Additional information
by Nicole Bokat (Author)
A haunting psychological thriller about sibling rivalry, suspicion, and guilt after a house fire nearly kills a young woman's brother--and leaves everyone questioning what really happened that night.
After storming out during a fight with her younger brother, twenty-seven-year-old climate journalist Ellie Stone returns later to a nightmare: the house in flames and Josh burned beyond recognition. Social media quickly turns the tragedy into a local cause célèbre, blaming Ellie because years earlier she was involved in a blaze that scarred a classmate. Is history repeating itself? In shock, Ellie can't recall whether she left a lit cigarette in the house. The police say it's arson--and at first they suspect her. But then another question emerges: What about the unknown vehicle seen in the driveway as the flames erupted? The only people sympathetic to Ellie are her brother's best friend--who soon becomes her romantic partner--and Josh's girlfriend, who reveals their relationship may not have been what it seemed. As Ellie searches for answers, she uncovers secrets that make her question whom to trust, how to stay safe, and how to reclaim her future. With razor-sharp precision, Nicole Bokat weaves psychological tension and twisty storytelling into a haunting tale of suspicion, family rivalry, and the thin line between accident and blame. "A tumultuous narrative that will confound readers' expectations and keep them guessing."--Kirkus ReviewsAuthor Biography
Nicole Bokat is the author of the novels Redeeming Eve and What Matters Most. Redeeming Eve was nominated for both the Hemingway Foundation/PEN award and the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize for Fiction. She's also published The Novels of Margaret Drabble: This Freudian Family Nexus. She received her PhD from New York University and has taught at NYU, Hunter College, and The New School. Her essays and articles have appeared in The New York Times, Parents magazine, The Forward, and at More.com. She lives with her husband in New Jersey and has two grown sons.
