Severed Ties — Emerald O'Brien

An estranged friend. A missing husband. A desperate search for truth. Suspicion sparks obsession in this deliciously deceptive domestic thriller for fans of Gone Girl, Never Lie, and Local Woman Missing.Cassandra Voss wasn't supposed to be on this trip, but she called in a favor to secure a spot on the research team. Residents of a remote town surrounded by wilderness are reporting strange symptoms—insomnia, aggression, delusions. But Cass isn't there for research. She's there for love. Though she knows it could end badly, she's confident that what happens in those woods will change the rest of her life. But then, her team stops sleeping too. And paranoia is only the beginning…Ellie Milligan didn't just work with Cassandra–they were best friends… until betrayal drove them apart. Ellie even left the company. So the last thing she wants to think about is her husband's work trip. Or the nagging suspicion that he and Cassandra aren't just coworkers.But then her husband never comes home. It seems Cassandra didn't either. Their colleagues' stories are full of holes. Ellie wants answers, and she has an advantage: they're required to film their studies. Those recordings could be the key to finding her husband–and the truth. The deeper Ellie digs, the more disturbing the mystery becomes. Her ex-coworkers insist that Vince and Cassandra ran off together. But Cassandra's video diary reveals sleepless nights, paranoia… and worse. Terrible things happened in those woods. Were they tragic accidents? The unavoidable cost of obsession? Or brutal acts of revenge? Soon, a chilling reality begins to unfold. Either the man Ellie loves chose her ex-best friend over her… or he didn't make the choice at all. And if Ellie gets too close to the truth, she might vanish like they did.Severed Ties is a fast-paced domestic suspense thriller told through a series of video diary entries, leading to a shocking conclusion that will leave you breathless. It is the second novel in the Between Us series, but all novels in the Between Us world can be read as standalones and in any order. If you're a fan of family secrets, betrayals, and shocking twists, this addictive thriller is perfect for fans of Jeneva Rose, John Marrs, and Mary Kubica.