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Published Mar 2021
336 pages
Genre: Thrillers
Publication Information
Florence Darrow is a low-level publishing employee who believes that she's destined to be a famous writer. When she stumbles into a job as the assistant to the brilliant, enigmatic novelist known as Maud Dixon - whose true identity is a secret - it appears that the universe is finally providing Florence's big chance.
The arrangement seems perfect. Maud Dixon (whose real name, Florence discovers, is Helen Wilcox) can be prickly, but she is full of pointed wisdom -- not only on how to write, but also on how to live. Florence quickly falls under Helen's spell and eagerly accompanies her to Morocco, where Helen's new novel is set. Amidst the colorful streets of Marrakesh and the wind-swept beaches of the coast, Florence's life at last feels interesting enough to inspire a novel of her own.
But when Florence wakes up in the hospital after a terrible car accident, with no memory of the previous night — and no sign of Helen — she's tempted to take a shortcut. Instead of hiding in Helen's shadow, why not upgrade into Helen's life? Not to mention her bestselling pseudonym...
Taut, twisty, and viciously entertaining, Who Is Maud Dixon is a stylish psychological thriller about how far into the darkness you're willing to go to claim the life you always wanted.
"[A] devilishly plotted debut...[featuring] a breathtaking series of Highsmith-style twists and a stunning conclusion. This darkly comic take on contemporary publishing may well leave readers asking, 'Who is Alexandra Andrews?'" - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Identity theft takes on a new meaning in this fresh and arresting thriller...Andrews' debut is a page-turning, surprising read." - Booklist (starred review)
"Part Elena Ferrante, part Patricia Highsmith–themed thriller, Who Is Maud Dixon? is set to be one of the buzziest debut novels of the year." - Wall Street Journal
"Smoothly written, nimbly plotted—yet also buzzing with an irresistible intensity and relish. Roaring round of applause here." - AJ Finn, author of The Woman in the Window
"A Hitchcockian mashup about egos in every sense of the word, Who is Maud Dixon? never sacrifices graceful prose and acute insights for its breakneck pace. 'Unputdownable' has become overused praise, but it fully applies here; it is impossible to start Alexandra Andrews's novel and not feel compelled to speed through its switchback twists to its conclusion." - Teddy Wayne, author of Apartment
"Who is Maud Dixon? is clever, cunning, and diabolical in the best possible way. Anyone longing for a good old-fashioned thrill need look no further." - Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House
"Captivating debut! Who is Maud Dixon? is a beautifully written literary thriller with a sumptuous Moroccan setting. What's not to love?" - Elin Hilderbrand, author of 28 Summers
"Who Is Maud Dixon? channels the spirit of Patricia Highsmith at her finest: Alexandra Andrews' deliciously witty, surprising and sly novel will keep you riveted to the last page." - Claire Messud, author of The Burning Girl
This information about Who Is Maud Dixon? was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Alexandra Andrews has worked as a journalist, editor and copywriter in New York and Paris. Who Is Maud Dixon? is her first novel. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and children.
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