Beyond The Garden

Our Review

Beyond the Garden by Ashley Farley is the brilliant second book in the Magnolia series. It is possible to read Beyond The Garden as a stand alone book but I would recommend reading Magnolia Nights first just because it is a good read.

When the book begins Lia has been staying at a bed and breakfast in Key West after being contacted by her estranged husband Ricky. She is on her way to meet him and is surprised that he is staying in an expensive resort because the last time she saw him he had left her with just a small amount of money in their joint account and gone on the run from some men he owed money too.

There is a shock in store when she comes to meet him though:

“His door was ajar, and when she knocked, no one answered. She nudged the door open, crossed the threshold into the darkness, and groped for the light switch. Her fingers felt a sticky substance on the wall – this startled her. She took a step back, grabbing hold of the doorknob for support. She regained her balance and stared down at her hand. The sticky substance on her fingers was blood…A black-handled carving knife protruded from his chest.”

Shortly after discovering his body Lia flees fearing she may be next.

Meanwhile, everything in Ellie’s life is finally falling into place. She recently married Julian, the man of her dreams and Lia’s twins seems to be adjusting well to living with Ellie since Lia ran off and left them seven months earlier.

The restoration of her grandmother’s house is going well, and she is enjoying volunteering to teach an art class at the local elementary school. Life is good.

Then the police turn up and want to speak to Ellie about her sister. Ellie is horrified to hear about Ricky and about her sister’s alleged involvement in her death. She feels as though she has little choice but to go to Key West and look for Lia.

She is worried that Lia will turn up and demand the twins live with her again even if she isn’t stable enough to look after them.

Beyond The Garden is a fantastic book full of Southern Charm. The characters are well-written and each one has something unique about them.

I loved the Sweeney Sisters stories by Ashley Farley but if possible, I think I loved this series more. I read the entire book in just under four hours because I just couldn’t put it down.

Our Final Rating...

Thu, 22nd February 2018