Off the Deep End - by Lucinda Berry (Paperback)

About the Book

"Therapist turned stay-at-home mom Jules Hart's idyllic suburban life shatters when she crashes her car into an icy lake. Her son and another teenage boy plunge into the water with her, but Jules can only manage to save one--the wrong one. Reeling from the death of her son, Jules spirals into a violent and unstable mental state. Ten months after the accident, she's still trying to reckon with the fact that she rescued Isaac Greer, another woman's child, when Isaac suddenly vanishes. Jules finds herself at the center of a massive police investigation. While she harbors her own dangerous secrets, Jules is adamant that she didn't take Isaac. But then who did? Is Isaac the victim of a dangerous killer who's been targeting boys in the Midwest? Or is someone else pulling the strings in this deadly game?"--

Book Synopsis

From the bestselling author of The Best of Friends comes a heart-stopping psychological thriller about the shades of truth and the power of lies in the wake of one mother's unspeakable loss.

Therapist turned stay-at-home mom Jules Hart's idyllic suburban life shatters when she crashes her car into an icy lake. Her son and another teenage boy plunge into the water with her, but Jules can only manage to save one--the wrong one.

Reeling from the death of her son, Jules spirals into a violent and unstable mental state. Ten months after the accident, she's still trying to reckon with the fact that she rescued Isaac Greer, another woman's child, when Isaac suddenly vanishes.

Jules finds herself at the center of a massive police investigation. While she harbors her own dangerous secrets, Jules is adamant that she didn't take Isaac. But then who did? Is Isaac the victim of a dangerous killer who's been targeting boys in the Midwest? Or is someone else pulling the strings in this deadly game?

Review Quotes

"As usual, Berry tightens the screws smartly in the opening pages and never lets up, and as usual, her ending is more intent on deepening the nightmare than providing a plausible explanation for it. Warning: the title applies as much to the audience as to the characters." --Kirkus Reviews

"As the suspense mounts, the action drives to a harrowing conclusion. Berry delivers the goods." --Publishers Weekly

"A well-done mystery with a plausible yet surprising ending." --Library Journal

UNDER HER CARE

"The action never wavers, and the surprises are unending. Berry is writing at the top of her game." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"[It's] a humdinger...Perfect for suspense fans." --Kirkus Reviews

"Lucinda delivers every time. Unputdownable." --Tarryn Fisher, New York Times bestselling author

"Lucinda Berry's latest, Under Her Care, is her best thriller yet! A dark, riveting read that will keep you up late, racing to the chilling end." --Kaira Rouda, USA Today bestselling author of The Next Wife and Somebody's Home

"Lucinda Berry's Under Her Care is stunning, diabolical, and gripping, with one of the best and most gasp-worthy twists I have read in a very long time. Fast paced, fabulous, and enthralling, the pages practically turn themselves. Absolutely captivating." --Lisa Regan, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author

"Creepy and chilling, Under Her Care is a tense page-turner that leaves you questioning everything you ever knew about motherhood and the family bond." --Tara Laskowski, award-winning author of The Mother Next Door

THE SECRETS OF US

"Those looking for an emotional roller-coaster ride will be rewarded." --Publishers Weekly

"Combine Lucinda Berry's deep understanding of the complexities of the human mind with her immense talent for storytelling and you have The Secrets of Us, an intense psychological thriller that kept my heart racing until the shocking, jaw-dropping conclusion. Bravo!" --T. R. Ragan, New York Times bestselling author

"The Secrets of Us is an unputdownable page-turner with two compelling female protagonists that will keep readers on their toes. Fantastic!" --Cate Holahan, USA Today bestselling author of One Little Secret

"Lucinda Berry's The Secrets of Us is a tense psychological thriller that explores the dark corners of the mind and turns a mind can take when it harbors secret guilt. The interplay between sisters Krystal and Nichole and their hidden past is gradually revealed, and in the end, the plot twists keep coming. Right and wrong can be ambivalent, and this story explores all shades of gray, from their dysfunctional family to an old childhood friend to a husband who may or may not be too good to be true. Berry's background as a clinical psychologist shines in this novel with a character so disturbed they spend time in seclusion lockdown at a psychiatric ward. Don't miss this one!" --Debbie Herbert, USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author

"The Secrets of Us is an utterly gripping, raw, and heartbreaking story of two sisters. Berry's flawlessly placed clues and psychological expertise grab you from the first word, not letting go until the last. Compelling, intricate, and shocking, this inventive thriller cleverly weaves from past to present with stunning precision. I was absolutely enthralled." --Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 national bestselling author of Woman on the Edge

"The past and present collide with explosive consequences in this addictive, twisty thriller from an author at the top of her game. The Secrets of Us grips from the first page and doesn't let go until the final shocking twist." --Lisa Gray, bestselling author of Dark Highway

THE BEST OF FRIENDS

"A mother's worst nightmare on the page. For those who dare." --Kirkus Reviews

"The Best of Friends gripped me from the stunning opening to the emotional, explosive ending. In this moving novel, Berry creates a beautifully crafted study of secrets and grief among a tight-knit group of friends and of how far a mother will go to discover the truth and protect her children." --Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and This Is How I Lied

"In The Best of Friends, Berry starts with a heart-stopping bang--the dreaded middle-of-the-night phone call--and then delivers a dark and gritty tale that unfolds twist by devastating twist. Intense, terrifying, and at times utterly heartbreaking. Absolutely unputdownable." --Kimberly Belle, international bestselling author of Dear Wife and Stranger in the Lake

THE PERFECT CHILD

"I am a compulsive reader of literary novels...but there was one book that kept me reading, the sort of novel I can't put down...The Perfect Child, by Lucinda Berry. It speaks to the fear of every parent: What if your child was a psychopath? This novel takes it a step further. A couple, desperate for a child, has the chance to adopt a beautiful little girl who, they are told, has been abused. They're told it might take a while for her to learn to behave and trust people. She can be sweet and loving, and in public she is adorable. But in private--well, I won't give away what happens. But needless to say, it's chilling." --Gina Kolata, New York Times

"A mesmerizing, unbearably tense thriller that will have you looking over your shoulder and sleeping with one eye open. This creepy, serpentine tale explores the darkest corners of parenthood and the profoundly unsettling lengths one will go to, to keep a family together--no matter the consequences. Electrifying and atmospheric, this dark gem of a novel is one I couldn't put down." --Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author

"A deep, dark, and dangerously addictive read. All-absorbing to the very end!" --Minka Kent, Washington Post bestselling author