Description
2025-07-15In Miller’s psychological thriller, a secretive married couple become the targets of a serial killer.It’s 2024, and Pennsylvanians Emily and Tristan Rose have been married for five years, yet both have hidden important facts about themselves. Emily found her college roommate, Cassie, brutally murdered seven years before; she still suffers from PTSD and believes she was the intended victim. When she meets Tristan shortly after the attack, she’s relieved to have found someone who apparently doesn’t know about the violent incident. However, he not only knows all about the killing, but he also believes that he knows who’s responsible. When another local homicide eerily mirrors Cassie’s, Tristan is convinced that killer has tracked Emily down, so he persuades her to go on a “solo retreat” in a remote cabin in the North Carolina mountains, ostensibly so she can focus on finishing her novel-in-progress. When he drops her off, they run into Lexi Lincoln, who was attacked and left for dead in Tristan’s hometown 21 years earlier. The past comes back to haunt all three characters as they become drawn into a twisted cat-and-mouse game with a murderer. Miller delivers a thrilling mystery with sharp twists and taut pacing, but it also powerfully touches on deeper themes, such as trauma, resilience, and the meaning of friendship. Threaded throughout the narrative is the fairy taleMaid Maleen, the subject of Emily’s novel about a young princess and her maid; they’re locked in a tower and forgotten, and they must courageously act to save themselves. This aspect is one of the novel’s greatest strengths, as this story reflects the growing bond between Emily and Lexi, who must rely on each other to escape their own metaphorical prison: “Your prince has forgotten you. Your father is most likely dead. If anyone remembers we’re here, they no longer care. Nobody’s coming to save us, Maleen.” Some plot turns are predictable, but the final twist arrives unexpectedly, although readers may be divided by its unconventionality.A suspenseful story of buried trauma, female friendship, and the cost of secrets.
Amazon UK