by Rosie Walsh
First published 2026
Carrie marries Johan on a Thai beach after five months of intense romance. She's a British surgical intern caught up in love despite her usual caution. Armed men storm their wedding celebration and arrest Johan for unknown crimes. He refuses all contact with her from prison. Twelve years later, Carrie lives in rural England with husband Robin and their six-year-old twins. She abandoned her medical career after struggling with early motherhood. An online post reveals Johan left prison years ago. The discovery awakens memories of their passionate connection and drives Carrie to uncover what really happened that night in Thailand. Her investigation threatens her current marriage and family stability. A final revelation exposes the dark truth Johan concealed. Carrie must choose between her established life and the pull of her first love, questioning who she was then versus who she has become.
Genres: mystery, thriller, contemporary-romance, family-drama
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: second-chance, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Thailand, England, Rural England
Period: 12 Years Later
368 pages · Paperback · Viking Canada
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, mental-illness