First published 2020
Patricia Campbell traded her nursing career for marriage to an ambitious doctor, but suburban motherhood in 1990s Charleston feels suffocating. Her ungrateful children drain her energy, her husband remains emotionally absent, and endless household tasks consume her days. The one bright spot is her book club, where fellow mothers bond over true crime stories and suspenseful novels while dissecting everything from the Waco siege to their own marital struggles. When an artistic, sensitive man moves into their neighborhood, the women can't stop talking about him. Patricia finds herself drawn to this mysterious newcomer, but her fascination turns to dread when local children begin disappearing. She launches her own investigation, initially suspecting she's dealing with another Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy. The truth proves far worse than any serial killer. Patricia and her book club friends become the only barrier protecting their community from a supernatural predator who has already infiltrated their homes and lives.
Genres: mystery, horror, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, investigation
Setting: Charleston, South Carolina
Period: 1990s
404 pages · Hardcover · Quirk Books
Content warnings: child-death, violence