Such Sheltered Lives
A Novel
-
- $20.99
Publisher Description
“Truly stunning.” —Danielle Valentine, New York Times bestselling author of Delicate Condition
For fans of Nine Perfect Strangers and The Midnight Feast, a moody, atmospheric psychological suspense set in the secretive world of celebrity rehab centers, from New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Sheinmel.
Rush's Recovery promises its wealthy guests the utmost discretion. But when a body is discovered nearby, can the center’s secrets stay buried?
Off the coast of New York, tucked among the pristine and secluded beaches of Shelter Island sits Rush’s Recovery, a treatment center where ultra-high net worth clients can seek treatment away from prying eyes and paparazzi. The latest guests have just arrived: Lord Edward of Essex, a British aristocrat fighting his black-sheep status and a painful addiction; Amelia Blue Harris, the daughter of a grungy ’90s rock legend struggling with an eating disorder; and Florence Bloom, a pop star trying to lay low after her latest tabloid scandal. All three have been promised the highest standard of care, from daily therapy and a live-in chef, to acupuncture sessions and a personal care manager—all available 24/7. Just so long as they stay put in their private cottages and never interact with the other guests.
But these self-destructive B-listers didn’t get where they are by following the rules. Edward, Amelia, and Florence are each at Rush’s for reasons all their own—but somewhere between their therapy sessions and cold plunges, will they confront more than their own demons? Celebrities check in to Rush’s to protect their privacy, but a mysterious death will reveal that the darkest secrets lie in the center’s own history.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The atmospheric adult debut from YA author Sheinmel (the Umbrella Academy series) finds a young woman reinvestigating her rock star mother's mysterious death. Amelia Blue Harris needs help battling her lifelong eating disorder, but what she really craves are answers—which is why, nearly 10 years after her mother, Georgia Blue, died upon checking out of an exclusive New York rehab facility, Amelia decides to check in to the same one. She flies from Los Angeles to remote Shelter Island, N.Y., where a colorful cast of fellow "guests" reside, including Lord Edward, a notorious British tabloid fixture, and Flo, an over-the-hill bad-girl rocker (and widow of an even more famous musician) who's hiding out until the dust settles from her viral spat with a younger star. With Edward's help, Amelia tries to outfox the facility's sinister "care managers" to learn how Georgia came to check herself out of rehab, apparently clean, only to be discovered dead on the beach the following morning. The plot employs some shrewd sleight of hand to keep the pages turning, but keen readers will be able to suss out the biggest twists sooner than Sheinmel intends. Still, this polished chiller shows promise. Agents: Pete Knapp and Stuti Telidevara, Park & Fine Literary.
