First published 2017
Jane and her husband Bill encounter Lilah at a London bar during midsummer. The enigmatic woman spins captivating stories that blur truth and fiction. When the bar closes, Jane acts on impulse and brings Lilah to their home. This decision unleashes catastrophe. Lilah reveals herself as a merciless predator who isolates and torments the married couple. Jane and Bill must battle for their survival and their relationship. Under extreme duress, they confront hidden aspects of their marriage and uncover desires they never acknowledged. Roffey weaves psychological thriller elements with contemporary magical realism, drawing on the ancient myth of Lilith, Adam's first wife. The novel exposes how ordinary marriages harbor secrets and examines the complex territory where physical intimacy meets fantasy. Through this dangerous encounter, Jane and Bill discover what lies beneath the surface of their seemingly conventional life together.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, magical-realism, psychological-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: dangerous-encounter, unreliable-narrator
Setting: London
Period: Midsummer
192 pages · Paperback · Dodo Ink
Content warnings: abuse, emotional-abuse, toxic-relationship