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An unputdownable thriller, creatively centering on a true-crime podcast, a cold-case mystery, and a totally captivating nasty-but-nice heroine.

Lucy Chase is almost thirty, – a beautiful, sarcastic, darkly hilarious, tough-as-nails loner who is used to being on the outside looking in. On the very outside, that is, – as Lucy has been suspected, slandered and socially convicted of the murder of her best friend Savannah (Savvy), five years ago, in her pasted-on-perfect hometown of Plumpton, Texas.

Never formally criminally charged, Lucy’s caustic veneer is all that protects her from complete psychological chaos, as her head injury and continuing memory lapse surrounding the homicidal event fail to solicit any measure of credibility or compassion. Lucy’s social isolation is complete – extending to friends, and even the members of her own family, with the sole exception of her spirited (pun intended!), amorous and delightfully independent grandma Beverley. Both Lucy, and her grandma, at the hands of this author, embody rare literary magic as unrestrained laugh-out-loud go-for-it-all feisty women, encapsulating an unmistakable tiny beating heart of pure vulnerability.

When drool-worthy Ben Owens, (whose successful true-crime podcast “Listen for the Lie” captures the attention of thousands), takes on the case concerning Lucy, it feels as if her prospects could not get any bleaker. But fate has surprises in store for Lucy, as the author unfolds a narrative as fresh and engaging as the podcast it parallels, galloping through characters coloring Lucy’s past, her present, and the unwinding of violence, trauma, lies and secrets peppered throughout them.

Highly recommended for mystery lovers, this is a terrific read, original and truly engaging, and an easy early 2024 favorite.

A great big thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book, all thoughts presented are my own.

*** This book will be published on March 5, 2024