Patrick and Stephanie Kilgour are new parents living in the Hudson Valley in upstate New York, adjusting to life with newborn, colicky twin girls. Patrick is a partner in a local architectural firm, while Stephanie is a stay-at-home mom. They are stressed and sleepless, but happy. That is, until Erica Voss, a woman from Patrick’s past, materializes one day.

Ten years ago, Patrick was 23 and married to a woman named Lindsey. They were living in Creemore, Colorado, and about to have their first child. Lindsey was eight months pregnant when she and Patrick headed out to visit her parents despite a raging snowstorm. Then a terrible accident occurred, resulting in Lindsey’s death. A grieving Patrick decided to move across the country to start a new life and has been succeeding. But now Erica has the means to shatter it all.

"Shari Lapena erupted onto the scene with THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR, and with each subsequent book has secured her place as the new queen of domestic suspense, inheriting the mantle from the late Mary Higgins Clark."

It seems that Erica was Lindsey’s best friend back then, but she still had an affair with Patrick. And just as he suspected, she is not here to reminisce about old times. Erica has done her research. She has discovered that Patrick’s new wife has money. This could be an easy payday for her, so she attempts to extort a sizable sum from him. If they don’t pay, Erica will go to the police in Colorado and reveal that his first wife’s death might not have been an accident.

If the authorities reopen the case, Patrick could be arrested for murder. He has to tell Stephanie about his past with Erica --- and about Lindsey’s death, which she only ever knew as a horrible accident. Patrick claims it was just that. He has felt guilty over the years, wishing he had done things differently (like insisting they stay off the road during the snowstorm), but he did not kill her. He only slept with Erica a few times, and usually when he was more than a little inebriated. Will Stephanie believe him after learning he was unfaithful to Lindsey?

Erica has dug in her heels. She has moved to a neighboring town and is unrelenting in her provocation of the beleaguered couple. Determined to wring everything she can out of Patrick, financially and emotionally, she is quite confident that she can achieve her goal because she has an ace up her sleeve. Is Erica only interested in the money, or does she actually possess important information about the accident?

Shari Lapena erupted onto the scene with THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR, and with each subsequent book has secured her place as the new queen of domestic suspense, inheriting the mantle from the late Mary Higgins Clark. Her relatable characters find themselves thrust into distressing circumstances that threaten to destroy their peaceful existence. They must make a harrowing choice and do so quickly. Her riveting novels are great fodder for book clubs because they make you ask yourself (and others), “How would I handle this situation?” Fast-paced and grabbing you from the first page, they are perfect to devour over a weekend and share with a friend because you’re going to want to discuss them at length.

While the denouement is not as flawlessly crafted as Lapena’s previous works, THE END OF HER is still a gripping, satisfying read.