Publishers Weekly
02/06/2023
In the year since Gabe and Pippa Gerard, the couple at the center of this twisty psychological thriller from bestseller Hepworth (The Younger Wife), moved to a beautiful cliffside house in Portsea, a sleepy coastal town a couple of hours outside of Melbourne, Australia, they have become aware that the breathtaking view from the cliff behind their house attracts not only lovers of spectacular sunsets but also the suicidal. So far seven people have come to the spot to die, and charismatic and caring Gabe has been able to talk them all out of jumping. When Amanda Cameron, the wife of Gabe’s former boss, shows up near the cliff, Gabe goes out to work his magic. But this time the woman goes over the edge to her death. Was it really a suicide? Short, crisp chapters narrated by Pippa and by Amanda—depicting events both before and after her death—keep the momentum going, and the repressed friction between the Gerards and the Camerons helps build tension. Never mind that who’s responsible for Amanda’s death comes as no surprise. Fans of domestic suspense will be satisfied. Agent: Rob Weisbach, Rob Weisbach Creative Management. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
One of the best thrillers of the year”—The New York Times
One of Good Morning America's "most anticipated thrillers of 2023" and a GMA Buzz pick!
A Book of the Month Club Pick for March 2023
One of Buzzfeed's 20 Most Anticipated Thrillers of 2023
"The book is many things: a crime story, a psychological study, a blueprint for how and when to mete out information in a thriller. But most of all it is an inquiry into the mysteries of marriage and commitment, and into what we owe our spouses and one another." —The New York Times Book Review
"The Soulmate is the perfect thriller. Twisty, fun, and compelling in that I know I should go to bed, but this new twist means I’m up until at least 3 AM way. But it also cuts into the murky heart of a marriage, asking questions about trust, fidelity, the secrets we keep, and the things we’ll do for love." —Rachel Hawkins, New York Times Bestselling Author
"The latest twisty pageturner from the brilliant Sally Hepworth. Masterfully designed to keep readers on the edge of their seats and wanting more, The Soulmate examines love and loyalty, and how far we're willing to go for the sake of family. I devoured this book!" -Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman Missing
"[A] twisty psychological thriller... Fans of domestic suspense will be satisfied." -Publishers Weekly
"Sympathetic characters combined with powerful themes of guilt, love, and loyalty will lead readers to consider the power of self-delusion. Recommended for fans of Liane Moriarty and Fiona Barton." —Booklist
"Gabe and Pippa live in a cottage at the top of a cliff where people often come to jump to their deaths. Gabe talks them down, until one night he lets the person jump. Who is this mysterious person, and why didn't Gabe stop her? Hepworth's follow-up to The Mother-In-Law and The Younger Wife will have you up past your bedtime." —Country Living
"Hepworth is a master of suspense...From its inciting incident to its final shocking twist, The Soulmate will keep readers in its thrall, making them wonder how well someone can really know their partner." —BookPage
“Did she jump or was she pushed? That is the compelling question at the heart of this unputdownable tale of marriage and betrayal from the author of The Good Sister.” —E! Online
"What would you do if you lived in a home with a fabulous view including a cliff… but the cliff is where many people take their own lives? In this novel by bestselling author Sally Hepworth, Pippa and Gabe, the couple in the cottage, must deal with a particular jumper who, it turns out, the husband knew personally. But was the victim even a victim!? Was she pushed or did she jump? Could Pippa's soulmate be lying to her? Find out in this fast-paced thrilling read which will surely make a massive splash." — Zibby Owens, Good Morning America
:Hepworth ("The Younger Wife") does it again with a pulse-pounding, propulsive domestic thriller that will keep you turning page after page until its final shocking twist. Part suspense thriller and part an anatomy of lives rife with personal ambition, infidelities and psychological illness." —Patriot Ledger
"Emotional and touching...Hepworth is the master of misdirection as she cleverly causes us to believe one thing only to unveil the truth later. But she saves the biggest surprises, and the most touching ones, to the very end. How much will a woman put up with in the name of love? That is a question with enough depth to keep any book club talking well past the first bottle of wine." —Bookreporter
"Bestselling author Sally Hepworth is known for her heart-racing page-turners, and The Soulmate is another eerie thriller." —Woman's World
"The New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth has done it again with this gripping and addictive novel about complex relationships, family, infidelity, mental illness and deceitfulness that nudges us to the breaking point. Gabe and Pippa live in a beautiful cottage in a quiet coastal town set on a dangerous cliff—a spot where people attempt to end their lives (and often succeed). Unless Gabe intervenes. Remarkably, he’s managed to, quite literally, talk several jumpers off the edge. Until one day when his valiant plan fails and a woman falls to her death...leaving a number of unanswered questions. As Pippa begins to unravel the truth, the perfect facade of her marriage becomes fractured and she’s forced to ask herself if Gabe is really her soulmate after all." —Westport Magazine
"Hepworth, who consistently plumbs the darkness of domesticity and the dangers of devotion, achieves scary and seductive new heights in this moving novel that’s at once tragic and redemptive." —Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
AudioFile - JULY 2023
This novel's story is told by Pippa, who speaks of "now" and "then," and by Amanda, who refers to "before" and "after." Two competent narrators, Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry, guide the listener through this story, which involves the two characters and four time frames and which doles out information in short segments that continually change voice and perspective. The characters' accents fit the setting--high on the rugged coast of Australia. Kreinik expresses puzzlement as Pippa's "then" voice tries to make sense of what she saw on the cliff. Her "now" voice is more nuanced as she evaluates its ramifications on her life and relationships. Douglas-Henry makes Amanda's "before" voice conversational. Her "after" voice sounds more detached as she speaks from the afterlife. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
