In the Shadow Garden

Parker debuts with a magical tale of romance and family set in the heart of bourbon country. Addison Haywood, along with her mother, Irene, and her grandmother, Maura, are the owners of Lavender & Lemon Balm tea shop in Yarrow, Ky., and caretakers of the shadow garden, a plot of magical fruits and vegetables used to aid those healing from trauma and heartache. The Haywoods have a long-standing grudge against the other local dynasty, the bourbon distilling Bonner family; Irene was engaged to Nate Bonner. who broke her heart by cheating on her, while Maura maintains a tense rivalry with the Bonner matriarch, Sylvia. When Kaden Bonner, Sylvia’s estranged son who the extended Haywood clan has long suspected of murder, returns to Yarrow for his father’s funeral, his arrival sends a ripple through the town, unearthing family secrets that put both loyalties and magic to the test. Parker packs in several delightful love stories; a murder mystery; a beautiful, plant-based magic system; and a complex history between the two families. All are told with wisecracking humor and a sprinkle of enchantment. The result is a compulsively readable treat that will especially appeal to fans of Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic series. Agent: Rena Rossner, Deborah Harris Agency. (Sept.)