Stephen attended one opened by his father, called Eden. "A load of hippies running wild in the woods,"said the locals (I can just imagine my parents saying that!) However, after one of the children died, and it was ruled a suicide, the school closed it's doors. Now, Stig reveals, he has been getting messages from a fellow alumni, April, saying she really knows what happened that night, and wanting to meet. However, when Glo takes Stig to the place on the now-overgrown estate where April wants to meet, she's there - but dead. It looks as though someone wants to set Stig up - but why?
As they investigate, Glo and Stig find several ex-Eden pupils have either committed suicide, died in accidents, or had their lives ruined. Why? And what links them - apart, obviously, from Eden?
With Glo's job as a registrar proving invaluable to finding people, as well as her skill at reading people, they desperately try to find the last few Eden alumni.
Catriona McPherson's characters are wonderfully quirky, but not unbelievably so - I'll mention a couple of examples in my crimeworm review. She also has a strong understanding of the psyche of the working class Scot, particularly when it comes to women. She really is one of our hidden gems in crime fiction, and I'm glad to see more people are recognising her name. Also, in my crimeworm review, I'll have a piece by Catriona herself, on how inspiration for her title character came about. Look out for it in the next few days on https://crimeworm.wordpress.com/
Gloria "Glo" Harkness opens her door one night to find her best friend from primary school, Stephen "Stig" Tarrant. After primary, Glo had went to the local high school, while Stephen attended one opened by his father, called Eden. "A load of hippies running wild in the woods,"said the locals (I can just imagine my parents saying that!) However, after one of the children died, and it was ruled a suicide, the school closed it's doors. Now, Stig reveals, he has been getting messages from a fellow alumni, April, saying she really knows what happened that night, and wanting to meet. However, when Glo takes Stig to the place on the now-overgrown estate where April wants to meet, she's there - but dead. It looks as though someone wants to set Stig up - but why?
As they investigate, Glo and Stig find several ex-Eden pupils have either committed suicide, died in accidents, or had their lives ruined. Why? And what links them - apart, obviously, from Eden?
With Glo's job as a registrar proving invaluable to finding people, as well as her skill at reading people, they desperately try to find the last few Eden alumni.
Catriona McPherson's characters are wonderfully quirky, but not unbelievably so - I'll mention a couple of examples in my crimeworm review. She also has a strong understanding of the psyche of the working class Scot, particularly when it comes to women. She really is one of our hidden gems in crime fiction, and I'm glad to see more people are recognising her name. Also, in my crimeworm review, I'll have a piece by Catriona herself, on how inspiration for her title character came about. Look out for it in the next few days on https://crimeworm.wordpress.com/
April 21, 2015
This turned out to be an excellent book. In the beginning, I wasn't sure what to think. The story took off with some potentially dangerous elements right away, but then seemed to settle a bit and I was afraid it would become dull, but then it got going again quickly and I found myself intrigued by the unusual plot and events.
The main character shows many different sides of herself during this book, as a mother, as a friend, and as someone who has to make difficult choices to protect the ones she loves. I liked her and found her to be an easy character to follow.
This story has quite a few interesting twists and the writing flowed well so it didn't take me too long to read.
This would be a good book for a lazy afternoon when you are looking for something to get lost in. Great descriptions and atmosphere.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
The main character shows many different sides of herself during this book, as a mother, as a friend, and as someone who has to make difficult choices to protect the ones she loves. I liked her and found her to be an easy character to follow.
This story has quite a few interesting twists and the writing flowed well so it didn't take me too long to read.
This would be a good book for a lazy afternoon when you are looking for something to get lost in. Great descriptions and atmosphere.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
September 26, 2016
Gloria lives alone in a secluded area. One night, a friend from the past shows up on her doorstep asking for help. Something bad happened years ago at a hippie run school called Eden and many of the kids who were there that night have died in mysterious circumstances. So she starts looking into it and finds it hits closer to home than she expected.
It is an atmospheric story involving a rocking stone and legends of the Devil's Bridge.
Gloria herself is interesting. Divorced, mother of a very ill child and caretaker of a property where all this took place. I liked her a lot.
The story itself was likable enough, but I wasn't completely satisfied with the mystery resolution.
It is an atmospheric story involving a rocking stone and legends of the Devil's Bridge.
Gloria herself is interesting. Divorced, mother of a very ill child and caretaker of a property where all this took place. I liked her a lot.
The story itself was likable enough, but I wasn't completely satisfied with the mystery resolution.
June 22, 2019
I really just did not care for this book. I was very confused most of the time and couldn’t keep track of what was going on. Too many characters perhaps? None of which were particularly likable. I forced myself to finish this book, but can’t give it more than one star. At least it was less than 300 pages.
June 1, 2015
Englishness comes through in this book. Glo lives next to an institution which is a care home for her son. The place was a boarding school for a short time and a late night visitor starts off a Gothic chain of events. I did not like the fact everybody needed a nickname like dolphin and Stig from the dump, it seemed silly but is a British custom. The story did not always make sense in what the characters did. I liked Glo's character and the setting. All in all, it did not quite do it for me.
I received a free copy from Net galley for an honest review.
I received a free copy from Net galley for an honest review.
April 19, 2016
McPherson's latest, a haunting stand-alone, is a departure from her Dandy Gilver cozy mysteries.
In The Child Garden, Eden was the name of an alternative school that closed following a student's suicide. Now, years later, Eden is a care home where Gloria Harkness' invalided son resides. But Eden's former students are dying and Gloria is pressed into helping a childhood friend, who attended Eden, attempt to find out why. The gothic setting in an old and crumbling Scottish estate adds to the book's appeal.
Fans of Kate Atkinson and Susan Hill should give this a try.
In The Child Garden, Eden was the name of an alternative school that closed following a student's suicide. Now, years later, Eden is a care home where Gloria Harkness' invalided son resides. But Eden's former students are dying and Gloria is pressed into helping a childhood friend, who attended Eden, attempt to find out why. The gothic setting in an old and crumbling Scottish estate adds to the book's appeal.
Fans of Kate Atkinson and Susan Hill should give this a try.
January 27, 2024
I would really like to rate this book higher. I liked the main characters, especially the narrator, and for the most part I enjoyed reading it. But the plot is such a mishmash and the main character's fumbling investigation just makes a total mess of things, so that even when the big reveal comes at the end, the reader is left scratching his/her head and thinking, "Whaaaat?"
September 25, 2016
Just didn't work for me -- couldn't get intrigued enough. Read to 51% so have it a fair go. Shame as the blurb sounded brilliant.
December 12, 2016
I really loved this book. It was interesting, exciting and very easy to read and follow. I won it in the giveaways competition, it was a very good read.
August 14, 2018
Lost? Confused? Too many references to too many characters? I know. Still, there’s something about the way this woman writes that intrigues me.
The Child Garden darkly echoes A Child’s Garden of Verses - a tribute from one Scot to another.
Keep reading. All. Will be revealed.
The Child Garden darkly echoes A Child’s Garden of Verses - a tribute from one Scot to another.
Keep reading. All. Will be revealed.
March 3, 2019
This was a pretty easy read. Kept my attention and had me coming back for more. I had a hard time figuring out exactly “who done it” which I like. I hate reading a book that’s easy to figure out. I liked it, I just didn’t LOVE it so it gets 3 stars from me.
August 6, 2017
Excellent British mystery with lots of plot twists, murder and mayhem.
September 15, 2024
half way through and finally had to toss it, I just hated it was hard to follow and uninteresting.
July 23, 2017
DNF at 50%. Всі герої такі тупі, що боляче очам.
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