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Published Jun 2019
304 pages
Genre: Thrillers
Publication Information
In this propulsive debut thriller, two women with deep secrets are thrown together by an unexpected meeting that plunges both their lives into chaos. But it's a sick little girl whose fate hangs in the balance.
Motherhood is tough. But then, so is daughterhood. When we first meet Claire, she's living in Sedona, Arizona with her boyfriend Cal and ducking calls from her mother. Her mom is a world class psychic on the East Coast and Claire doesn't want her to discover the truth. Claire works in the family business and calls herself a psychic, but she doesn't really have "the gift" and hasn't for a long time. She's a fraud.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Rena, a young mother, has family issues of her own. She's divorced and her four-year-old daughter, Stephanie, suffers from mysterious, seemingly incurable stomach problems. No matter how many specialists Rena drags her to, no matter how many mommy-blog posts she makes about her child's health issues, trying to get help and support from her online community, Stephanie only gets sicker.
When Claire and Rena meet by chance on an airplane, their carefully constructed lives begin to explode. Can these two women help each other and can they help Stephanie before it's too late?
"This is a dark, dark thriller, and the villain is absolute. But alternating voices allow for a more nuanced building of tension as LaCorte contrasts this darkness to Claire's own fragile optimism." - Kirkus Reviews
"[An] accomplished page-turning debut...Those who like a dash of the supernatural in their thrillers will be well satisfied." - Publishers Weekly
"LaCorte's debut novel combines a darkly twisted plot with excellent character building, and the eerily realistic setting nicely supports the haunting narrative. This is psychological suspense with a gut-clenching finale, perfect for readers of Gillian Flynn and Brandon Massey." - Booklist
"Be sure to set aside a full few hours because once you begin, you won't be able to stop. The Perfect Fraud is exactly what a good book should be—a dazzling plot, unforgettable characters, emotional depth—all presented in a fresh new voice that is sure to make Ellen LaCorte a household name." - Aimee Molloy, author of The Perfect Mother
"A slow motion train wreck that won't let you look away, The Perfect Fraud is a canny examination of the lies we tell to others, but more importantly, the lies we tell ourselves." - Rufi Thorpe, author of The Girls From Corona Del Mar
This information about The Perfect Fraud was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Ellen LaCorte worked for many years in HR. She now writes full time from her home where she lives with her husband in Titusville, New Jersey. She is the mother of two grown sons.
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