Drowning Girls

Liz McGinnis never pictured herself in a luxury gated community like The Palms. Since her family moved in, she has felt out of place among the polished, Stepford-like wives and their spoiled children. She means to make it work anyway, for her husband, Phil, who secured the lavish house, and for her daughter, Danielle, who is about to start high school.

Beneath the glossy surface, The Palms is far from idyllic. Reputation counts for everything there, and Liz learns that even the friendliest residents cannot be trusted.

When Kelsey, the gorgeous and sophisticated girl next door, befriends Danielle, Liz grows suspicious. Danielle is shy and a little nerdy, and Kelsey's interest in her seems odd. Kelsey soon becomes a regular in the McGinnis home, and Liz's bonds with both Danielle and Phil begin to strain.

This is domestic suspense set in an affluent suburb. It follows Liz's point of view as she suspects that her own family is keeping secrets, and as the life they hoped for slips out of their control. Expect a slow tightening of unease built on small social slights and doubts inside a household.