by Lisa Jewell
First published 2023
Alix Summers raises a glass at her neighborhood pub on her forty-fifth birthday. She meets Josie Fair, a quiet woman who shares the same birthday. Days later, Josie appears outside Alix's children's school. She has been following Alix's podcast and wants to become a featured subject. Josie claims major life changes are coming and requests coverage for the show. Her story seems complex and odd, making Alix uncomfortable. Still, Alix cannot resist the compelling material and continues recording. She discovers Josie has concealed disturbing secrets. Josie manipulates her way into Alix's household and daily routine. Then Josie vanishes without warning. Alix learns that Josie has created devastating consequences. Now Alix finds herself the focus of a true crime podcast. Her family faces serious danger. The questions multiply: Who is Josie Fair really, and what terrible acts has she committed?
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: deception, obsession, unreliable-narrator
390 pages · Hardcover · Atria Books
Content warnings: gaslighting, mental-illness