First published 2025
Abigail rents a grand old house to throw her brother Benjamin a birthday party with a murder mystery theme. Their friends gather for an evening of drinks and games. Hearts break and new connections form as the night unfolds. When morning comes, everyone wakes up except Benjamin. He lies dead in the locked room. An accomplished detective arrives to investigate the killing. The house suddenly has staff that wasn't there before: a butler, gardener, and housekeeper. Every guest becomes a suspect in what has transformed into a genuine locked room puzzle. Abigail struggles to understand how her beloved brother died in this world that has shifted around her. As she searches for his killer, she starts to question whether the real puzzle was Benjamin's life itself.
Genres: fiction, drama, mystery, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, enigmatic, introspective, suspenseful
Tropes: everyone-is-a-suspect, locked-room-puzzle, mystery-within-mystery, reality-shift
Setting: grand-old-house
Period: contemporary
288 pages · Paperback · Harper Perennial
Content warnings: death, murder