cover image Dying to Meet You

Dying to Meet You

Sarina Bowen. Harper Perennial, $18.99 trade paper (368p) ISBN 978-0-06-328064-9

Bowen (The Five Year Lie) thrills with this wicked blend of domestic suspense and gothic mystery. When Wall Street Journal reporter Tim Novak is found dead in his car outside the imposing Wincott mansion in Maine, architect Rowan Gallagher is the prime suspect. The evidence appears strong: Tim had just dumped Rowan via text after a 10-week romance, and she’s been using the FriendFinder app to track of his movements ever since. Plus, she’s been hard at work restoring the Wincott mansion for months. However, it’s soon made clear that Rowan is most likely innocent, and other suspects come to the fore, including Rowan’s fresh out of prison ex-husband, and her 16-year old daughter, Natalie, who resented Tim. Meanwhile, Rowan starts to fear there’s truth to the rumors that ghosts lurk in Wincott’s ornate banisters, imported fixtures, and murals of Poseidon. As Rowan scrapes off paint, discovers hidden rooms, and ventures into the property’s “scary old basement,” she uncovers secrets about the Wincott family that may be connected to Tim’s murder. Secrets, lies, and false identities accumulate until Bowen ties everything together with a series of bombshell revelations. The result is a twisty and atmospheric delight. Agent: Mollie Glick, CAA. (May)
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