MARNI 

I came to Westbrook to disappear. After New York, after the firm, after everything that broke me, this tradwife community felt safe. Predictable.

Elke chose me. She matched me with the perfect husband. That meant everything.

I learned how this town works—the rankings, the favors, the mandatory midnight check-ins.

Now I’m pregnant with Elke’s stepson’s baby—a secret that could destroy everything. Now I know what happened to the women who stepped out of line. And now I understand: Westbrook isn’t about tradition. It’s about control.

ELKE 

I built Westbrook from nothing. Not everyone could have done it. Most women lack the vision. A town of order, tradition, women who want to be told who they are.

They see cherry orchards and smiling wives. I see loyalty, hierarchy, power that works because it looks beautiful.

The Cherries follow my rules. They don’t ask questions.

When someone threatens what I’ve built, I don’t hesitate.

Perfection only survives if you protect it.

AN INTOXICATING BLEND OF TENSION AND SUSPENSE WITH AN ENDING YOU WON'T SEE COMING.

Culty-whodunit. Everyone is a suspect.

For readers who devoured Big Little Lies and The Guest List.

reviews

Bella Ellwood-Clayton is destined to be the next big thing in psychological thrillers. She uses one of today’s hottest influencer trends to weave sharp social commentary within a twisty, relentlessly paced thriller, as compelling as any from Shari Lapena or JP Delaney. My plans for sleep were no match for every addictive chapter.—Korina Moss, Agatha Award-winning author

A gripping blend of social commentary and psychological suspense that will keep you reading until the wee hours. Ellwood-Clayton knows how to craft a mystery, hitting all the right beats with red herrings, twists, complex characters, and an ending that will leave you breathless. —Andrea Barton, author of the Jade Riley Mysteries

A BRAND-NEW totally addictive psychological thriller with a shocking final twist.

In Westbrook, wives are currency. Belonging has a price. By the time the Homemaker’s Fair ends, two women will be dead.

And the most dangerous thing a woman can do is change her mind.

Published by Joffe Books