First published 2022
Vic Fowler crafts custom fragrances in New York City, but these aren't ordinary perfumes. Each scent triggers vivid memories that clients will kill to experience again. The work pays well, but not well enough to survive in an expensive city. When former client Joseph Eisner returns with deep pockets and a complex job offer, Vic accepts despite the obvious risks. The commission requires help, so Vic recruits other broke artists as accomplices. They're desperate enough to say yes. As the operation grows more intricate, relationships between the conspirators become messy. A private investigator starts closing in. Guilt weighs on Vic's conscience. The careful plans begin falling apart. Eisner's deadline approaches, and Vic faces an increasingly desperate choice about how far to go for money and art.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: New York City
Period: 21st-century
411 pages · Paperback · Thomas & Mercer
Content warnings: anxiety, depression