Following a shocking murder, a woman must face the husband she thought she knew in this twisty, sizzling novel from the bestselling authors of Happy Wife.
Welcome back to Winter Park, where looks can kill and secrets refuse to stay buried.
Este Walker didn’t move to Florida to make friends. Five years ago, she ghosted her life in California to reinvent herself among the lakefront estates of Florida’s elite. With a cocktail in hand, more money than she could ever spend, and a past she intends to keep hidden, she’s finally content—or, you know, close enough. Her husband, Beau, and her best friend, Nora, are the only company Este needs.
But when someone she’d much rather forget resurfaces, the past begins to close on her. And then a mysterious death turns Winter Park upside down—and Beau, who’s keeping secrets of his own, is implicated,. Thrust into a high-stakes murder investigation, Este must unravel a web of lies and deception to answer the question: What exactly happened in California, and has it come back to haunt her? More important: How is she going to get herself out of this mess?
Praise for Perfect Life
“Lavender and Shores’s swift pacing will keep readers turning pages. Fans of Liane Moriarty’s suburban suspense will have a good time with this.”—Publishers Weekly
Praise for Happy Wife
“One of those delicious, fun summer books that you’ll open on the beach and never put down.”—Jenna Bush Hager, Read with Jenna
“Addictive . . . smartly written and easy to devour.”—Karin Slaughter, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Twisty and gossipy but ultimately filled with empathy . . . the perfect summer read.”—Criminal Element
“Lots of twists and turns and well-written characters and a plot that never drags.”—Red Carpet Crash
“A twisty dual timeline story about marriage, rich people behaving badly, and an unreliable narrator.”—Paste
“Page-turning . . . blends suspense with a compelling exploration of the complexities of marriage.”—Library Journal
“Gripping . . . I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”—Liv Constantine, New York Times bestselling author of The Next Mrs. Parrish
“One part spice, one part salt, one part sweet, and all parts obsession.”—Rebecca Hanover, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Applicant
Meredith Lavender has spent more than two decades working as a television writer. She served as showrunner/executive producer on Max’s The Flight Attendant as well as an executive producer on Nashville (ABC), among other shows. Currently, she’s in development on multiple TV projects and adaptations.
View titles by Meredith Lavender
Prior to becoming an author, Kendall Shores spent years leading corporate communications for tech companies and nonprofit organizations, including Mailchimp and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Now, she prefers writing the kinds of stories she used to daydream about between deadlines.
View titles by Kendall Shores
Following a shocking murder, a woman must face the husband she thought she knew in this twisty, sizzling novel from the bestselling authors of Happy Wife.
Welcome back to Winter Park, where looks can kill and secrets refuse to stay buried.
Este Walker didn’t move to Florida to make friends. Five years ago, she ghosted her life in California to reinvent herself among the lakefront estates of Florida’s elite. With a cocktail in hand, more money than she could ever spend, and a past she intends to keep hidden, she’s finally content—or, you know, close enough. Her husband, Beau, and her best friend, Nora, are the only company Este needs.
But when someone she’d much rather forget resurfaces, the past begins to close on her. And then a mysterious death turns Winter Park upside down—and Beau, who’s keeping secrets of his own, is implicated,. Thrust into a high-stakes murder investigation, Este must unravel a web of lies and deception to answer the question: What exactly happened in California, and has it come back to haunt her? More important: How is she going to get herself out of this mess?
Reviews
Praise for Perfect Life
“Lavender and Shores’s swift pacing will keep readers turning pages. Fans of Liane Moriarty’s suburban suspense will have a good time with this.”—Publishers Weekly
Praise for Happy Wife
“One of those delicious, fun summer books that you’ll open on the beach and never put down.”—Jenna Bush Hager, Read with Jenna
“Addictive . . . smartly written and easy to devour.”—Karin Slaughter, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Twisty and gossipy but ultimately filled with empathy . . . the perfect summer read.”—Criminal Element
“Lots of twists and turns and well-written characters and a plot that never drags.”—Red Carpet Crash
“A twisty dual timeline story about marriage, rich people behaving badly, and an unreliable narrator.”—Paste
“Page-turning . . . blends suspense with a compelling exploration of the complexities of marriage.”—Library Journal
“Gripping . . . I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”—Liv Constantine, New York Times bestselling author of The Next Mrs. Parrish
“One part spice, one part salt, one part sweet, and all parts obsession.”—Rebecca Hanover, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Applicant
Meredith Lavender has spent more than two decades working as a television writer. She served as showrunner/executive producer on Max’s The Flight Attendant as well as an executive producer on Nashville (ABC), among other shows. Currently, she’s in development on multiple TV projects and adaptations.
View titles by Meredith Lavender
Prior to becoming an author, Kendall Shores spent years leading corporate communications for tech companies and nonprofit organizations, including Mailchimp and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Now, she prefers writing the kinds of stories she used to daydream about between deadlines.
View titles by Kendall Shores
