Between the Lines with Kate

Since She's Been Gone by Sagit Schwartz: Disordered Eating, The Opioid Crisis and Mother-Daughter Bonds

This week, I talk with Sagit Schwartz about how she integrated her own experiences with her mother, eating disorders AND the opioid crisis into her emotional, action-packed thriller Since She's Been Gone! Synopsis [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/150065076-since-she-s-been-gone?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=vU433KTWtd&rank=1] Can we ever truly know the people we love? Losing her mother to a hit-and-run at age 15 threw Beatrice “Beans” Bennett’s life into turmoil. Bereft, she developed a life-threatening eating disorder, and went through a challenging recovery process which paved the way for her work as a clinical psychologist decades later.  When a new patient arrives at her office and insists that Beans’s mother is still alive—and in danger—Beans is forced to revisit her past in order to uncover the truth. She learns the “patient” is a member of a notorious family that owns a drug company largely responsible for the national opioid epidemic, and that her mother was once tangled in their web. In a race against time—and her mother’s assailants—while once again facing the disorder she thought she’d put behind her, Beans discovers that, like herself, her mother had a devastating secret.  With its fast-moving, edge-of-your-seat action and intimate look at mental health, Since She’s Been Gone will keep readers in its grasp long after the last page.

The Real Deal by Caitlin Devlin: Reality TV, Girlhood and Deception

This week, I talk with Caitlin Devlin about her debut novel The Real Deal [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/193771976-the-real-deal?ref=nav_sb_ss_3_13]! Synopsis Belle Simon was just 12 years old when she was one of six girls plucked from obscurity to star in reality TV sensation The Real Deal. Under the wing of dazzling star Donna Mayfair, she and the other five girls were meant to become world-famous actresses, singers and dancers. But at 26, Belle is trying to live anonymously, away from being loved or loathed. The public eye has never fully shut, however, and when a producer offers Belle a big paycheck to join a reunion special for The Real Deal, she finds it hard to say no. If people are going to talk about that shocking final episode anyway, maybe this is an unexpected opportunity. Everyone watching thinks they know what happened, but only Belle knows what really occurred away from the cameras and outside the editing room. Is she ready to go back and confront her past? And will anyone believe her if she reveals the truth?

Almost Surely Dead by Amina Akhtar: Jinns, Sleepwalking and True Crime Satire

This week, I talk with Amina Akhtar about her new thriller Almost Surely Dead [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/180320288-almost-surely-dead?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=4XhinFnep6&rank=1]! Synopsis Dunia Ahmed lives an ordinary life—or she definitely used to. Now she’s the subject of a true crime podcast. She’s been missing for over a year, and no one knows if she’s dead or alive. But her story has listeners obsessed, and people everywhere are sporting merch that demands “Find Dunia!” In the days before her disappearance, Dunia is a successful pharmacist living in New York. The daughter of Pakistani immigrants, she’s coping with a broken engagement and the death of her mother. But then something happens that really shakes up her someone tries to murder her. When her would-be killer winds up dead, Dunia figures the worst is over.  But then there’s another attempt on her life…and another. And police suspect someone close to her may be the culprit. Dunia struggles to make sense of what’s happening. And as childhood superstitions seep into her reality, she becomes convinced that someone—or some thing —is truly after her.

Lie By the Pool by Susan Walter: Multiple POVs, Timeline Hopping and Reveal After Reveal

This week, I talk with Susan Walter about her LA-based, fast paced thriller Lie By the Pool! Follow Susan on Instagram here [https://www.instagram.com/susanwalterauthor/] Check out her website here [https://www.susanwalterwriter.com/] Lie By the Pool Synopsis [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62728456-lie-by-the-pool?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=bu1lVQ0YJ9&rank=1] Bree’s new home is luxurious and private, with a fancy Beverly Hills address. What a shame it’s not hers. Widowed, penniless, living in her car, and out of options, she’s climbed the fence and crashed in the pool house. All she wants is a good night’s sleep. But when Sophie, the absentee owner, finds her, she gets a whole lot more. Sophie invites Bree back for a party. When it winds down, Bree can’t resist sneaking upstairs to sleep in a real bed. But the next morning, she wakes to find Sophie’s dead body floating in the pool. As the resident vagabond, she’s both the only witness and the prime murder suspect. Bree knows she shouldn’t run, but her husband’s death was mysterious, too. If she’s going to clear her name, she’s going to have to work fast. Because the killer is still out there, and she’s next.

Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody: Grief, The Dark Side of The Internet, and True Crime Obsession

This week, I talk with Kate Brody about her emotionally and character driven debut thriller Rabbit Hole! Rabbit Hole Synopsis Ten years ago, Theodora “Teddy” Angstrom’s older sister, Angie, went missing. Her case remains unsolved. Now Teddy’s father, Mark, has killed himself. Unbeknownst to Mark’s family, he had been active in a Reddit community fixated on Angie, and Teddy can’t help but fall down the same rabbit hole. Teddy’s investigation quickly gets her in hot water with her gun-nut boyfriend, her long-lost half brother, and her colleagues at the prestigious high school where she teaches English. Further complicating matters is Teddy’s growing obsession with Mickey, a charming amateur sleuth who is eerily keen on helping her solve the case. Bewitched by Mickey, Teddy begins to lose her moral compass. As she struggles to reconcile new information with old memories, her erratic behavior reaches a fever pitch, but she won’t stop until she finds Angie—or destroys herself in the process. A biting critique of the internet’s voyeurism, Rabbit Hole is an outrageous and heart-wrenching character study of a mind twisted by grief—and a page-turning mystery that’s as addictive as a late-night Reddit binge. Follow Kate on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/katebrodyauthor/] And check out her website here [https://katebrodyauthor.com/]