What appears to be a budding friendship between two moms-to-be brings more than its fair share of unpleasant surprises in this debut psychological thriller. Helen Thorpe has just relinquished her job in advertising to begin maternity leave and prenatal classes. All seems well in her world, snugly cocooned as she is in a bucolic London neighborhood, though she's grappling with an energy-draining summer heat wave, the exhaustion of ongoing house renovations, and pesky calls from a refinancing company. Also, there is the fact that her husband, Daniel--who runs an architecture firm with her brother, Rory--is frequently too immersed in work to accompany her to the prenatal clinic. So when Rachel, a single mother, pops up in prenatal class, Helen welcomes her companionship despite Rachel's sometimes-shocking, often invasive behavior. Multiple narrators--including Helen; Rory's wife, Serena; and Helen's friend Katie, a journalist currently covering a case of sexual assault--drive this suspenseful thriller, and when Rachel turns up on Helen and Daniel's doorstop, inserting herself even further into their lives, things take a decidedly threatening turn. As the story progresses, secret notes, a lost laptop, and old newspaper clippings make it quite clear that something nefarious is afoot. Helen's rising sense of unease is effectively contrasted with her much gentler memories of university days from a decade earlier, when she, Daniel, Serena, and Rory reveled in the glory of their time together. With constantly growing levels of menace, this tension-filled novel will keep you guessing through its final revelations. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Helen, the principal narrator of British journalist Faulkner's well-paced debut, feels insecure among a circle of Cambridge University graduates that includes her architect husband, Daniel; Helen's brother, Rory, who's also Daniel's business partner; Rory's elegant wife, Serena; and Katie, an intrepid reporter. Helen's belief that she's not as glamorous or talented as the rest of her family and friends has been exacerbated by her being forced to take medical leave from her unrewarding office job to manage a high-risk pregnancy. When Daniel is too busy at work to join her at their prenatal class, Helen forges an unlikely friendship with another expectant mother, Rachel, who seems determined to break every prenatal rule in the book--and encourages Helen to do the same. Several supposed coincidental meetings allow Rachel to insinuate herself into Helen's life, culminating in Rachel's moving in with Helen and Daniel. When a court case Katie is covering suggests that Rachel isn't who she seems to be, violence and tragedy ensue. Faulkner ratchets up the tension throughout with clever narrative shifts. Domestic thriller fans should take a look. Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Ltd. (U.K.). (Jan.)

When Rory, Daniel, Serena, and Helen were students at Cambridge, they stole a boat one sunny afternoon and went punting on the River Cam. When Daniel and Serena sneaked the boat back to the boathouse, they witnessed something horrifying. They knew they should report it, but they were worried there would be consequences if they told anyone what they had seen. Years later, Daniel and Helen are married, and so are Rory and Serena. The couples have beautiful homes in London; Rory and Daniel are partners in a successful architectural firm; and both Helen and Serena are pregnant. Serena seems delighted, but Helen, who's already lost four babies, is nervous. She enrolls in a prenatal class to try to allay some of her fears, and there she meets Rachel, who gloms onto Helen in a way that's at first flattering but quickly becomes oppressive. Then strange and troubling things start happening. When Rachel claims she's been attacked and begs to move in temporarily with Helen and Daniel, the situation escalates into something dark and ultimately life-changing. There's a palpable sense of menace hanging over the story, which packs punch after shocking punch. An original and highly imaginative plot, combined with complex characters and a stunning conclusion, will shock even the most seasoned crime-fiction aficionado. An outstanding debut thriller.