PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Scarlet, June 2025

“No one crafts a character quite like Kaira Rouda. In Jill is Not Happy, Rouda brings us Jill Tingley, a wife with a seemingly perfect life—and a sinister agenda. As Jill and her husband embark on a road trip, dark secrets unravel and the journey becomes a wickedly suspenseful game of cat and mouse. Readers will be captivated by Rouda’s signature blend of charm and chilling suspense.”
–Liv Constantine, New York Times Bestselling author of The Next Mrs. Parrish

 “Mix one part family dynamics and Rouda’s trademark dark humor, and you get the heady cocktail that is Jill Is Not Happy. A revenge thriller at its best, who knew til death do us part was so literal for some people? A clever spin on the glue that keeps marriages together, I devoured this in one sitting.”
-Kimberly Belle, USA Today and internationally bestselling author of The Paris Widow

“I love everything Kaira Rouda writes and Jill Is Not Happy is no exception. Jill isn’t just not happy, she’s creepy!”
-Robyn Harding, bestselling author of The Haters 

On a weekend voyage, the power-hungry children of an aging billionaire are unprepared for a storm of deceptions in a novel about ruthless family ambition.

An invitation to Catalina Island from billionaire CEO Richard Kingsley. For his sons, Ted and John, and their wives, it’s an opportunity to curry favor, gain control of a real estate empire, and secure their family’s futures. For the controlling patriarch, succession is a contest. He and his newest wife won’t make it an easy win. Let the games begin for a family who has everything money can buy, and has used lies, deception, and more to keep it. This weekend one of them will be crowned heir. One is in line to lose everything. That’s the plan. But in the coming storm, so much can go dangerously wrong.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Thomas & Mercer, September 2023

• Zibby Awards Finalist: Best Beach Read
• Woman’s World Book Club: 7 Reads You Won’t Be Able to Put Down

“Rouda fans will know to buckle their seat belts…. King Lear goes to the beach.”
-Kirkus Reviews

“Original, clever, deftly crafted, and featuring the author’s distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style”
-Midwest Book Review

“A perfect summer escapist read.”
-Mystery & Suspense Magazine

“A frightening thriller”
-Woman’s World

“Delicious and fast-paced thriller! Beneath the Surface has it all—secrets, lies, and rich family drama. Filled with characters you love to hate, this was a twisty and entertaining ride I never wanted to end. Rouda is at her best!”
-Jeneva Rose, New York Times bestselling author

“Devious, twisty, and completely unputdownable. Beneath the Surface is Rouda at her stupendous, binge-worthy best! I devoured this delicious thriller!”
-May Cobb

“With a penchant for revealing the darker side of wealth and the antics of family values deteriorating, Kaira Rouda takes us on a journey where an embattled family gathers for a high-stakes weekend, clambering to the top, and risk everything.”
-Georgina Cross, bestselling author

“Suspenseful and glamorous, full of scheming and twists.”
-Michele Campbell, bestselling author

“Beneath the Surface is a gripping thriller filled with characters you love to hate. I couldn’t put it down until the very last page!”
-Freida McFadden, USA Today and New York Times bestselling author

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Audio

• Brilliance Audio

Foreign

• Estonian: Publishing House Ersen

Large Print

• Cengage

Media Rights: Film, Television, Stage & Podcast

• Optioned to Alonso Alvarez Barreda and Good Fear Content for development into a feature film

During a weekend retreat, a powerful family plays a dangerous game of dark secrets and cold-blooded ambition.

Under the direction of the Kingsleys’ new president, Paige, the family has gathered for a weekend retreat at a luxurious Laguna Beach resort. Still clinging to the hope of succession are the sons of Richard Kingsley, the family patriarch and CEO: John, the oldest, who’s clawed his way back from a dark tragedy, and Paige’s estranged husband, Ted, the golden boy. But as the power games begin, greater threats than the howling Santa Ana winds are coming. Because this weekend, amid so much greed and betrayal, no Kingsley is safe. It’s family. Watch your back.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Thomas & Mercer, May 2024

• People Magazine Summer Reads
• She Reads Most Anticipated Thrillers, Mystery and Suspense of 2024
• She Knows Best Beach Reads of 2024
• Brit + Co. What to Read Memorial Day Weekend

“Rouda keeps the complications coming…Fans of lethal soap operas will be happy to know that a third season is on the way.”
-Kirkus Reviews

“A well scripted novel of reader riveting psychological suspense, Under the Palms by Kaira Rouda is a provocative and absorbing read from start to finish. Singular, original, engaging, and exciting.”
-Midwest Book Review

“Kaira Rouda writes with such a fresh, engaging voice—she pulled me into this story from page one! I loved everything about Under the Palms: the secrets, power games, over-the-top luxury and complex characters. If you’re looking for a delicious read, you need to pick up this book!”
-Sarah Pekkanen, New York Times bestselling author

“Under the Palms is a single-sitting, binge-worthy page-turner. Kaira Rouda delivers with whip sharp banter and morally gray characters bent on doing their worst, even if it’s murder. It’s pure fun.”
-Kerry Lonsdale, Wall Street Journal bestselling author

“The endlessly entertaining Kaira Rouda has created a high-octane whodunnit. This heart-stopping page-turner will leave readers begging for more.”
-Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author

“This riveting plot and immersive settings had me turning the pages as fast as I could. But be warned: on the outside, it’s a frothy delicious vacation book, but the wonderful Kaira Rouda also reveals a deep understanding of psychology, business, passion, and power. Not to be missed!”
-Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author

“Dive into a riveting tale of power, secrets, and betrayal, where the opulent world of the Kingsley family becomes a battleground for dark ambitions. This gripping, propulsive novel is pure entertainment from beginning to end. A delectable read that I couldn’t put down!”
-Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author

“A propulsive, unputdownable tale and an incredibly fun ride.”
-Kimberly Belle, internationally bestselling author

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Audio

• Brilliance Audio

Large Print

• Cengage

The Perfect Marriage Is the Perfect Illusion.

Paul Strom has the perfect life: a glittering career as an advertising executive, a beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in a wealthy suburb. And he’s the perfect husband: breadwinner, protector, provider. That’s why he’s planned a romantic weekend for his wife, Mia, at their lake house, just the two of them. And he’s promised today will be the best day ever.

But as Paul and Mia drive out of the city and toward the countryside, a spike of tension begins to wedge itself between them and doubts start to arise. How much do they trust each other? And how perfect is their marriage, or any marriage, really?

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Graydon House, September 2017

• USA Today Bestseller
• Library Journal Starred Review
• PopSugar Favorite Books of the Year and Best New Books of Fall
• BookBub Feature

“Destined to fly off the shelves.”
-Library Journal (Starred Review)

“Darkly funny, scandalous and utterly satisfying.”
-Kirkus Reviews

“A tensely written, shocking book that will hold readers on the edge of their seats to the very last page.”
-Publishers Weekly

“Rouda keeps the pace taut, the action spare, and the characters intense as she takes readers on an hour-by-hour recounting of the couple’s fateful getaway.”
-Booklist

“This uncomfortably creepy thriller capitalizes on the current buzz about the prevalence of narcissists and psychopaths, and will surely leave readers wondering how well they really know their loved ones…a mind-twisting walk on the sinister side.”
-Shelf Awareness

“Chilling, satisfying suspense…it will cost you sleep as you race through the pages.”
-Good Housekeeping

“One of the 25 books you’re going to want to read this fall.”
-PopSugar

“Compelling.”
-Hello Magazine (Pick of the Week)

“Filled with suspense, mystery and a fast-paced page turner. You’re in for a treat with this one.”
-Huffington Post

“This book builds like all dark thrillers should, so be prepared for a wallop of an ending.”
-BELLA

“A deconstruction of the aspects we’ve been conditioned to think go into an aspirational life on the surface, and an examination of the darkest betrayals we perpetrate on those closest to us.”
-Brit + Co

“Best Day Ever asks us just how well we know those who are closest to us.”
-Hypable

“Paul Strom is one of the creepiest protagonists I encountered this year.”
-LitHub 

“Taut, chilling psychological thriller…the perfect immersive read”
-BookBub

“Compulsively readable”
-Read It Forward

“Rouda’s thrill-ride of a novel highlights the fact that can you never know what goes on behind the facade of a seemingly flawless marriage.”
-BookPage

“Rich with jealousy and rage…a fast-paced page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you drive with Paul and Mia mile by mile away from their home toward its gripping conclusion. Completely addicting.”
-BookReporter

“Best Day Ever really grabbed me.”
-The News & Observer

“Best Day Ever gives us a disturbing and all-too-intimate look inside the mind of a thoroughly delusional antihero in a slow burn psychological thriller that will keep you guessing right to the last page.”
-Criminal Element

“This is swiftly moving and steadily interesting, a wonderful bit of late summer escape reading. I recommend it happily.”
-Reviewing the Evidence

“The  definition of a page-turner…an entertaining book that will grab your attention from page one. Just don’t make plans for a couple of hours, because you will want to finish it as soon as possible.”
-North Dallas Gazette

“This is one of those books that draws you in carefully and sneakily, only to keep you staying up way past your bedtime to find out what is going to happen. Follow this couple through their day with gripping suspension and be prepared to not put the book down again until you’ve made it to the shocking end.”
-The News-Gazette

“Rouda managed to evoke incredibly strong emotions from me.”
-The Joplin Globe

“Kaira Rouda unravels the illusion behind a picture perfect getaway into one that is truly unforgettable. Heart pounding and exciting, this book will not let you set it down.”
-Dixon’s Independent Voice

“The author does an excellent job of keeping you guessing.”
-Princeton Book Review

“I absolutely loved this book!”
-WGRT-FM

“The book is awesome!”
-WOCA-AM

“This dark and deceptive tale of marital betrayal will hold you captive until the very last page.”
-95.9 THE FOX

“BEST DAY EVER is one of those rare books that makes you enjoy questioning your own judgement. It has you racing through the pages to find out how it ends… and boy are you gonna be surprised at the ending.”
-Hudson River Radio

“A page-turner that will have you at the edge of your seat.”
-OC in Site

“Best Day Ever could be the best thriller of the year.”
-Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author

“Had the best day ever reading Best Day Ever. Fabulous book.”
-B.A. Paris, New York Times bestselling author

“Creepy and claustrophobic, Best Day Ever ratchets up the terrors of a seemingly happy marriage from page to page. I loved this book.”
-J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author

“Perfectly plotted and devilishly dark, Best Day Ever won’t let you go until that last page is turned. Entertaining and provocative, I could not put this one down!”
-Karma Brown, international bestselling author

“We read Best Day Ever in one sitting-ripping through the pages with a breathless urgency. Best Day Ever is a creepy, spine-tingling and utterly addictive tale of domestic suspense.”
-Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, bestselling authors

“Riveting and provocative, a gripping suspense that plays with your mind and makes you wonder how well you truly know your spouse. Fast-paced, dark, and slightly disturbing, you won’t be able to put this book down until its jaw-dropping ending. Absolutely brilliant!”
– Kerry Lonsdale, Wall Street Journal bestselling author

“This may well be the most entertaining read of your year.”
-Kathryn Craft, award-winning author

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Audio

• Harlequin Audio

Foreign

• Australian English: Harlequin
• Canadian English: Harlequin
• Czech: Dobrovsky
• French: Charleston Noir/Leduc (at auction)
• German: Luebbe
• Hungarian: Alexandra
• Polish: Foksal
• Turkish: Cinar
• UK English: Harlequin

I don’t want the perfect marriage. I want revenge…

If you had met me a year ago, you wouldn’t have noticed me. A beautiful woman, but a struggling nobody in a tiny apartment, invisible. Meeting Paul changed that. And now here I am in Paris, after a whirlwind courtship and a stunning beach proposal I smile at my handsome husband, my eyes shining in the candlelight, my huge diamond ring sparkling on the starched white tablecloth. Other women look at me in envy. They see a couple completely in love.

Despite this incredible luxury vacation, my husband and I can’t escape our problems. I can’t get over what he did with that woman just after our wedding, and my bright smile can’t hide the hardness in my heart. I wonder if Paul knows the truth. That our first meeting, when we fell in love, wasn’t the coincidence he thinks it was. That what I want from him has nothing to do with his money.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Bookouture, August 2024

• Bookbub’s Twisty Thrillers We’re Currently Loving 2024

“Paul Strom is back and as unhinged as ever in this wonderfully twisty sequel to Best Day Ever. But he may have met his match in Cecelia, his second wife. With a host of unlikeable characters, dark secrets, and surprising twists, this romp through Paris is totally engrossing. Clear your schedule for some wicked and wild fun.”
-Christina McDonald, USA Today bestselling author

“Kaira Rouda’s The Second Mrs. Strom is an utterly addictive psychological thriller featuring deliciously devious characters. Paul Strom believes he’s the master of the universe with his astronomical inheritance, but his new, beautiful young bride has a plan to bring him down. As the couple celebrate their one year anniversary in Paris, they play a mind-rushing game of cat and mouse with the tension mounting on each page. Brimming with secrets and suspense, The Second Mrs. Strom will grab you from the beginning and keep you reading late into the night.”
-Elise Hart Kipness, bestselling author of Lights Out

I keep all her secrets. She thinks she can trust me.

Cecilia has it all. The house on the beach. The cute figure. The beautiful baby. But she’s a long way from perfect.

She’s let me into her gorgeous house as her nanny because now she’s on her own, she needs a little help with her baby daughter Peyton. She barely notices me. But I see everything.

While Peyton naps, I rifle through her drawers and discover the dark secrets in her past, the threatening letters from her ex-husband.

It’s a shame that Cecilia doesn’t have my powers of observation. If she took some time, she might just recognise me. I’ve been following her for a while, after all.

If she knew who I was then I don’t think I’d be so invisible. And she wouldn’t be so surprised one morning when little Peyton’s cot is found empty…

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Bookouture, November 2024

“I am jealous of every person who is yet to read this one as I would love to experience it again and go a tad bit slower, so I squeeze every last bit of goodness out of it”
-Thrillbythepage

“I loved the writing style, the premise, the scheming… 5 stars.”
-B for Book Review

A quiet neighborhood. A lovely home. A promising new beginning. In a heartbeat everything can change in this propulsive novel of suspense.

Julie Jones has left her suffocating marriage. With her teenage daughter, Jess, she’s starting over. Their new house in Oceanside is the first step toward a new life. Even if it does come with the unexpected. The previous owners, a pastor and his wife, have left something—or rather someone—behind…

Tom Dean has a bitter hatred for the father who considers him a lost cause, and for the woman who’s moved into their family’s house. The only home he’s ever known. He’s never going to leave. She thinks he’ll be gone in three days, but Tom has the perfect plan.

For a newly single mother and her daughter, a fresh start is the beginning of a nightmare. Before the weekend is over, somebody is going to get exactly what they deserve.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Thomas & Mercer, January 2022

• SheReads: Best Thrillers Coming in Spring 2022
• Bookish: One of Southern California’s 10 Noteworthy Authors of 2021

“Whatever the opposite of family values is, Rouda seems intent on perfecting a genre that enshrines it.”
-Kirkus Reviews

“Suspense and thriller readers will be on the edge of their seats for this novel that exposes the dark underbelly of human nature.”
-Library Journal

“There are great characters moving the story along, that sweep away the reader in this story of families, revenge and secrets.”
-News and Sentinel

“This story is a perfect storm of circumstances gone wrong for so many people at the same time. There’s always hope, though. Read and see who ends up the hero.”
-Bookreporter

“Rouda checks all these boxes in this tightly wound, intricately plotted domestic thriller. Get ready for your nerves to be frazzled and to be a little jumpy as you get into this unsettling story!”
-The Nerd Daily

“A truly unputdownable novel that had me gripped—and anxious—from the first sentence! Captivating, fast paced, and unsettling, Somebody’s Home is astonishingly good. I gulped it down.”
-Sally Hepworth, New York Times bestselling author

“Somebody’s Home kept me riveted from the first page to the last. A gripping psychological thriller you don’t want to miss!”
-Lucinda Berry, bestselling author

“A terrific, gripping thriller.”
-Luanne Rice, bestselling author

“With an intriguing cast of characters and a killer premise, Somebody’s Home is a thriller worth staying up all night for. Fast-paced and relentless, with unexpected twists and jaw-dropping revelations, Rouda knows how to draw readers close and keep them entranced.”
-Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author

“Privilege, social disenchantment, and extreme family tensions are the threads running through this tense novel. Kaira Rouda lets us into the lives of two families and what happens when their paths cross. Gripping and fast-paced with an explosive conclusion!”
-Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author

“Taut with foreboding from the first page, an unsettling portrait of an antisocial man, a master of the universe, and the women caught between them. Sure to keep you flipping the pages until you reach the shocking conclusion!”
-Katherine St. John

“A compulsive, fast read, Somebody’s Home reveals what people will do to protect not only their homes but the families within those four walls. A captivating read.”
-Georgina Cross, bestselling author

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Audio

• Brilliance Audio

Foreign

• Albanian: Muza Botime Sh.P.K.

A husband with secrets. A wife with no limits. A riveting novel of marriage, privilege, and lies.

Jody Asher had a plan. Her charismatic husband, Martin, would be a political icon. She, the charming wife, would fuel his success. For fifteen congressional terms, they were the golden couple on the Hill. Life was good. Until he wasn’t.

Martin’s secret affair with a young staffer doesn’t bother Jody personally. But professionally? It’s a legacy killer. Soon a reporter gets word of this scandal in the making, and Martin’s indiscretions threaten to ruin everything Jody has accomplished.

When Martin suddenly dies, it’s a chance to change the narrative—but the reporter won’t let go of his lead. As the balance of power shifts in the Asher house and on the Hill, it’s time for Jody to take control. And there’s nothing the ruthless widow won’t do to secure the future she’s entitled to. Even if she has a secret of her own.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Thomas & Mercer, December 2022

• Amazon Editor’s Pick, Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
• The Strand’s Top 25 Novels of the Year

“A deliciously diabolical take on marriage, politics, and the lies that bind.”
-Library Journal

“[A] wild mix of intrigue, secrets, and corruption.”
-Publishers Weekly

“The plot, the twists, the political shenanigans and the outright traitorous activities are all thrilling. But where Rouda’s writing really shines is in her depiction of the characters.”
-BookReporter

“Slick and rocket-paced, The Widow is a top-notch political thriller. With hairpin twists and turns, insider knowledge, glamorous settings, and a whole cast of untrustworthy characters, Rouda expertly ratchets the tension, keeping her readers breathlessly turning the pages. And the deliciously devious Jody Asher is as cold and calculating as she is riveting. A captivating read!”
-Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author

“The Widow pulls back the curtain to reveal an insider’s look at the fascinating and duplicitous world of D.C. politics. This stunning page-turner has a cast of characters with dangerous secrets and hidden motives. Rouda’s best so far!”
-Liv Constantine, internationally bestselling author

“Tense, sharply written, and ticking with suspense, The Widow is a killer edge-of-your-seat thriller with an eye-popping glimpse into D.C. politics and simmering grudges. Rouda is at her best with this devilishly smart novel that kept me guessing to the very end.”
-Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author

“A delicious and darkly comedic tale. A propulsive, unputdownable tale of a couple’s battle for power, and an incredibly fun ride.”
-Kimberly Belle, internationally bestselling author

“A breathless page-turner with a ruthless and conniving protagonist that you can’t help rooting for. This might be Rouda’s best book yet!”
-Robyn Harding, bestselling author

“A suspenseful tale filled with backstabbing page-turning goodies.”
-Lisa Barr, New York Times bestselling author

“Gripping and brimming with insider intrigue, The Widow delivers with each scandalous, suspenseful page! With a main character I loved to hate, this story has all of the twists and turns readers have come to expect of Kaira Rouda.”
-Elle Marr, Amazon Charts bestselling author

“A political thriller that’s ingeniously structured and packed full of razor sharp observations about the machinations of Washington power couples. It’s smart, timely, and wickedly fun. You won’t be able to put it down.”
-Grant Ginder

“In The Widow, Kaira Rouda perfectly captures the experience of being a Congressional Spouse and all the complicated intricacies of that lifestyle and then adds her signature flair to make it a riveting story that only she could tell. It is impossible to put down.”
-Lacey Schwartz, filmmaker, former congressional spouse, and Second Lady of New York

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Audio

• Brilliance Audio

Foreign

• Albanian: Muza Botime SH.P.K.
• Estonian: Publishing House Ersen

Large Print

• Cengage

There is no limit to the lies, suspicion, and secrets that can poison the perfect marriage in this twisting novel of suspense.

Kate Nelson had it all. A flourishing company founded with her husband, John; a happy marriage; and a daughter, Ashlyn. The picture-perfect family. Until John left for another woman. Tish is half his age. Ambitious. She’s cultivated a friendship with Ashlyn. Tish believes she’s won.

She’s wrong.

Tish Nelson has it all. Youth, influence, a life of luxury, and a new husband. But the truth is, there’s a lot of baggage. Namely, his first wife—and suspicions of his infidelity. After all, that’s how she got John. Maybe it’s time for a romantic getaway, far from his vindictive ex. If Kate plans on getting John back, Tish is one step ahead of her.

She thinks.

But what happens next is something neither Kate nor Tish saw coming. As best-laid plans come undone, there’s no telling what a woman will do in the name of love—and revenge.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Thomas & Mercer, May 2021

• Amazon Editor’s Pick
• Amazon Charts bestseller
• Amazon Best Book of the Month: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
• Suspense Magazine Best Books of 2021
• Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Suspense and First Runner Up for Best Book of the Year

“Rouda hits the ground running and never stops…so much fun that you’ll be sorry to see it end with a final pair of zingers. The guiltiest of guilty pleasures.”
-Kirkus Reviews

“This gripping psychological thriller offers a refreshing setup…Rouda keeps the reader guessing as the plot takes plenty of twists and turns. Suspense fans will get their money’s worth.”
-Publishers Weekly

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Add another scorned woman and you have the ingredients for one firestorm of a novel…Bring the popcorn for this high-noon of a novel, replete with deliciously snarky dialogue and a satisfying twist.”
-Library Journal

“Kaira Rouda balances the sassiness and wit of Real Housewives with the suspense and excitement of a Hitchcock film, creating a true page-turner that is sharp and fun while still gripping and tension filled. The Next Wife is almost impossible to put down!”
-The Nerd Daily

“This is a guilty pleasure of a thriller: fast, dramatic, and satisfying.”
-Business Insider

“A delicious revenge thriller, this will elicit an evil chuckle or two as characters match wits and ultimately get what is coming to them.”
-Parkersburg News and Sentinel

“The Next Wife is trademark Kaira Rouda with its deliciously devilish women and inherently ignorant men, but this might be one of her most villainous novels yet.”
-BookReporter

“A carefully crafted domestic and psychological thriller by [an] author with a genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling style that fully engages the reader’s attention from first page to last.”
-Midwest Book Review

“A fast, fun read that is a perfect addition to your summer list.”
-Seattle Book Review

“In The Next Wife, two women go ruthlessly head-to-head. Kaira Rouda knows how to create the perfect diabolical characters that we love to hate. Equally smart and savage, this is a lightning-fast read.”
-Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author

“Rouda’s talent for making readers question everything and everyone shines through on every page. The Next Wife will leave you tense and gasping, with a chilling twist you won’t see coming.”
-Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author

“One of the most insidious, compulsive books I’ve read recently. Kaira Rouda has a way of drawing you in with great characters, fast-paced writing, and a story that won’t let you go. Brilliant, dark, and dazzling.”
-Samantha Downing, USA Today bestselling author

“One man. Two wives. Kaira Rouda has masterfully created cunning twists and sharp narration that take you on an unexpected and delicious journey and will leave you with a gasp. Devious and fun, The Next Wife should be the next book you read!”
-Wendy Walker, bestselling author

“I absolutely inhaled The Next Wife. Nail-biting suspense, dark humor, and family intrigue. I savored every page and now have the worst book hangover. Loved it!”
-Michele Campbell, internationally bestselling author

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Audio

• Brilliance Audio

Foreign

• Czech: Dobrovsk/s.r.o.
• Estonian: Publishing House Ersen
• Russian: Eksmo Publishers

Large Print

• Cengage

In this psychological thriller set in a southern California gated community, a wife and mother wonders how much she can trust her own family.

Jane Harris lives in a sparkling home in an oceanfront gated community in Orange County. It’s a place that seems too beautiful to be touched by sadness. But exactly one year ago, Jane’s oldest daughter, Mary, died in a tragic accident, and Jane has been grief-stricken ever since. Lost in a haze of anti-depressants, she’s barely even left the house. Now that’s all about to change.

It’s time for Jane to reclaim her life and her family. Jane’s husband, David, has planned a memorial service for Mary and three days later, their youngest daughter, Betsy, graduates high school. Yet as Jane reemerges into the world, it’s clear her family has changed without her. Her husband has been working long days—and nights—at the office. Her daughter seems distant, even secretive. And her beloved Mary was always such a good girl—dutiful and loving. But does someone know more about Mary, and about her last day, than they’ve revealed?

The bonds between mothers and daughters, and husbands and wives should never be broken. But you never know how far someone will go to keep a family together…

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Graydon House, May 2019

• Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review
• Toronto Star bestseller
• Globe and Mail bestseller
• Walmart Canada as their Book of the Month
• O, The Oprah Magazine: One of the buzziest books being released this May 2019
• Goodreads: One of the most popular books published in May 2019
• PopSugar Best Book of Spring
• PopSugar Best New Book to Read in May
• Publishers Lunch Buzz Book of Spring/Summer
• BookRiot Must-Read Crime Novel
• SheReads Most Anticipated Thrillers of 2019
• The Odyssey: One of the 9 books you need to read during summer 2019
• Bookstr’s Ultimate Summer 2019 Reading Guide
• SheReads Summer Book for the Eclectic Reader
• BiblioSanctum Most Anticipated Release of 2019

“[An] exceptional psychological thriller…suspense fans will be amply rewarded.”
-Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“Delightfully wicked fun!”
-Kirkus Reviews

“Involving psychological suspense that reveals the cracks in what seems a perfect life”
-Booklist

“Gone Girl-style domestic suspense novel follows Jane, a narcissistic perfectionist dealing with the death of her daughter.”
-Washington Post

“Will hit you right in the heart”
-Bustle

“Rouda delivers a wickedly perfect thriller with The Favorite Daughter.”
-Good Life Family Magazine

“B.A. Paris and Shari Lapena fans will fall head over heels for this suspenseful psychological thriller set in an upscale Southern California community.”
-PopSugar

“Provides a front-row seat to the riveting unraveling of an unhinged narcissist who will do anything to regain a picture-perfect image…fabulously compelling and darkly hilarious. Diabolically twisted and entertaining that readers will be sorry when it comes to a stop.”
-Shelf Awareness

“No one creates a narcissist like Rouda…. A wow read that will have you floored.”
-Bookstr

“You will be hooked and won’t be able to put this fast paced and chilling title down. 5 stars.”
-Orange County Readers

“Alfred Hitchcock meets Patricia Highsmith in this masterful novel of psychological suspense. Quietly horrifying, tightly wound and diabolical, The Favorite Daughter is a stunning page-turner.”
-A.J. Banner, USA Today, Publishers Weekly & #1 Amazon Bestselling author

“…crafty, unsparing, and gloriously Hitchcockian-a masterful glimpse into a world of privilege and appearance with a nasty edge.”
-Emily Carpenter

“Both compelling and addictive, The Favorite Daughter is a roller coaster of a ride that will have you twisting and turning.”
-Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, bestselling authors 

“Intense, creepy, and classic Rouda. A chilling story, told so well. Don’t miss it!”
-J. T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author

“Compulsively readable and deeply satisfying psychological suspense.”
-Christina Alger, USA TODAY betselling author

“Leaves you wanting more.”
-Liv Constantine, nationally bestselling author

“A smart, wickedly plotted psychological thriller brimming with dark surprises.”
-Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author

“Without a doubt, she is one of the “best” in the business, writing dry humor and evil characters you love and hate. I adore her humor and ability to get into the minds of these self-centered, evil, manipulative, narcissistic and unreliable characters. No one does it better.”
-Judith D. Collins’s Book Blog

“Definitely a book you can’t put down once you start reading. Kept me guessing over where exactly the plot was going and I was surprised by a few late reveals.”
-Heather Topham Wood

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Audio

• Harlequin Audio

Foreign

• Australian English: Harlequin
• Czech: Dobrovsky
• UK English: Harlequin