First published 2026
Jodie Davies thought she had found her perfect life when she married renowned psychologist Dr. Roy Davies and moved into his Beverly Hills mansion. She had always wanted to be a housewife, and after their whirlwind courtship, everything seemed to fall into place. But Roy grows cold and distant. His social circle treats her like a fortune hunter. Worse, the ghost of his deceased first wife Deborah haunts every room, every conversation, every moment of their marriage. When Jodie discovers that Deborah became a hermit before her death, suspicion takes root. She starts investigating Roy's past and uncovers a pattern of obsessive behavior, manipulation, and infidelity. The evidence suggests Roy played a role in Deborah's demise. Jodie knows she should contact the authorities, but doing so would expose a dangerous secret of her own. Now she faces an impossible choice: stay silent and risk becoming Roy's next victim, or speak up and destroy herself. Trapped in a house built on deception, Jodie must find an escape route before she disappears like the perfect wife who came before her.
Genres: domestic-fiction, suspense, mystery, crime, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: deception, unreliable-narrator, wife-in-jeopardy
Setting: Beverly Hills
Period: Contemporary
368 pages · Paperback · Poisoned Pen Press
Content warnings: emotional-abuse, gaslighting