This was meant to be our fresh start. It’s turning into a nightmare.

It seemed like a dream come true when we first moved in. A chance to leave my stressful job behind and fix things with James. But something gnaws at me each morning as I wave my husband off to work from our gated community, accept a coffee from Lin, our housekeeper, and watch my kids play in these eerily perfect, car-free streets. 

When a neighbor’s body is found floating in a pool during a party, the other wives say it was a tragic accident. But there are also whispers about the family who lived in our villa before us—just vanished one day, they say. 

Something’s not right. As I dig deeper, I realize this community will do anything to keep its secrets. Someone’s watching me now, I can tell. Even James wants me to stop asking questions, keep quiet, be grateful for what we have. Can I trust him? What if he’s part of this too? 

What if this perfect new life is anything but?

For fans of Sophie Hannah, C.L. Taylor and JP Delaney, this addictive exploration of marriage, motherhood and manipulation will have you reading late into the night, wondering: how far would you go to protect your family?