by Darcey Bell
First published 2017
Stephanie is a widowed mother juggling her five-year-old son Miles and her mommy blog when she befriends Emily, a polished businesswoman whose son Nicky plays with Miles. The two women seem unlikely companions in their small Connecticut town. Stephanie struggles financially while Emily appears to have everything together in her marriage and career. Despite their differences, they bond over their boys and shared daily routines. When Emily asks Stephanie to pick up Nicky from school, it feels like a natural favor between friends. Emily knows all of Stephanie's secrets, making their connection feel deeper than typical parent friendships. But Emily never returns to collect her son. As Stephanie waits, she realizes how little she actually knows about her friend. The simple school pickup becomes the first thread in unraveling both women's carefully constructed lives. What seemed like genuine friendship reveals itself as something far more calculated and dangerous. Love and friendship may fade, but revenge has no boundaries, and neither does fear.
Genres: suspense, mystery, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: deception, revenge
Setting: Connecticut
Period: 21st-century
350 pages · Paperback · Hugo Thriller
Content warnings: anxiety, mental-illness