A delayed honeymoon at a remote cabin becomes a terrifying ordeal of paranoia, secrets, and survival in this psychological thriller.
Mary and Jackson got married after a whirlwind romance. Then Jackson’s work sent him halfway across the globe. Now they are finally reunited, spending their first anniversary at a luxury cabin in the Poconos. It should be a dream come true, but there are reports of an assailant in the area. And when Mary reveals a secret from her past, everything begins to unravel.
On a hike through the mountains, Mary almost falls to her death—and lingering suspicions of her husband rise to the surface. It suddenly dawns on her that she is totally isolated with a man she barely knows. Soon Jackson’s devotion transforms into something more sinister. As her own mental state deteriorates, Mary is left wondering if she can escape before Jackson loves her to death.
Sarah K. Stephens is a developmental psychologist at Penn State University. Although Fall and Spring find her in the classroom, she remains a writer year-round. Her writing has appeared in LitHub, The Writer's Chronicle, Hazlitt, The Millions, and The Indianola Review. Her debut novel, the psychological thriller A Flash of Red, was released in 2016. Bethanne Patrick, regular reviewer for NPR Books, NBCC Board Member, and LitHub contributing editor, noted that "Stephens offers readers a new perspective on crime psychology, enhanced by her professional expertise. Fans of books by Mary Kubica and Fiona Barton will enjoy the story of Anna Kline, her disintegrating marriage, and her very dark secrets." America’s librarian and BookLust author Nancy Pearl said that "A Flash of Red does a great job developing its three main characters; I'm still wondering what happened to them after the book ended,” and Underground Book Reviews called it “Highly recommended. . . cleverly plotted. The story itself was full of such intense intrigue and psychological manipulation that I could not put it down.” Sarah loves using her psychological training to craft darkly human stories with killer twists. When she’s not plotting death and betrayal, she can be found enjoying the pleasures of country life with her husband and children in Central Pennsylvania. Follow Sarah on Twitter (@skstephenswrite) or Facebook (@sarahkstephensauthor) and read more of her writing on her blog (www.sarahkstephens.com).