02/03/2025
In Rose’s suspenseful if overstuffed sequel to The Perfect Marriage, attorney turned nonprofit executive Sarah Morgan is thrust back into the spotlight after police reopen her late husband’s murder case. It’s been over a decade since Sarah’s first husband, Adam, was executed by the state of Virginia for killing his mistress after Sarah failed to successfully defend him in court. When Prince William County officials uncover new DNA evidence linking a former sheriff to the murder, the current sheriff reaches out to Sarah—who now runs a foundation dedicated to helping felons acclimate to life after prison—to rehash the details of the crime. Meanwhile, Sarah navigates a messy divorce from her current husband, Bob, who’s under suspicion for the disappearance of his own mistress. Both spouses are fighting bitterly to retain custody of their daughter, Summer, and threatening to expose the other’s closely guarded secrets. Rose has a lot of fun with her characters’ attempts to implicate each other in the book’s overlapping criminal investigations, and maintains wicked tension from the opening pages. It all gets a bit convoluted by the end, but most thriller fans won’t mind. This is a ride worth taking. Agent: Celeste Fine, Park & Fine Literary. (Apr.)
