Women Like Us - by Katia Lief (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Joni Ackerman was tired of being invisible. It's been five years since Joni Ackerman tipped the antifreeze into her husband's cocktail. Five years since he was found dead at the bottom of the stairs. Five years since she got away with murder. At first, Joni feared the consequences of her transgression, but she's learned to embrace the power of recklessness in a way she would have hated to see in anyone else. It was that recklessness, after all, that took her to this rewarding new life. Joni now runs Sunny Day Productions alongside her daughter, Chris, and her best friend, Val. All is well in life and work until, one day, their balance is rocked when an unexpected, and unwelcome, visitor appears. When Joni's brother, Marc, resurfaces after a twenty-year estrangement, Joni braces for the sibling she knew-a cruel, vindictive conman who deftly switched between personas. But this Marc on her doorstep is different. He's older, softer. And he seems to have overcome the self-inflicted traumas of his past. But Val isn't fooled. She knows exactly what sort of man Marc is, and she warns Joni to keep her guard up. When Mark inevitably betrays Joni's trust, Joni is forced to look inward. As dark thoughts, and darker compulsions, take form, Joni can't help but wonder: "Is psychopathy a family trait?" Katia Lief's Women Like Us is a sharply rendered literary thriller that examines the complexities and responsibilities of female friendship-what brings women together, and what drives them apart"--

Book Synopsis

Katia Lief's Women Like Us is a sharply-rendered literary thriller that examines the complexities and responsibilities of female friendship--what brings women together, and what drives them apart.

Joni Ackerman was tired of being invisible.

It's been five years since Joni Ackerman tipped the antifreeze into her husband's cocktail. Five years since he was found dead on the stairs. Five years since she got away with murder. At first, Joni feared the consequences of her transgression, but she's learned to embrace the power of recklessness in a way she would have hated to see in anyone else. It was that recklessness, after all, that took her to this rewarding new life.

Joni now runs Sunny Day Productions alongside her daughter, Chris, and her best friend, Val. All is well in life and work until, one day, their balance is rocked when an unexpected, and unwelcome, visitor appears.

When Joni's brother, Marc, resurfaces after a twenty-year estrangement, Joni braces for the sibling she knew--a cruel, vindictive conman who deftly switched between personas. But this Marc on her doorstep is different. He's older, softer. And he seems to have overcome the self-inflicted traumas of his past.

But Val isn't fooled. She knows exactly what sort of man Marc is, and she warns Joni to keep her guard up. When Mark inevitably betrays Joni's trust, Joni is forced to look inward. As dark thoughts, and darker compulsions, take form, Joni can't help but wonder: 'Is psychopathy a family trait?'

Review Quotes

Praise for Women Like Us

"Lief explores the effects of family trauma on a trio of strong, flawed women [and] . . . celebrates the power of female friendship, especially in middle age." --Kirkus

"Equal parts empowering and entertaining."--Publishers Weekly

Praise for Invisible Woman

"A darkly clever thriller about women's thwarted ambitions, celebrity, the Time's Up movement and revenge."--People

"#TimesUp meets Patricia Highsmith in a psychological thriller about friendship, marriage, and the broken promises of youth . . . In the decades since the attack, the onetime trailblazing artist has settled into a life of privileged domesticity as the wife of a successful television executive and a mother. When the book opens, she is becoming acutely aware of the trade-offs she has made. Lief excels at depicting these choices, as well as the context that made them difficult, if not impossible, to avoid."--Clea Simon, Boston Globe

"In this #MeToo thriller, Joni is determined to convince Val to tell the world her secret. In her quest, she unlocks an alarming truth about her husband. This is a suspenseful novel with lots of surprises and twists."--The Girlfriend, from AARP

"Part domestic thriller, part psychological mystery, this is a tight, well-paced novel, and it hangs on the complex and flawed character of Joni herself. Rediscovering Patricia Highsmith's novels, Joni begins to lean into the darkness of her own soul . . . Caught in the nefarious web of the patriarchy at every turn, she finds in Highsmith a way to fight back and reclaim some of her own agency. . . Absolutely a novel of its time-and a novel of women's stories across time."--Kirkus (starred review)

"What follows is a journey through secrets and lies, and Joni will stop at nothing to unravel them all. Lief tells Joni's story with lyrical energy while slowly ratcheting up the suspense, blending shocking twists with literary nuances to create a compelling, introspective narrative."--Booklist

"Timely . . . the psychological twists make it worth reading and hard to put down. For fans of Chandler Baker's Whisper Network or Louise O'Neill's Asking for It."--Library Journal

"It kept me turning the pages, it kept me up reading at night . . . The character Joni is so complex . . . The characters feel very authentic."--Erin Fielding, "On the Front Porch"

"Invisible Woman twists and turns, its escalating dangers alternating with fresh reveals, as momentum builds to a breaking point. . . Characters develop quickly from disagreeable but benign to chilling and dangerous; some readers will find this atmospheric novel engaging and disturbing enough to lose sleep. A literary psychological thriller, cultural study, and heartbreaking story of friendship and loss, Joni's unforgettable story involves layers of lies and the dangers of self-sublimation. Lief chills, entertains, and challenges."--Shelf Awareness

"[A] psychologically savvy look at the many victims and the long life of sexual assault, as well as a satisfying tale of coping through taking action. Joni is a lovably flawed but determined character and her decisions and determination will keep readers rooting for her and racing through this fast and absorbing drama."--First Clue Reviews

"Katia Lief's Invisible Woman is a stunning achievement: it's not only a taut thriller with a jaw-dropping twist, but also a literary exploration of the complexities of marriage and friendship, and a timely tribute to women who were silenced for all too long. The novel will stay with you long after you finish the last page."--Alex Finlay, bestselling author of Every Last Fear

"Attention, suspense readers: get ready to gasp. Attention, book clubs: get ready to argue. Invisible Woman is a wily, provocative literary thriller--classic but timely, retro yet right-this-minute--with brains in its head and ice in its veins. High-tension, high-class, and highly recommended." --A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestseller of The Woman in the Window

"From the first page to the last, Katia Lief's Invisible Woman will seize you and never let go. Smart and spellbinding . . . and most certainly your next favorite thriller."--Jennifer Hillier, award-winning and bestselling author of Things We Do in the Dark

About the Author

KATIA LIEF teaches fiction writing at The New School in Manhattan and lives with her family in Brooklyn. She is the author of Invisible Woman. Earlier work includes A Map of the Dark and Last Night published under the pseudonym Karen Ellis, as well as USA Today and international bestselling novels Five Days in Summer, One Cold Night, and The Money Kill, which was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award.