The Deep End

When Ellison Russell bumps into the body of her husband’s mistress during her morning swim at the country club, it’s clear that staying afloat might not be as easy as it used to be. With the perfect motive, she becomes one of the prime suspects in the murder and must face what really happened behind closed doors—things like sex clubs and blackmail—to protect herself from going under. With a missing spouse, teenage daughter, handsome detective, charming lawyer, and intrusive mother in her corner, will she find the murderer before she’s next or only more corpses?

Immediately shocking and unsettling, this story read like the cutting cold felt upon jumping into an unheated pool. Breath-catching twists, sharp wit, and shivering realizations all churned and lapped at the edge of my mind. A sinking feeling plagued me upon realizing how quickly a gentle routine can be interrupted, turning deadly. The juxtaposition between gritted formalities and wild impulses was stunning, forcing me to consider what lies beneath the surface of seemingly put-together people. I enjoyed the literal brush against death here and the protagonist’s fervor despite severed loyalties and scandalous revelations.