Guest post by A Friend Indeed author Elka Ray
Elka Ray is the author of the mystery Divorce is Murder, set in her hometown of Victoria, B.C., Canada. A joint UK/Canadian citizen, Elka has spent two decades living as an expat in Vietnam, working as a journalist, researcher, copy editor, and communications consultant. She lives by the beach with her husband and three children. A Friend Indeed is her first foray into psychological suspense.
Ingenious and twisty, fresh and darkly comedic, A FRIEND INDEED is a meditation on social disparity, the weight of secrets, and the power of female friendships. Follow best friends Jo and Dana as they put their friendship to the ultimate test in a story that explores what it means to be a good wife, mother, and friend.
Summer wouldn’t be summer without a pile of good books to read by the pool, at the lake, or on the beach. As the temperature soars, we want sizzling reads about friends, frenemies, and foes—plus twisted family dynamics. If Christmas is the season for ghost tales and claustrophobic locked room mysteries, summer’s about steamy Domestic Suspense. Author Elka Ray suggests seven titles to stuff in your beach bag.
THE OFFING by Roz Nay
If you only read one Suspense book this summer, make it Roz Nay’s THE OFFING. New Yorkers Ivy and Regan sign up as crew on a sailboat in Far North Queensland, Australia, joining a handsome backpacker cook and the boat’s Tasmanian owner and his young daughter. It’s soon clear that everyone on board the Alone at Last has scary secrets. The travelers are trying to outrun bad choices and trauma, while the captain is either decent but desperate—or psycho. As in her past books, Roz Nay’s writing’s as smooth as a windless sea, while the setting adds heaps to this tense story, the surroundings beautiful, menacing, and claustrophobic. There’s nothing like being stuck on a small boat with people to truly get to know them. I could not turn the pages fast enough to learn whose secrets prove deadly. The solution hit like a shark attack—I didn’t see it coming.
A FRIEND IN THE DARK by Samantha M. Bailey
With her marriage in tatters, empty-nester Eden reconnects with an old flame online, only for her life to combust. The story’s told by Eden and another woman caught in a web of lies that stretches back to their time in college. Samantha Bailey does a masterful job of tying all the web’s sticky strands together in this tale of midlife angst, desire, wishful thinking, motherhood, and manipulation. As her marriage falters, Eden’s college-age daughter blames her blind-sided mom—a fascinating dynamic that adds to this midlife story. If you’re down for a truly evil villain, A FRIEND IN THE DARK is perfect pool reading. The ending is twisty, clever, and scary.
FOR WORSE by L.K. Bowen
Marital woes—and the risks of our online lives—also take center stage in FOR WORSE, which drew me in with its visually impaired main character and smooth writing. The story revolves around fifty-something Ellie, who has spent 22 years married to a manipulative man who’s using her failing eyesight to control her. After finding a tribe of over-it ex-wives in an online chat group for 50+ divorcing women, Ellie’s desire to be free reaches scary heights – while her husband’s grip tightens. The book offers fascinating insights into coercive control. Pick this up if you enjoy your Suspense with deeper character development and more psychological insights. Ellie’s domineering spouse is expertly drawn, while the women in the chat group are dryly funny.
THE WIDOW ON DWYER COURT by Lisa Kusel
While rocky marriages are the sometimes stale bread and butter of Domestic Suspense, THE WIDOW ON DWYER COURT has a truly original premise. Main character Kate hates having sex and encourages her husband Matt to sleep with other people, so long as he shares all the deets, which she plows into her bestselling erotic novels. Kate and Matt’s unconventional marriage is rattling along until an offbeat widow moves into their neighborhood, pushing everything off-kilter. At first, the newcomer is a breath of fresh air. Or is that breeze toxic? The book’s a fast, wild, and unexpected ride that explores marriage, desire, friendship, ambition, and betrayal. If you’re looking for spice, sly insights, and dark humor, slide THE WIDOW ON DWYER COURT into your beach tote. I give it top marks for uniqueness and humor.
KNIFE RIVER by Justine Champine
It’s not friends or spouses that take center stage in KNIFE RIVER but estranged sisters, reunited in their small hometown after their long-missing mother’s bones are discovered. If you want fast-paced twists, skip this one. It’s a slow burn. But burn it does—smoke will get in your eyes. Fifteen years ago, when Jess was thirteen, her mom left for a walk and vanished. Jess’s fiercely smart big sister Liz had to sacrifice her dreams of college to care for her younger sister, until Jess skipped town and drifted. Now, as they wait for the cops to finally do something, the sisters are forced to get to know each other—and face the ugliness of their small homophobic town. While the mystery of who killed their mom smolders like toxic smoke in the background, this is ultimately an examination of the ripple effects of trauma. The writing is gorgeous and the characters so real I didn’t just know them, but became them. It’s only April but I’m calling this one as one of my favorite books of 2024.
FOLLOW HER DOWN by Victoria Helen Stone
FOLLOW HER DOWN also examines the impact of trauma on siblings—in this case a brother and sister. Elise was ten and her brother thirteen when their big sister Robin was murdered. Now late-thirties, Elise is managing a rural motel and trying to cut back on her drinking, while Kyle is obsessed with conspiracy theories. Much to Elise’s fury, he questions whether the man who confessed to Robin’s slaying actually did it. When Elise’s wildly wealthy former lover is found murdered, Kyle’s convinced his death is linked to their sister’s. Not only is Elise a suspect in her ex’s killing, but she finds herself forced to ask questions she’d rather keep avoiding. Like Elise, I never knew where things were heading. If you like strong and complex female leads and tales of unsettling power dynamics, FOLLOW HER DOWN is great summer-cabin-reading.
If you had a big—as in dead body-sized problem—would your best friend help you to cover it up? Out on May 14th, Elka Ray’s Suspense debut A FRIEND INDEED follows two childhood besties who face this desperate dilemma. Reviewed as “devilishly smart” and “totally convincing”, A FRIEND INDEED is a twisty exploration of loyalty, social disparity, and corrosive secrets. Add it to your summer TBR here.
Happy summer Suspense reading!
