Whistling Sinatra — Connie Myres

My husband says I'm losing my mind. The parrot next door says he's a killer. Clara Thorne has the perfect life: a new marriage to a handsome, successful man, a charming house in a quiet lakeside town, and a writing career on the verge of taking off. But just three months after the wedding, her world is unraveling. Small memory lapses become terrifying blackouts. Conversations she can't remember, appointments she supposedly made, her husband Julian's keys inexplicably in her purse. Julian is the perfect concerned husband, suggesting her history of anxiety is resurfacing under the stress of her aunt's recent, tragic death. He's even found her a new doctor who specializes in women's mental health. Clara wants to believe him, but she can't ignore the chilling new phrases the neighbor's parrot has learned; fragments of conversations about a half a million dollar debt, a looming August 1st deadline, and the need to increase the dosage. The voice is Julian's. Isolated and heavily medicated, Clara is trapped in a terrifying spiral of doubt. Is she truly losing her grip on reality, as everyone seems to believe? Or is she the only one who sees the monster hiding behind her husband's loving smile? As Julian's concern tightens into control, Clara realizes she's not just fighting for her sanity, she's fighting for her life.