SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM FAULKNER AWARD

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena meets The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn in a haunting, atmospheric Hitchcockian thriller for fans of Karin Slaughter. A fictional feminist manifesto along the lines of Rose McGowan’s Brave with the raw, honest, fearless actions of one woman battling violent misogyny. Perfect for supporters of the #MeToo movement.

When FBI agent Priya Conlin-Kumar tracks two different serial killers hunting in the same city, she hones in on the seemingly inhuman predator who continues slaughtering at whim.

The closer Priya gets, the more intense their battle becomes. Soon it touches all the law enforcement officers–female and male–assisting with the case. Inexplicable events make Priya and her lover, the county sheriff, wonder if supernatural beings are walking through the city.

For a final event that will shake the mountain, Priya must access the dark, sensual power of the goddess Kali to defeat the predator. And she must do so before more civilians and law officers become the latest victims.

Showcasing magical realism and a powerful female protagonist, Beloved blends the human darkness of Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) with the smart sophistication of Tana French (Dublin Murder Squad series) and J.D. Robb for a twisty, ingenious, and moving novel of psychological suspense.

Comparable titles: The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, Origin by Dan Brown, The Alice Network by Kate Quinn, The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware, Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay, An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine, The Wife by Alafair Burke, The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck, Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris, The Vanishing Year by Kate Moretti, The Girl Before by Rena Olsen, Fractured by Catherine McKenzie, I Found You by Lisa Jewell, I See You by Clare Mackintosh, The Sister by Louise Jensen, The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan, and Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.

Beloved was supported by fellowships and art residency programs from the Vermont Studio Center and Wildacres Arts & Humanities Center.

Laine Cunningham’s books are included in the fantastic fiction found on books to read and good books to read lists curated on online book review sites. Bookworms have compared her stories to bestselling books that garner recommended reading notes by bookstore employees. Browse the full selection of her fiction and nonfiction titles at Amazon books, Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble, and your local independent bookstore.