‘Moody and mesmerizing, The Body Next Door takes readers on a twisty, creepy, and compelling ride through family dysfunction and betrayal.’
—Darby Kane, internationally bestselling author of The Engagement Party
They buried their secrets, but not deep enough…
Hannah McCullough’s life is far from perfect, but you’d never know it by looking at her. Instead, you’d see a beautiful young mother wholly devoted to her two children and a docile wife utterly besotted with her self-made millionaire husband, Allan. You’d see the designer clothes she wears, the luxury car she drives, the dewy-eyed au pair she employs.
You wouldn’t see the dark secret she carries.
But when a construction crew unearths the body of a young girl near the McCulloughs’ vacation home on Orcas Island, Hannah has no choice but to confront her past. She wonders how much Allan knows about the victim and the apocalyptic cult she was connected to. Meanwhile, Allan can’t seem to understand why his beautiful young bride, as polished and pristine as the collectible artifacts in his glass case, would threaten their fairy-tale lifestyle by digging too deep, in places she knows she shouldn’t.
As the police investigation into the gruesome discovery deepens, the facade of Hannah’s picture-perfect marriage starts to crumble, and she soon finds herself on a dire hunt for answers. And Hannah’s search takes an unexpected turn after she crosses paths with three strangers with shocking secrets of their own.
Genre: Mystery
—Darby Kane, internationally bestselling author of The Engagement Party
They buried their secrets, but not deep enough…
Hannah McCullough’s life is far from perfect, but you’d never know it by looking at her. Instead, you’d see a beautiful young mother wholly devoted to her two children and a docile wife utterly besotted with her self-made millionaire husband, Allan. You’d see the designer clothes she wears, the luxury car she drives, the dewy-eyed au pair she employs.
You wouldn’t see the dark secret she carries.
But when a construction crew unearths the body of a young girl near the McCulloughs’ vacation home on Orcas Island, Hannah has no choice but to confront her past. She wonders how much Allan knows about the victim and the apocalyptic cult she was connected to. Meanwhile, Allan can’t seem to understand why his beautiful young bride, as polished and pristine as the collectible artifacts in his glass case, would threaten their fairy-tale lifestyle by digging too deep, in places she knows she shouldn’t.
As the police investigation into the gruesome discovery deepens, the facade of Hannah’s picture-perfect marriage starts to crumble, and she soon finds herself on a dire hunt for answers. And Hannah’s search takes an unexpected turn after she crosses paths with three strangers with shocking secrets of their own.
Genre: Mystery
Praise for this book
"The Body Next Door is one part mystery, one part speculative fiction, and total intrigue. Chance's novel checked all the boxes for me: compelling characters, atmospheric setting, and the convergence of past and present to solve a fascinating mystery. The Pacific coastal island setting combined with a missing person and a creepy cult made me turn the pages late into the night." - Kristen Bird
"A twisty, surrealist cult story...full of secrets, betrayal, and deception, The Body Next Door kept me guessing until the very end." - Allison Buccola
"Seamlessly blending a cult-centric murder-mystery with magical realism, Maia Chance has crafted a one-of-a-kind story set in the enchanting backdrop of the Pacific Northwest. Heart-wrenching, twisty, and wondrous, The Body Next Door unfurls like a wildflower, delicately unraveling the intricacies of each character's life, exploring how ultimately each of our pasts - the good and the bad - can echo in our hearts forever." - Katie Garner
"Moody and mesmerizing, The Body Next Door takes readers on a twisty, creepy, and compelling ride through family dysfunction and betrayal. This original cult thriller delivers unexpected turns as it builds to an emotional and breathless end that lingers long after you're done reading." - Darby Kane
"The Body Next Door is a compulsive page-turner with a fresh spec twist and bombshell reveals. Chance piles on the lies, secrets and twisted timelines, leaving you breathless and utterly hooked until the final page." - Lisa M Matlin
"Maia Chance thrills readers with a compelling tale, cast with fascinating characters, entangled in page-turning intrigue until the very last page." - Rick Mofina
"The Body Next Door is packed with twists, lies, and secrets tied together with an unexpected surrealist element that creates a truly unique thriller unlike anything I've read before. With multiple rich POVs spanning Washington's elite to a survivalist cult, Chance's characters will keep you guessing until the very last chapter." - Amanda Pellegrino
"The Body Next Door is one of those deeply riveting, read-in-one-sitting kind of books. Like a riptide, Chance dragged me down into the chilly depths of cult life with its twisting dynamics of power and victimhood, only to shine her light on the human heart itself, in all of its fragility and resilience. Moody and hypnotic at times, sharp as a scalpel at others, this book is a darkly mesmerizing kaleidoscope of voices that will spin you dizzy all the way to its heart-aching conclusion." - Jenna Satterthwaite
"Maia Chance's The Body Next Door is a psychological thriller that seizes you by the collar from the very first page and refuses to let go until the very last. Told from the multiple points of view of the residents of Orcas Island, each character is more twisted and unreliable than the one before, leaving you grappling to unfurl every single secret. Chance demonstrates a mastery in pacing and suspense here and her mythic prose has a haunting, poetic quality to it that only underscores the eeriness of this small island town. If you think you have it all figured out by the end - you don't. This is by far one of my favorite thrillers of the year." - Emily Smith
"The Body Next Door is a chilling page-turner that presents a cast of compelling characters and then forces us to reconsider everything we thought we knew about them. I absolutely loved the lush Pacific Northwest setting, and I was fully absorbed in the mysteries of family, place, and community that unspool over the course of the story. Highly recommended!" - Polly Stewart
"A twisty, surrealist cult story...full of secrets, betrayal, and deception, The Body Next Door kept me guessing until the very end." - Allison Buccola
"Seamlessly blending a cult-centric murder-mystery with magical realism, Maia Chance has crafted a one-of-a-kind story set in the enchanting backdrop of the Pacific Northwest. Heart-wrenching, twisty, and wondrous, The Body Next Door unfurls like a wildflower, delicately unraveling the intricacies of each character's life, exploring how ultimately each of our pasts - the good and the bad - can echo in our hearts forever." - Katie Garner
"Moody and mesmerizing, The Body Next Door takes readers on a twisty, creepy, and compelling ride through family dysfunction and betrayal. This original cult thriller delivers unexpected turns as it builds to an emotional and breathless end that lingers long after you're done reading." - Darby Kane
"The Body Next Door is a compulsive page-turner with a fresh spec twist and bombshell reveals. Chance piles on the lies, secrets and twisted timelines, leaving you breathless and utterly hooked until the final page." - Lisa M Matlin
"Maia Chance thrills readers with a compelling tale, cast with fascinating characters, entangled in page-turning intrigue until the very last page." - Rick Mofina
"The Body Next Door is packed with twists, lies, and secrets tied together with an unexpected surrealist element that creates a truly unique thriller unlike anything I've read before. With multiple rich POVs spanning Washington's elite to a survivalist cult, Chance's characters will keep you guessing until the very last chapter." - Amanda Pellegrino
"The Body Next Door is one of those deeply riveting, read-in-one-sitting kind of books. Like a riptide, Chance dragged me down into the chilly depths of cult life with its twisting dynamics of power and victimhood, only to shine her light on the human heart itself, in all of its fragility and resilience. Moody and hypnotic at times, sharp as a scalpel at others, this book is a darkly mesmerizing kaleidoscope of voices that will spin you dizzy all the way to its heart-aching conclusion." - Jenna Satterthwaite
"Maia Chance's The Body Next Door is a psychological thriller that seizes you by the collar from the very first page and refuses to let go until the very last. Told from the multiple points of view of the residents of Orcas Island, each character is more twisted and unreliable than the one before, leaving you grappling to unfurl every single secret. Chance demonstrates a mastery in pacing and suspense here and her mythic prose has a haunting, poetic quality to it that only underscores the eeriness of this small island town. If you think you have it all figured out by the end - you don't. This is by far one of my favorite thrillers of the year." - Emily Smith
"The Body Next Door is a chilling page-turner that presents a cast of compelling characters and then forces us to reconsider everything we thought we knew about them. I absolutely loved the lush Pacific Northwest setting, and I was fully absorbed in the mysteries of family, place, and community that unspool over the course of the story. Highly recommended!" - Polly Stewart
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