The Marsh Queen

Very engaging tale with a great plot line and very beautiful descriptive language that makes you see the landscape thru the heroines eyes.

All the story lines were interesting, but my favorite was the mystery surrounding Loni’s father’s death. I was surprised at the outcome! I live in the Florida Panhandle and often drive through the area of Florida that was the setting for the novel. I’m going to keep an eye out for Loni and Adlai next time I’m there…they seem like very real characters to me! And my favorite of all the water birds is the one who is the marsh queen, but I won’t identify it here and spoil the surprise for other readers. Looking forward to another book from Virginia Hartman!

I was disappointed in parts of the book. There was too many different parts always referring back to her job. The plot should be more focused.

Absolutely loved this book!! Can't wait for another book from this author!!

The birds and natural world of northern Florida come alive in this debut novel. The mystery draws you in but descriptions of the swamps and marshes are where the writing shines.

I haven’t read it yet, but it is well made, arrived quickly and perfect shape

A striking debut -- the insider's view of naturalist artists working at the Smithsonian Institution was particularly appealing to this reader, but I can't imagine the setting wouldn't be equally fascinating for other non-DC-based readers. As probably the only reader on the planet who wasn't totally enthralled by "Crawdads," I found this story much more appealing in its blend of lyrical writing about the wetlands and wildlife, a protagonist who's full of snark and insight, a terrific best friend, long-buried family secrets, and delicious romantic interest. A rewarding and original work.

Great debut novel with lots of interesting plot turns. I enjoyed this book and wasn't sure where it was going. It kept my attention and loved the storyline of returning home with all of its complexities. Florida marsh descriptions were lovely and realistic.