by Ann Garvin
First published 2026
Jane Baye thought writing to a prisoner in 1990 was simply an act of kindness. Thirty-six years later, that correspondent has taken up residence next door to her home in Wonder Lake. The catch: the woman Jane believed she was helping is actually a man with a serial killer's resume and a multi-decade plan centered on Jane herself. Jane remains oblivious to the danger because she's busy dealing with her own crisis. She recently exposed her ex-boyfriend's cheating ways, turning the entire small town against her in the process. The golden boy had everyone fooled except Jane. As the Norwegian heritage festival approaches, Jane finds herself isolated and vulnerable. Her neighbor watches her daily routines and prepares to execute his long-planned scheme. But Jane possesses qualities that her enemies consistently underestimate. When the festival night arrives and celebration transforms into a deadly confrontation, Jane must rely on the very traits that make her seem ordinary. Her survival depends on weaponizing the everyday strengths that others dismiss.
Genres: suspense, mystery, adult, adult-fiction, thriller
Vibes: dark, gripping, psychological, suspenseful, tense
Tropes: hidden-threat, long-game-revenge, underestimated-protagonist, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Wonder Lake, Norwegian heritage festival
Period: 1990, 2026
285 pages · Paperback · Lake Union Publishing
Content warnings: murder, violence