0 0
Download high-resolution image

Happy Wife

A Novel

Author Meredith Lavender, Kendall Shores
Hardcover
$30.00 US
| $39.99 CAN
Bantam Dell | Bantam
On sale Jun 24, 2025 | 320 Pages | 9780593974377
Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies

See Additional Formats
View on Edelweiss
A young woman must find her missing husband and prove her innocence in this twisty, unputdownable novel set in an ultrawealthy Florida community where looks can kill.

“In a world of the uber rich, a web of deceit, envy, and betrayal leads to one woman fighting for the truth—and her life—in this gripping tale of suspense and intrigue. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”—Liv Constantine, New York Times bestselling author of The Next Mrs. Parrish

Nora Davies doesn’t exactly fit in to Winter Park, Florida, where old-guard Floridians mix with the tax-fleeing coastal elite. Twenty-eight and barely making ends meet working at a country club, Nora feels like she’s going nowhere fast. Enter Will Somerset: a prominent forty-six-year-old lawyer, father to a teenage daughter, and recently divorced. The two set Winter Park’s social scene agog when they fall in love and marry after a whirlwind Cinderella-style courtship.

But Winter Park is fully upended when Will disappears the morning after a birthday bash Nora throws for him. Going back and forth between Nora and Will’s romance and the search in the wake of Will’s mysterious disappearance, Nora must answer the question from all angles: Where. Is. Will?

Combining breathless suspense, glittering and juicy social dynamics, and an unforgettable cast of characters, Happy Wife is a clever and subversive novel that explores marriage, wealth, and the secrets that lurk behind closed doors.
“In a world of the uber-rich, a web of deceit, envy, and betrayal leads to one woman fighting for the truth—and her life—in this gripping tale of suspense and intrigue. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”—Liv Constantine, New York Times bestselling author of The Next Mrs. Parrish

“You'll rip through the pages of this juicy, delicious scorcher of a debut. Happy Wife is a fresh take on Real Housewives that will seduce you with its charm, bowl you over with its whip-smart social commentary, then knock you unconscious with its propulsive, sizzling conclusion. Like the best shaken cocktail, Happy Wife is one part spice, one part salt, one part sweet, and all parts obsession.”—Rebecca Hanover, New York Times bestselling author The Last Applicant and Seems Perfect

“This is a witty and well-crafted whodunit with heart and soul. Avarice, glitz, mystery, friendship—Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores found all the right ingredients to cook up a crackerjack story. It’s terrific stuff!”—Marc Cameron, New York Times bestselling author

“Suspenseful and addictive—Happy Wife is smartly written and easy to devour.”—Karin Slaughter, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Deliciously devious and wholly satisfying, Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shore’s Happy Wife is everything you want in a summer read. Murder turns a wealthy small town upside down in this twisty, fast-paced whodunitthat will keep you turning pages way past your bedtime. I was utterly captivated by this fun, fresh, and clever mystery!”—Katherine Wood, author of Ladykiller
© Grace Dinwiddie, Gracie Blue Photography, LLC
Meredith Lavender has spent more than two decades working as a television writer and an executive producer. Most recently, she served as showrunner and executive producer on Max’s The Flight Attendant, and she is currently in development on multiple projects with A&E, Paramount+, and more. View titles by Meredith Lavender
© Grace Dinwiddie, Gracie Blue Photography, LLC
Kendall Shores’s career spans nearly seventeen years and runs the gamut from grant writing for a nonprofit museum in Orlando to communications consulting and strategy for large organizations. View titles by Kendall Shores

About

A young woman must find her missing husband and prove her innocence in this twisty, unputdownable novel set in an ultrawealthy Florida community where looks can kill.

“In a world of the uber rich, a web of deceit, envy, and betrayal leads to one woman fighting for the truth—and her life—in this gripping tale of suspense and intrigue. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”—Liv Constantine, New York Times bestselling author of The Next Mrs. Parrish

Nora Davies doesn’t exactly fit in to Winter Park, Florida, where old-guard Floridians mix with the tax-fleeing coastal elite. Twenty-eight and barely making ends meet working at a country club, Nora feels like she’s going nowhere fast. Enter Will Somerset: a prominent forty-six-year-old lawyer, father to a teenage daughter, and recently divorced. The two set Winter Park’s social scene agog when they fall in love and marry after a whirlwind Cinderella-style courtship.

But Winter Park is fully upended when Will disappears the morning after a birthday bash Nora throws for him. Going back and forth between Nora and Will’s romance and the search in the wake of Will’s mysterious disappearance, Nora must answer the question from all angles: Where. Is. Will?

Combining breathless suspense, glittering and juicy social dynamics, and an unforgettable cast of characters, Happy Wife is a clever and subversive novel that explores marriage, wealth, and the secrets that lurk behind closed doors.

Reviews

“In a world of the uber-rich, a web of deceit, envy, and betrayal leads to one woman fighting for the truth—and her life—in this gripping tale of suspense and intrigue. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”—Liv Constantine, New York Times bestselling author of The Next Mrs. Parrish

“You'll rip through the pages of this juicy, delicious scorcher of a debut. Happy Wife is a fresh take on Real Housewives that will seduce you with its charm, bowl you over with its whip-smart social commentary, then knock you unconscious with its propulsive, sizzling conclusion. Like the best shaken cocktail, Happy Wife is one part spice, one part salt, one part sweet, and all parts obsession.”—Rebecca Hanover, New York Times bestselling author The Last Applicant and Seems Perfect

“This is a witty and well-crafted whodunit with heart and soul. Avarice, glitz, mystery, friendship—Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores found all the right ingredients to cook up a crackerjack story. It’s terrific stuff!”—Marc Cameron, New York Times bestselling author

“Suspenseful and addictive—Happy Wife is smartly written and easy to devour.”—Karin Slaughter, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Deliciously devious and wholly satisfying, Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shore’s Happy Wife is everything you want in a summer read. Murder turns a wealthy small town upside down in this twisty, fast-paced whodunitthat will keep you turning pages way past your bedtime. I was utterly captivated by this fun, fresh, and clever mystery!”—Katherine Wood, author of Ladykiller

Author

© Grace Dinwiddie, Gracie Blue Photography, LLC
Meredith Lavender has spent more than two decades working as a television writer and an executive producer. Most recently, she served as showrunner and executive producer on Max’s The Flight Attendant, and she is currently in development on multiple projects with A&E, Paramount+, and more. View titles by Meredith Lavender
© Grace Dinwiddie, Gracie Blue Photography, LLC
Kendall Shores’s career spans nearly seventeen years and runs the gamut from grant writing for a nonprofit museum in Orlando to communications consulting and strategy for large organizations. View titles by Kendall Shores

Additional formats

Related Articles

Penguin Random House Library Marketing

© 2025 Penguin Random House

Back to Top
0
    • 0
    Wish List (0)