by James Frey
First published 2025
Devon and Belle live in New Bethlehem, Connecticut, where million-dollar houses line perfect streets and country club memberships define social standing. They have everything wealth can buy, but luxury has left them empty. They crave danger, something real to cut through their privileged numbness. Their answer is a carefully planned party that brings together the town's most powerful residents. The guest list includes a former NFL quarterback clinging to past glory, a hockey coach who seduces other men's wives, and a Wall Street executive who treats money like a weapon. What starts as an exclusive gathering spirals into betrayal and violence. By morning, someone will be dead, and New Bethlehem's polished surface will crack open to reveal the rot underneath. The murder forces everyone to confront what they've hidden behind their designer facades and charitable donations.
Genres: drama, literary-fiction, crime, contemporary, adult-fiction, mystery-thriller
Vibes: dark, gritty, suspenseful, tension-filled, thought-provoking
Tropes: murder-mystery, secrets-revealed, unreliable-narrator
Setting: New Bethlehem, Connecticut
Period: 21st-century, contemporary
Paperback
Content warnings: murder, violence