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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780812968835
ISBN number: 0812968832
Label: Ballantine Books
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 352
Printing Date: August 29, 2006
Publishing house: Ballantine Books
Release Date: August 29, 2006
Sale Popularity Level: 657062
Studio: Ballantine Books
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Product Description:
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 very 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.
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Rated by buyers 
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It's not often that I enjoy a sequel more than the very first book but...it was the case with The Ladies of Garrison Gardens. Felt like catching up with old friends and making some new friends too.I really enjoyed finding out more about the background of Miss Myrtis and how Laurel struggles with sudden wealth and the responsibility of Garrison Gardens. As others mentioned you can read this independent of The Three Miss Margarets but both are great reads. Hope Ms Shaffer returns to Charles Valley for another visit soon.
Rated by buyers 
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The Ladies of Garrison Gardens, a sequel to this author's very first book, The Three Miss Margarets (2003), is a light contemporary novel with a rich Southern flavour and a strong touch of mystery.
Peggy Garrison, one of the "three Miss Margarets," has died of cancer and, to the shock of the town, has left her large estate to feisty, thirty-five-year old Laurel Selene McReady, a former journalist to the Charles Valley Gazette who had become very close to this old lady.
Laurel, who up to this date has had to count pennies to keep herself, is understandably overwhelmed. How is she to run Garrison fortune--the famous botanical gardens, the huge resort, and the lovely Garrison "Cottage?" She knows absolutely nothing about business. After a little research, she finds out a new management would do wonders for the poor employees, who hardly have any benefits or health insurance, but her plans are brought to a halt when Garrison lawyer Stuart Lawrence begins to pressure her to give him power of attorney so he can continue to "rule" Garrison Gardens as he always have in the past.
Why has Stuart Lawrence been given power of attorney all these years? What kind of power has he over the family?
Parallel to this mystery is the obsessive interest that a little old lady named Miss Rain has over Garrison Gardens and to everyone and everything related to it. What, in fact, is her connection with the Garrisons? Through her memories the reader will travel to the 1920's, to the time when she was a vaudevillian and her involvement with a mother and a daughter called The Sunshine Sisters. Are they related in any way to the mysterious dress and sheet of music Laurel unexpectedly discovers in an old trunk in the Cottage?
Laurel is certain the Garrison family holds a secret...but what?
Miss Rain, seriously ill in bed, feels she can help the new Garrison heir have control over the evil Stuart Lawrence. With this in mind, she decides to write a long letter revealing the secret. But will her letter reach Laurel in time?
The strength in this novel lies in the way the author brings the south to life with all its sights and sounds. One can feel the warm sun on the daylilies, daffodils and hollyhocks; one can taste the iced tea. The old ladies in the book are lovable, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to relate to Laurel, who's favourite words seem to be the hell with this and the hell with that. Her relationship with the young Dr. Perry, eight years younger than her, adds a twinge of romance to the story. At times the novel moves very slow, particularly during Miss Rain's flashbacks. After all the build-up with Miss Rain's letters, I found the ending utterly disappointing--though I suspect this is to serve the book three in the series. This is not a book worth its hardcover price; I'd recommend readers to wait for the less-expensive paperback edition.
Rated by buyers -
I haven't read The Three Ms Margaret's yet, so everything would fall into place a bit better, but never mind that. This book was still outstanding!
Lots of southern charm, a bit of mystery about who Mrs Rains is exactly and what does she want with Laurel? Why did Peggy give everything to Laurel in her will? Laurel doesn't know what she wants after inheriting everything, because she didn't grow up with money. Perry, also known as Wiener, seems to have a crush on her, but Laurel is convinced it is a little crush from the olden days.
Will Laurel decide to move into Peggy's house and assume her role, or will she take the money and run? Find out all this and who the infamous Mrs. Rains really is!
Rated by buyers 
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This is an intriguing story that has, in my opinion a pathetic, weak, frustrating ending. This story sucked me in emotionally and then left me wishing that I had not wasted my time reading it.
Mrs. Rain's story is told throughout the Novel and then her story at the end dies without any resolution...very, very sad and pointless to have such an interesting story end so badly.
Rated by buyers -
We return to Charles Valley, Ga., a Miss Margaret short, as Miss Peggy has died and left her estate to Laurel who no longer hates the gals, she's now one of them, albeit not named Margaret.
Will Laurel be able to continue the legacy of Garrison Gardens, and at what price? Why is the price so high? Because someone is blackmailing one of the Margarets and was blackmailing her predecessor.
There is MUCH more of a story here. The characters are better developed as is the plot.
I enjoyed this book so much more than the first.
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