The Herd
A Novel
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- £7.99
Publisher Description
Why did the founder of a glamorous coworking space for women disappear? Her best friends will risk everything to uncover the truth in this “propulsive thriller” (Marie Claire) from the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club pick We Were Never Here.
“Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies.”—The Washington Post
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Real Simple • Marie Claire • Good Housekeeping • CrimeReads
As CEO of the Herd, an elite women-only coworking space, Eleanor Walsh seems to have it all: close friends, a sweet husband, and the most glamorous and successful female-empowerment-based company in New York City. Then she vanishes on the night of a glitzy press conference—and the police suspect foul play.
For Hana, the head of PR for the Herd and Eleanor’s best friend, this is a nightmare. For Hana’s sister, Katie, a journalist, this is the story that will make her career. But when the sisters launch their own investigation and begin to learn what Eleanor was hiding, they must also face the secrets they’ve been keeping from each other—and confront just how dangerous it can be when women’s perfect veneers start to crack.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bartz (The Lost Night) crafts a smart, twisty thriller about a women's co-working space and the mysterious disappearance of its charismatic founder. Freelance journalist Katie returns to New York after a year of unsuccessful book research in Michigan. Back in the city, she accepts an invitation from her adopted older sister, Hana, a publicist, into a high-powered social network of Harvard alums including waspy, elegant Eleanor, founder of the Herd, an exclusive workspace and club for women. While Katie waits for her Herd membership application to be processed, she pitches a biography/oral history of Eleanor and the Herd to her nagging agent, who needs something to show Katie's editor. Just as Katie begins probing into the life and psyche of the notoriously private Eleanor, her subject disappears. As the search for Eleanor escalates, the tension of the narrative, which bounces back and forth between Katie and Hana, ratchets up with the threat of long-buried secrets being revealed. Though too many last-minute twists muddle an otherwise satisfying ending, Bartz is especially astute at highlighting the hypocrisy of glamorous careerist feminism. Readers won't want to put this down.