The kidnappers send the onesie in which Cora was sleeping and demand a $5 million-dollar ransom. Anne’s parents have never liked Marco, particularly her stepfather, Richard Dries.Īfter two excruciating days, the kidnappers contact Anne and Marco via a package in the mail. Anne assumes that the kidnappers will contact them for money because her mother’s family is wealthy.
Rasbach suspects Marco planned to rid his life of the encumbrance of a family. Rasbach uncovers the financial records of Marco’s struggling company, and Cynthia tells Rasbach that she and Marco kissed on the deck during the birthday party. Anne takes medication for postpartum depression and struggles to adjust to motherhood. She has a history of violent episodes during which she blacks out, the result of watching her father die from a massive heart attack at the age of four. The police, led by Detective Rasbach, initially suspect Anne. When the party ends around 1am, Anne and Marco discover their front door unlocked and the crib empty. With a baby monitor in tow, the couple plan to check on the baby every half hour. When their babysitter cancels at the last minute, Anne and Marco decide to put Cora to bed and head next door for a few hours. Needing a reprieve, Anne and Marco agree to help the couple next door, Cynthia and Graham Stillwell, celebrate Graham’s 40th birthday. Anne struggles with postpartum depression and Marco’s software development company appears destined for bankruptcy. What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family-a chilling tale of deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.This study guide references the Penguin 2016 paperback edition of the novel.Īnne and Marco Conti raise their six-month-old daughter, Cora, in their swanky upstate New York home. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. But the truth is a much more complicated story. Suspicion immediately lands on the parents. But one night, when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. The suspense was beautifully rendered and unrelenting!” -Sue GraftonĪ domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors-a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives.Īnne and Marco Conti seem to have it all-a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. “I read this novel at one sitting, absolutely riveted by the storyline. “The twists come as fast you can turn the pages.” - People
Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Not a Happy Family
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