Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
A woman in search of a fresh start is about to get more than she bargained for in this twisty and addictive domestic thriller for fans of The Couple Next Door .
Fleeing Brooklyn with little more than a suitcase and her trusty dog, Lucy King heads to rustic Woodstock , New York, eager to lose herself in a quiet life where her past can never find her. But when she meets Vera and John, the alluring couple next door, their friendship proves impossible to resist. Just as Lucy starts to think the worst is behind her, the couple delivers a staggering bombshell: they, too, need to escape their troubles--and the only way they can begin their new life is if Lucy helps them fake John's death.
Afraid to lose her newfound support system, Lucy reluctantly conspires with them to stage an "accidental" death on a hike nearby. It's just one little lie to the police, after all, and she knows a thing or two about the importance of fresh starts. But what begins as an elaborate ruse turns all too real when John turns up dead in the woods the morning after their hike. Now, Lucy must figure out who she can trust and who's pulling the strings of her tenuous new life . . . before she takes the fall for murder.
"Fleeing Brooklyn with little more than a suitcase and her trusty dog, Lucy King heads to rustic Woodstock, New York, eager to lose herself in a quiet life where her past can never find her. But when she meets Vera and John, the alluring couple next door, their friendship proves impossible to resist. Just as Lucy starts to think the worst is behind her, the couple delivers a staggering bombshell: they, too, need to escape their troubles--and the only way they can begin their new life is if Lucy helps them fake John's death. Afraid to lose her newfound support system, Lucy reluctantly conspires with them to stage an "accidental" death on a hike nearby. It's just one little lie to the police, after all, and she knows a thing or two about the importance of fresh starts. But what begins as an elaborate ruse turns all too real when John turns up dead in the woods the morning after their hike. Now, Lucy must figure out who she can trust and who's pulling the strings of her tenuous new life... before she takes the fall for murder"-- Provided by publisher.
Reviews provided by Syndetics
Publishers Weekly Review
Freelance writer Lucy King's move from Brooklyn to Woodstock, N.Y., to escape an abusive relationship jump-starts YA author Konen's solid first adult novel (after Love and Other Train Wrecks). Accompanied only by her dog, Lucy believes she can live anonymously in the idyllic-sounding town. Still, she fears each day that her controlling boyfriend, Davis Gutman, will find her. Cut off from her friends and with her parents dead, lonely Lucy becomes consumed by her charming next-door neighbors, artist John Nolan and his wife, Vera Abernathy, who manages their gallery in town. But a scandal involving a teenage girl has made the couple outcasts. The appealing Lucy, whose vulnerability makes her blind to John and Vera's flaws, agrees to help them fake John's death so they can start afresh. But the plan quickly goes awry. Believable twists imbue the narrative's urgency as each character's secrets are spilled and as Lucy's past catches up with her. Lucy's credible fears about Davis elicit empathy. Konen should win a new set of fans with this domestic thriller. Agent: Elisabeth Weed, Book Group. (June)
Booklist Review
Woodstock, New York, began as a quiet refuge for freethinkers, but a certain 1969 music festival transformed it into an extremely popular destination. It seems a highly unlikely place to try to hide, but that's what Lucy King does. She is on the run from her abusive lover, Davis, back in Brooklyn. Spotted by Davis' sister at a bar in town, Lucy knows he will soon follow. That, however, turns out to be the least of her worries. Lucy's neighbors, Vera and John, who have been her principal means of emotional support, convince her to help fake John's death, which they believe to be the only way to resolve their problems. In return, they will take her with them, somewhere Davis will never find her. When John is found actually dead in his art studio, she becomes a suspect. A steady narrative draws the reader into Lucy's anxiety, and what might seem an implausible story is made believable by intricate plotting, culminating in a didn't-see-that-coming conclusion. Perfect for millennial fans of domestic thrillers.
Kirkus Book Review
On the run from her abusive boyfriend, Lucy King holes up in Woodstock, New York. Her new neighbors, John and Vera, welcome her with open arms. But are they too good to be true? In her first non--YA novel, Konen proves herself a master of weaving webs that slowly contract, strangling characters in the threads. Within minutes of meeting Vera, Lucy is warned off the couple by Maggie, who lives on the other side of Lucy's cottage. She cautions Lucy that Vera Abernathy and John Nolan are charming but only care about themselves. But after Lucy's hidden all of her valuables under the floorboards beneath her bed and closely documented everything in the cabin, determined not to let her violent boyfriend, Davis, gaslight her ever again, she drops by her neighbors' for dinner anyway. Soon, Vera, John, and Lucy are inseparable, their friendship fueled by alcohol and half-revealed secrets: Lucy confesses to Davis' abuse but holds back the details of his surveillance; Vera alludes to unfriendly relations in town but won't say why. And as the weeks progress, Lucy finds herself emotionally dependent on Vera and strongly desiring to kiss John. Yet questions persist: Why did their previous neighbor, Rachel, move out? Why are the townspeople leaving threatening notes in their mailbox and graffiti on their gallery downtown? Who is sneaking into Lucy's cottage, leaving faucets running and mementoes rearranged? As tensions rise, Vera and John tell Lucy about their plan to escape the hostilities by faking a death, and Lucy seizes the opportunity to help. But when someone turns up actually murdered, Lucy has to solve the mystery before she is arrested and blamed herself. A swift, compelling thriller with unexpected swoops and swerves. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.