The Ladies of Garrison Gardens: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle) [Paperback]

Louise Shaffer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 29, 2006

Charles Valley’s legendary dowagers, the three Miss Margarets, have lost one of their own: Peggy Garrison, who married into a huge fortune but was constantly overshadowed by the legacy her husband’s first wife, the great Myrtis Garrison. When Peggy’s will is read, the news of who will take over the Garrison fortune shakes the town to its core. To everyone’s shock, Peggy has left all of the Garrison holdings–the world-famous botanical gardens, the massive resort, and the lovely Garrison “Cottage,” where FDR once visited–to the town’s down-and-out wild child, Laurel Selene McCready.

Laurel was like a daughter to Miss Peggy, but the last thing she wants to do is step into Miss Peggy’s shoes as the wealthiest, most powerful person in town, especially since the Garrison fortune never bought Peggy any happiness. On top of that, when Laurel reluctantly explores her hew home, the storied Garrison Cottage, she discovers that mysteries abound when it comes to the great Miss Myrtis. What clues are hidden in an old suitcase containing a child’s dress and sheet music dating back to the Southern Vaudeville circuit? Who is the elderly woman outside Atlanta who has been keeping track of the Garrison estate’s every development via the Charles Valley Gazette? And how will Laurel avoid the fate of her two predecessors whose secrets have far greater implications than Laurel could ever have imagined? Culminating in an unforgettable sleight of hand, proving that behind every great fortune there is a great crime, The Ladies of Garrison Gardens is as page-turning and irresistible as its predecessor.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Shaffer gathers all the elements of engaging suspense: violent death, switched identities, blackmail and contrasting worlds of magnolia gentility and vaudeville seediness. And fans of the Three Miss Margarets will be delighted that Shaffer has returned us to the scene of the crime—Charles Valley, Ga.—and this time gives us more of her delightful, scrappy, self-doubting heroine, Laurel Selene McCready. Shaffer's strength is her feeling for Southern white women with intellect and conscience and her disinclination to be simple when the truth is complicated. But her very depth is a liability in this saga of events following the (nonviolent) death of one of the Margarets, Peggy Garrison. The pace is slowed by an overload of backstory, awkwardly spliced, and by the time the action really heats up, there are no surprises. Still, there's emotional satisfaction to be found in the becoming of Laurel, who has inherited the magnificent Garrison Gardens from Peggy and is now officially, reluctantly, a lady, even if she swears, drinks beer and drives fast.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Sadly, in this sequel to The Three Miss Margarets (2003), only two Margarets remain: Miss Peggy Garrison, the youngest of the three dowagers, has succumbed to pancreatic cancer. She surprised everyone (her beneficiary included) by leaving her large estate--including Garrison Garden--to Laurel Selene McReady, who attended her faithfully in her last months and came to be the daughter she never had. Pressured to give her power of attorney to Garrison lawyer Stuart Lawrence, as had Miss Peggy, Laurel wavers; she doesn't know business, but she does know what rising health insurance costs mean to rank-and-file employees. Meanwhile, an old woman elsewhere in Georgia is inordinately interested in what's happening in Charles Valley. There's romance, too, as Dr. Perry Douglass, younger brother of Laurel's good buddy Denny, is home from Harvard to practice medicine and to woo Laurel, even though she's eight years his senior and still calls him "Wiener." And there are shocking secrets revealed in a subplot about the performing Sunshine Sisters. So pour a glass of sweet tea and settle in for some top-notch entertainment. Michele Leber
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 332 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 29, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812968832
• ISBN-13: 978-0812968835
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.9 x 7.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #340,192 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Louise is a believer in there's always a second chance. An actress since she was fifteen, she found herself unemployed when she was in her mid-forties. The reason was; well, she was in her mid-forties. Not a good thing if you' an actress - aging and eating are taboo. Louise has done both. Also, she was pretty clear about the fact that she was never going to have "knee surgery." That's what happens when an actress of a certain age drops out of sight for six weeks and her publicist announces that she's having an old knee injury repaired. Then the actress emerges with her eyebrows hiked up kind of high on her forehead and all those nasty little lines around her mouth seem to have vanished, and oh yeah, and her knee is working fine too.

The un-surgically enhanced Louise spent two years auditioning for commercials touting high fiber cereals and denture glue, she figured there had to be something better, and she decided to try writing scripts for soap operas. Writing had actually been her first love when she was a kid. She worked as a soap writer off and off; mostly off for the next few years. The trouble was, she got fired a lot. Because what she wanted to do was tell her own stories. Finally she fought off the devil voices; those voices inside your head that tell you you're an idiot for dumping a paying job to follow a dream, and wrote The Three Miss Margarets. It found a home at Random House and was published. It was followed by The Ladies of Garrison Gardens, Family Acts, and Serendipity.

Louise's latest novel, Looking For A Love Story, is about a recently divorced novelist facing a tough bout of writer's block who takes a job ghostwriting someone elses story.

Today a very happy Louise lives in the lower Hudson Valley with her husband of twenty eight years, her eight cats and two rescue dogs ; the regal Joshua, and Charlie. Who is not regal. Just ask the neighbors.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These ladies make for very good company indeed!, June 14, 2005

By 

R. M Simms "NJeditor" (Fort Lee, NJ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ladies of Garrison Gardens: A Novel (Hardcover)

Whether this is your first visit to Charles Valley - originally written about in Shaffer's delightful The Three Miss Margarets - or a return visit, get ready to settle onto the porch with Maggie and Lil Bit for an evening of Southern hospitality, gossip and, of course, a bit of scandal.

For those who fear they'll be jumping in midstream, rest assured that although most of the characters were introduced in The Three Miss Margarets, one need not have read that book to fully enjoy everything that the sequel has to offer. Of course, I'd advise readers to buy both books if for no other reason that the moment you finish reading Ladies, you'll want to read (or re-read, as the case may be) The Three Miss Margarets.

As this tale opens, there is one less Margaret thanks to the passing of a long-time beloved Charles Valley resident. Her heir, the feisty Laurel, isn't sure she wants the burden that comes along with her having inherited Garrison Gardens, a resort which keeps most of the valley employed (not to mention grumbling). Before long, Laurel is dividing her time between a charming doctor and a mysterious suitcase which holds the key to a long-buried secret. To say much more would be to spoil the fun for readers, who will at least twice nod their head knowingly, thinking to themselves, "A-ha! I've figured it out!" only to have the rug yanked out from under them as the surprisingly quick-paced novel unfolds.

The moment you reach the surprising - and completely satisfying - conclusion, you'll no doubt be joining me in urging Shaffer to whisk us back to the Valley ASAP!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real page turner, July 23, 2005

By 

Granny (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Ladies of Garrison Gardens: A Novel (Hardcover)

This is my first review at Amazon but not my first book by Louise Shaffer. "The Ladies...." can be read in one sitting if you have the time. I kept getting interruptions so was forced to put it down a few times. The plot keeps thickening and all the new characters and situations are so interesting. Just when you think you know what's going on, a new twist develops.

Ms Shaffer is one of my favorite authors and I will continue buying her books and hoping others will do the same.

Granny

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Follow-Up!!!, September 23, 2005

By 

Mercedes L. Johnmeyer "The Most Happy" (Summerville, SC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ladies of Garrison Gardens: A Novel (Hardcover)

It's not too often that a sequel is just as good as the original, but that was just the case here! Shocking...that is how I'd have to describe this story. But in order for it to be shocking, you HAD to of read 'The Three Miss Margaret's'. I couldn't believe the tale that was told! And just as the story before this, it was loaded with southern charm and deep secrets.

The story is mostly told by Laurel Selene, who has inherited Garrison Gardens after Miss Peggy's death. With not a clue as to how to run a business, she's being hounded by Stuart Lawrence, the sleazy Garrison lawyer, to sign over power of attorney to him, just as the two previous Mrs. Garrison's did. Not comfortable with this setup, Laurel senses that somethings just not right with the way the whole operation is run.

The rest of the story is told by the mysterious Mrs. Rain. Who she is, where she lives, and her ties to the Garrison's is revealed slowly through her story, but once you find out who she is...wow! I couldn't believe it!

As I said before though, if you're thinking abut reading this book, MAKE SURE you've read 'The Three Miss Margaret's' first, everything will be so much clearer, not to mention that it too is an excellent read. I can't wait for Ms. Shaffer's next novel, and I really hope it continues with Charles Valley, GA...wether it be Laurel Selene, or someone's else's story, this is a great little town to read about!