Dearest - by Jacquie Walters (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A B&N Best Horror Book of 2024
A Golden Poppy Octavia E. Butler Award Finalist
A Book of the Month Club Pick

A new mom in need of help opens her door to her long-estranged mother--only to invite something much darker inside--in this "fast-paced and frightening debut" (Rachel Harrison) about the long shadows cast by family secrets.

Flora is a new mom enamored of her baby girl, Iris, who has arrived a few weeks early. But with her husband still deployed, Flora must navigate the newborn stage alone. As the sleepless nights pass in the loneliness of their half-empty home, the edges of her reality begin to blur.

Just as Flora becomes convinced she is losing her mind, a surprising guest shows up to help: Flora's own mother, to whom she hasn't spoken in years. Can they mend their fraught relationship? Or is there more that Flora's mother isn't telling her about the events that led to their estrangement?

As stranger and scarier events unfold, Flora begins to fear that her mother's secrets have allowed something truly evil to enter her home. She must decide: is her hold on reality slipping dangerously away? Or is she, in fact, the only thing standing between a terrifying visitor and her baby?

Review Quotes

A B&N "Best Horror Book of 2024"

"An unflinching, cinematic thrill ride that examines the darkest fears inherent to motherhood...then lights them on fire. This perfectly plotted debut delivers again and again with a tense, claustrophobic start and genuinely terrifying final act."--Anne Heltzel, author of Just Like Mother

"Shockingly original and genuinely disturbing, this brilliant horror novel will hit way too close to home for millions of women."--Kirsten Miller, author of The Change

"Dearest by Jacquie Walters is one of the most exquisitely terrifying books I've ever read. Exceptionally written, this stunning thriller/horror explores the darkest parts of motherhood--whether we are good enough, capable enough to ensure our children survive and thrive. With mind-blowing twists, supernatural sensations, and a raw, unflinching exploration of postpartum, Dearest altered my psyche and skewered my soul."--Samantha M. Bailey, bestselling author of A Friend in the Dark

"A raw and challenging rumination on motherhood and inherited trauma. Compassionate and compelling, Walters is a talent to watch."--Sarah Langan, author of Good Neighbors and A Better World

"A corrosive cocktail of domestic dread and parental paranoia, Dearest will turn your stomach and scare you senseless."--Daniel Kraus, New York Times bestselling author of Whalefall

"A truly terrifying exploration of maternal instinct, mental health, and the complex bonds between mothers and daughters. Jacquie Walters is a horror writer to watch."
--Robyn Harding, author of The Drowning Woman

"A fast-paced and frightening debut that explores the nightmares of new motherhood, with plenty of twists and scares."--Rachel Harrison, bestselling author of Black Sheep

About the Author

Jacquie Walters is an Emmy-nominated writer who has sold five pilots in the last three years. She is currently adapting Melissa de la Cruz's bestselling book series Blue Bloods for television and has placed projects at Apple TV+, ABC Network, Paramount Plus, iTV, CJ Entertainment (PARASITE), and others. In all, she has written and produced over 100 episodes of television. Jacquie graduated from the Novel Writing Program at Stanford University and is passionate about layered mysteries, psychological anomalies, and characters with everything to hide. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two children, and beloved Golden Retriever.