A reimagining of the Gilgo Beach Murders, perfect for fans of Caroline Kepnes and Megan Abbott, this twisty debut is an unsettling thriller that asks just how far you should go to find love.
Eager to get married, thirty-year-old Virginia Carey lands a job as an operator at a police tip line, where she thinks finding a husband will be easy. ThereтАЩs Charlie Ford, a surprisingly sweet homicide detective, and charming police chief Declan тАЬDeckтАЭ Brady. But just as VirginiaтАЩs plans begin to fall into place and she can almost picture a ring on her finger, she answers a call from VeronaтАФa mysterious woman who provides a tip about four bodies on a remote local beach.
Verona, a sex worker, also gives Virginia details on sordid and raucous parties attended by law enforcement officers, and on the strange fetishes of cops she has been involved with. Then comes an explosive tip: Verona thinks itтАЩs a police officer who is responsible for the killings.
But it canтАЩt be trueтАФthe cops Virginia works with are marriage material, even if they are a little rough around the edges. While Verona trusts that her tips are being heard because she and Virginia have formed an unusual connection, Virginia realizes that the key to solving the case is ultimately in her hands.
The tip line will reveal the truth about those murders. So long as Virginia is willing to hear it.