The Garden of Dead Thoughts by Natasha A. Salnikova

Cover Art Courtesy of the Author

When Natasha reached out to me and asked if I would read her latest work, I jumped at the chance after seeing the plot of this novel. The Garden of Dead Thoughts follows manipulative Margo, a beautiful woman set on living a luxurious and wealthy life, who will stop at nothing to achieve it. Even if that something is murder.

Jilted in the will of her first lover, Margo vows to be more cautious and calculating with her next, using her beauty as a trap to lure in the perfect man. As she schemes and calculates, settling on her next husband/victim Michael, she starts to learn that people are not always as easy to manipulate as they seem, and that she's not the only one hiding ulterior motives. Soon, Margo finds herself in a game of cat and mouse where it appears that only one individual can come out on top. But can combining their unusual skills and forming an alliance help both parties achieve what they set out to accomplish? 

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was written in 3 points of view: Margo, Michael, and a third POV that combines both of them. There is a lot of deception, and there are a lot of murders. I loved Margo's character and thought she was developed fantastically. And the plot twist is something like I've never seen! It came totally out of left field and I loved not being able to guess the ending for once. This was a fast read that I devoured in just a few hours. My biggest complaint is that I feel like it was edited carelessly, as I found more errors than I like to see in a finished book.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Thanks Natasha for honoring me with the chance to read your work!