Finding Tessa
A Novel of Suspense
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
In this “anxiety-fueled” psychological suspense “rife with unexpected left turns,” a wife deliberately disappears and her husband is accused of murder. (Publishers Weekly)
When Jace Montgomery comes home late one night from work, he discovers his wife Tessa is missing. There’s broken glass at the back door. Clumps of her hair. Blood. The cops in their small New Jersey town immediately peg him as a suspect, especially after he explodes at a reporter during a press conference. When a coworker he’s accused of having an affair with also disappears and a search warrant turns up an illegal gun in Jace’s home, all signs point to him as the culprit.
Meanwhile, Tessa finally feels safe, having set up her husband to take the fall for her disappearance. Breaking her lifelong pattern of bad men is only one hurdle she has to overcome. The other is outrunning her secret past. Will Tessa’s old life catch up to her and drag her back to a cycle of abuse before justice is served?
“Sharp twists and dangerous turns that domestic suspense readers will devour.” —Vanessa Lillie, author of For the Best
“A dark tale of abuse, revenge, and redemption, full of head-spinning, mind-boggling, Gone Girl-sized twists.” —Michele Campbell, international bestselling author of It’s Always the Husband
“A spellbinding debut you don’t want to miss!” —Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today bestselling author of Woman on the Edge
“A sharp and deftly constructed suspense thriller. . . . Fans of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl will love this debut novel” —The Florida Times-Union
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Hendricks's tricky debut, bank manager Jace Montgomery returns to his suburban New Jersey home after a night out with perspective clients to find his wife, Tessa Smyth, missing. A window is broken, there's blood on the floor, and Tessa's purse and phone are on the counter, so Jace calls 911. Jace claims Tessa has a troubled history and that one of her exes is likely to blame, but he can't provide details, as the couple only met five months ago and he didn't want to press her. Dubious, the cops instead look into Jace, whom they suspect of foul play—particularly when rumors surface regarding a fling with a coworker and an illegal firearm. Alternating sections chronicle resourceful Tessa's efforts to escape her abusive marriage by enlisting an unlikely ally to frame her husband for murder. Though Hendricks initially sacrifices her plot's focus and her characters' emotional complexity in favor of ambiguity and an edgy tone, her tale eventually kicks into gear, taking readers on an anxiety-fueled ride rife with unexpected left turns. Psychological suspense fans will look forward to her next.
