Next to Heaven
The PROVOCATIVE new novel from BESTSELLING author of A Million Little Pieces
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- 15,99 €
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- 15,99 €
Publisher Description
Privilege, sex, scandal, and murder.
The new novel from Sunday Times-bestselling author James Frey.
'Will be the novel on every beach towel this summer, all summer, everywhere' Esquire
'A deliriously over-the-top portrait of decadence on the brink' Bustle
'A Connecticut sex romp-cum-murder mystery' Vanity Fair
Behind every great fortune, lies a great crime - Honoré de Balzac
New Bethlehem, Connecticut. Picture-perfect lawns, manicured hedges, multi-million dollar homes. But beneath the designer yoga gear and country club memberships lies a darker reality.
In this world of excess, Devon and Belle have it all – beauty, money, status. But they want something more. Something dangerous. Something that makes them feel alive. Their solution? A party – a meticulously curated gathering of New Bethlehem's elite, from a desperate ex-NFL quarterback to a hockey coach with a penchant for married women, and a ruthless Wall Street 'closer' who wields his wealth like a weapon.
One night. Multiple betrayals. And a murder that will shatter New Bethlehem's carefully constructed facade.
Fans of The White Lotus and Big Little Lies will be drawn into the dark underbelly of the American Dream – a world where money can buy anything, until it ruins everything.
READERS ARE THRILLED, UNSETTLED AND SEDUCED
'Sharp, provocative … Captivates with its blend of dark humour and social commentary'
'Dark, disturbing and funny'
'Transcends simple categorization - part thriller, part social satire, part moral fable - and the result is both entertaining and deeply unsettling'
'A mix of wit, mystery and dark undertone … I couldn't put it down … Perfect pool side reading'
'I deeply loved this book … the ending slaps'
'Super fun and sexy summer read! Rich people behaving badly'
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Frey (Katerina) strives for TV-worthy suburban drama in this no-holds-barred if trite sex romp. A group of wealthy friends are wilting on the vine in New Bethlehem, Conn., unsatisfied by their mates. Two of them, "glamorous WASP" Devon Kensington McCallister and former "Dallas debutante" Belle Hedges Moore, throw a swingers' party, appointing themselves as matchmakers in the partner-swapping. Devon wants ex-NFL quarterback Alex Hunter, while Belle picks Charlie Dunlap, the town's hunky high school hockey coach, who's dating their neighbor Katy Doyle. The next morning, Belle and Devon compare notes on their respective nights and speculate on how things went between Belle's impotent husband and Alex's "lovely" wife. Meanwhile, Katy wakes up distraught after a night with Devon's "fucking pig" of a husband. A mortal consequence to the friends' extramarital activity is hinted at throughout, and by the third act, one of them is revealed to be dead. Despite extraneous backstory, Frey never cuts below the surface of his characters, making the novel feel both padded and shallow. Still, he sustains the momentum with his signature clipped style (" tried to think through what happened. The party. The card. The room. The glass"). This one's strictly for the author's diehard fans.
