Summer is thrilled to be joining her extended family on their weeklong get together held at her in-law’s palatial summer estate in Kate White’s psychological thriller The Fiancée. The gathering is an annual event where Summer, her husband, Gabe, her young stepson, Henry and all of Gabe’s siblings and their wives leisurely lounge around the pool and spend their days relaxing in nature. But this year is slightly different when one of Gabe’s younger brothers, Nick, brings along his latest girlfriend, Hannah. She charms everyone in attendance but Summer realizes that the two have met a year before at an audition for an off-Broadway theater production where Hannah ultimately won the role. The funny thing is that Hannah acts as if she has never met Summer before and denies being at the audition, even though Summer knows it to be true.
During the week, Summer is convinced that something is not right with Nick’s new girlfriend when other odd instances occur. She reaches out to a close friend who is also an actor and he agrees that Hannah was at the audition. He is also aware of a scandal during the production that casts Hannah in a unfavorable light. To complicate things, Nick has asked Hannah to marry him in front of the entire family. More determined than ever to find out the truth and warn her brother in law, Summer confides in other family members who have a hard time believing her tall tales. Gabe stands firm and tells Summer that she is letting her imagination run wild. On the heels of her suspicions, an unexpected death shocks everyone. Even though most signs point to natural circumstances, Summer is convinced that she knows the culprit and she hopes that she can expose the truth before another family member falls victim to a possible killer.
As usual, Kate White does not disappoint. When I started reading psychological fiction more than a decade ago, Kate White was one of the first authors I discovered. I began with her Bailey Wiggins mystery series and added the author to my must read list. Over the last handful of years many of her thrillers have been stand alone titles and are just as complex and inventive as her earlier series. If you are looking to add psychological thrillers to your reading list, I recommend any title by Kate White!
