The Girlfriend

by Michelle Frances Narrated by Henrietta Meire

Overview

A chilling domestic thriller, The Girlfriend brilliantly renders the relationships between a fiercely protective mother, a charming son, and the young woman who will stop at nothing to come between them.

Laura Cavendish can't wait to meet the woman who's won her son's affection. Despite a successful career in television and a long, prosperous marriage, Laura's world revolves around kind, talented Daniel. She pictures his new girlfriend, Cherry, becoming a close friend and confidante ... one day, even a daughter-in-law.

But although Cherry is beautiful and amiable, Laura can't warm to her. There's something about the possessive way she touches Daniel, the little lies Laura detects. Cherry seems to resent Laura, driving a wedge between mother and son-until one day Daniel is injured in a terrible accident. Six months later, with Daniel still in a coma and facing death, Laura makes a fateful decision-and carries out an astonishing deceit.

A handsome doctor for a husband, with a trust fund and a family villa in Saint-Tropez-it was all supposed to be Cherry's. Now, instead of living with Daniel in his impeccable home, she's jobless and broke. And then Cherry discovers Laura's stunning deception. But Cherry is too clever, too ambitious to let her get away with it. She has already transformed herself into Daniel's dream woman. Now she'll become Laura's worst nightmare.

Author Michelle Frances masterfully weaves both women's perspectives into this gripping, artfully plotted psychological thriller, propelling the reader through one dark twist after another toward a shocking, unforgettable finale.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

02/05/2018
Successful TV producer Laura Cavendish, the heroine of BBC development executive Frances’s gripping debut, has poured her heart and soul into rearing her only child, Daniel, now a medical student who lives with her in London. The prospect of his moving to his own flat worries her. Laura grows even more anxious when she meets his new girlfriend, Cherry, who was born on the wrong side of the tracks and using any means necessary to claw her way out of poverty. The first encounter between the two most important women in Daniel’s life does not go well. As Laura uncovers Cherry’s lies and ruses, Cherry cunningly retaliates, until a rift results between mother and son. After a near-tragic accident, Laura is convinced that there’s only way to save her son: she must eliminate Cherry. But Cherry is not going to go away quietly. The tension rises as the two women hurtle toward a final confrontation. Fans of psychological thrillers will eagerly look forward to Frances’s next book. (Feb.)

From the Publisher

Praise for The Girlfriend
 
“One of the best books I’ve read in a long, long time.  I loved The Girlfriend!” 
—Lisa Jackson, New York Times bestselling author
 
“The Girlfriend is a taut psychological thriller, the evil chillingly drawn. Every character is layered and beautifully twisted.   Makes me consider running background checks on any potential spouses my children bring home!”
—Karen Rose, New York Times bestselling author
 
“A juicy thriller and utterly compulsive reading.”
 —Jenny Blackhurst, author of How I Lost You
 
“An original and chilling portrayal of twisted relationships.” 
 —Debbie Howells, author of The Bones of You

Library Journal

08/01/2017
Laura Cavendish is well-off, elitist, and distanced from her philandering husband. Her whole world revolves around her grown son, Daniel. When Daniel announces that he has a new love in his life—a gorgeous and ambitious woman named Cherry—Laura can't wait to meet her, if only to size her up. Not surprisingly, Laura doesn't think much of her son's new catch. A psychological roller-coaster ensues as two devious, unlikable women fight for Daniel's attention. The writing jumps from one point of view to another at a moment's notice, often within the same scene. The head-hopping narrative can be unnecessarily distracting as the reader is volleyed back and forth. VERDICT Despite its flaws, this debut novel will appeal to fans of fast-paced psychological thrillers led by deliciously vile female characters.—Erin Entrada Kelly, Philadelphia

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169694529
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	01/30/2018
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	1,055,060

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