The Lives of Others - by Ellen Won Steil (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A young woman is drawn into the lives of a seemingly perfect New England family. But not everything is as it appears in a riveting novel of psychological suspense by the author of Becoming Marlow Fin.

After ten hectic years in Seoul, burned-out expat Radley Asher is promised a change--working the fall season at an apple farm in idyllic Fox Isle, Maine. Hoping for solitude, Radley is instead welcomed by the effusive Clark family as one of their own. A loner like Radley finds it almost disarming.

But what's not to like? Beau and Livia are doting parents, and their three children are absolute delights. Still, Radley prefers to keep her distance and just watch the lives of the Clarks unfold from her window. For Radley, as she's pulled deeper into the family dynamics, watching becomes an obsession.

Then one night the orchard is set ablaze and the family is thrown into chaos. Who would do such a terrible thing? When one of the Clark children suddenly goes missing, the veneer of the perfect family is set to shatter. And in the aftermath, too many secrets stand to be exposed--including Radley's.

Review Quotes

"The Lives of Others is a slow burn suspense about dark obsession and how secrets can rot us from the inside out. Through the eyes of a compelling unreliable narrator with a hidden past of her own, Ellen Won Steil keeps up the tension while delivering twist after delicious twist. It all leads up to a shocking climax that, just like the protagonist, you won't be able to look away from." --Jamie Lee Sogn, author of Salthouse Place

"Full of lush prose and long held secrets, The Lives of Others is a searing psychological tale and a thoughtful exploration of motherhood that builds to the very last twist." --Jen Marie Wiggins, author of The Good Bride

"An emotionally layered meditation on motherhood, guilt, and grief, The Lives of Others is at once a life-affirming family drama and a suspenseful story filled with shocking secrets." --K.T. Nguyen, author of You Know What You Did