An unsettling psychological suspense novel about power, obsession, and the dangerous games people play.
Goodreads
Release date: July 7, 2026
Publisher: Little Brown
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Synopsis:
An aspiring chef finds she has bitten off more than she can chew when her gig as a private cook to a bestselling author turns deadly in this propulsive, whip-smart suspense novel.
Brett Novak is a young upstart chef, with real, raw talent—if only she could catch a break. After getting dumped by her married girlfriend and losing the perfect job offer, Brett accepts a temporary position as a live-in, personal chef of a reclusive, bestselling author, Carson Smart, who resides in a mansion on a secluded beach in Cape Cod.
Carson immediately seduces her, but things get complicated when Carson’s wife, Vera, arrives home from her trip, and the love/hate relationship between the two spouses erupts, leaving Brett caught in the middle. Brett, starved for attention, craves Carson’s affection and yet is oddly drawn to Vera’s seductive and destructive charms.
As Brett becomes an unwitting pawn and weapon, she questions how far husband and wife will go to wound the other. With nowhere else to turn, she has no choice but to stay—even as her hold on reality begins to slip. Can she survive her employers’ dark appetites?
Review:
This was dark, messy, unsettling, and completely captivating. Brett is an absolute disaster of a main character, but somehow I couldn’t help rooting for her. She’s flawed, impulsive, desperate for connection, and repeatedly makes questionable decisions, yet she always felt believable. I was invested in every terrible choice she made.
The dynamic between Brett, Carson, and Vera is where this novel really shines. Brett becomes an unwilling pawn in their manipulative, toxic marriage, and their constantly shifting alliances kept me guessing. Every interaction felt loaded with tension, making it nearly impossible to predict where things were headed. Although the novel isn’t technically a locked room mystery, the isolated mansion creates that same suffocating atmosphere. The house itself becomes almost another character, amplifying the sense that Brett is trapped in a situation she can’t escape.
Beyond the suspense, Jennifer Pashley weaves in thoughtful commentary about class, wealth, gender, power, and misogyny. Those themes add surprising depth without ever slowing the story down, making this much more than a standard domestic thriller. If you enjoy morally gray characters, toxic relationships, and psychological suspense that leaves you feeling deeply unsettled, this one is absolutely worth picking up.
Perfect for Readers Who Love
- Morally gray, deeply flawed characters
- Toxic relationship dynamics
- Unpredictable psychological suspense
- Claustrophobic, isolated settings
- Social commentary woven into thrillers
- Slow burning tension with messy emotional drama
Overall rating: 4/5
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
