Behind the Red Door - by Megan Collins (Paperback)

About the Book

"When Fern Douglas sees the news about Astrid Sullivan, a thirty-four-year-old missing woman from Maine, she is positive that she knows her. Fern's husband is sure it's because of Astrid's famous kidnapping - and equally famous return - twenty years ago, but Fern has no memory of that, even though it happened an hour outside her New Hampshire hometown, where she's returning for the week to help her father pack for a move. And when Astrid appears in Fern's recurring nightmare, one in which a girl reaches out to her, pleading, Fern fears that it's not a dream at all, but a memory. Back home in New Hampshire, Fern purchases a copy of Astrid's recently published memoir Behind the Red Door- which may have provoked her original kidnapper to abduct her again- and as Fern reads through its chapters, visits the people and places within it, she discovers more evidence that she has an unsettling connection to the missing woman. As her search becomes increasingly desperate, she hopes to remember her past so she can save Astrid in the present--before it's too late"--

Book Synopsis

"A haunting thriller" (PopSugar) about a woman who believes that she has a connection to a decades old kidnapping and begins a frantic investigation to find out what really happened when the victim goes missing again.

When Fern Douglas sees the news about Astrid Sullivan, a thirty-four-year-old missing woman from Maine, she is positive that she knows her. Fern's husband is sure it's because of Astrid's famous kidnapping--and equally famous return--twenty years ago, but Fern has no memory of that, even though it happened an hour outside her New Hampshire hometown. And when Astrid appears in Fern's recurring nightmare, one in which a girl reaches out to her, pleading, Fern fears that it's not a dream at all, but a memory.

Returning to her childhood home to help her father pack for a move, Fern purchases a copy of Astrid's recently published memoir--which may have provoked her original kidnapper to abduct her again--and as she reads through its chapters and visits the people and places within it, she discovers more evidence that she has an unsettling connection to the missing woman. With the help of her psychologist father, Fern digs deeper, hoping to find evidence that her connection to Astrid can help the police locate her. But when Fern discovers more about her own past than she ever bargained for, the disturbing truth will change both of their lives forever in this "masterful meditation on fear" (Mindy Mejia, author of Strike Me Down).

Review Quotes

"In Behind the Red Door, Megan Collins has achieved something remarkable--a dark, disturbing story that is both elegant and fascinating. Exquisite writing, compelling characters and a story so captivating I finished it in a weekend. Few books live up to the word chilling, but this one does." --Samantha Downing, USA Today bestselling author of My Lovely Wife

"[A] haunting thriller." --PopSugar

"A dark yet elegant crime thriller" --Business Insider

"Collins nimbly orchestrates Fern's growing sense of terror as she slowly sifts in echoes of long-repressed sounds and sights.... A dark psychological thriller riddled with twisted family dynamics." --Kirkus Reviews

"Spellbinding, poignant and atmospheric, Behind The Red Door is one of those rare stories you can get utterly lost in. With writing so richly evocative I could vividly imagine every detail, this is a mesmerizing tale." --Christina McDonald, USA Today bestselling author of The Night Olivia Fell

About the Author

Megan Collins is the author of Cross My Heart, Thicker Than Water, The Family Plot, Behind the Red Door, and The Winter Sister. She taught creative writing for many years at both the high school and college level and is the managing editor of 3Elements Literary Review. She lives in Connecticut, where she obsesses over dogs, miniatures, and cake.