Summer Thrillers For A Reading Escape

A university has a secret program where they offer therapy and tuition to psychopaths in exchange for being monitored for a study. Currently enrolled are Chloe, Charles, and Andre. Andre is faking being a psychopath after a joke got out of hand, and the scholarship for the program was too good to say no to. Charles is trying to use the program to do well in school, navigate society, and maintain his relationship with his girlfriend. Chloe is using the program to stalk the guy who sexually assaulted her and kill him. They aren’t here to interact with each other, but must when it becomes clear that someone is killing off those enrolled in the program. Will Chloe succeed, and who is the murderer?!

I’m going to start by saying this is best read knowing as little as possible for full OMGWHAT impact. But I know many readers need to know more, so if you’re such a reader, I’m going to first give a spoiler-free blurb and then a spoilery-ish sentence that you find out fairly early in the book, and I don’t actually say the thing.

No spoilers: Perla Wultz lives a seemingly lovely life with her husband and tween daughter. But we find out in the opening scene that Perla has a little trouble with telling the truth, something her family is aware of. The bit they are not aware of, though, is that she’s become quite obsessed with the man convicted of murdering two girls during a birthday party more than 23 years ago. We follow Perla, her daughter, the murderer, and the man interviewing the murderer in prison.

Spoilery-ish: Perla reveals her absolutely horrific plan early on, and for readers who need a page-turning element, you will absolutely be flying through to see if she goes through with it.

When Andrew Mason went on a fishing trip with his best friend, his wife Brie disappeared from their home. Andrew has remained suspect numero uno even though Brie has never been found. To get away from everything involving the case, Andrew sold his house and now lives with his girlfriend and her younger brother, whom she has custody of. Six years after Brie disappeared, someone spots Brie running up to the home she shared with Andrew before freaking out and disappearing once again. 

Now all the questions about the case resurface: what actually happened to Brie, who is/was responsible, and what in the world is going on?!