“Knoll is the author of really unsettling thrillers… [Helpless] is like Misery but with your ex.” —New York Times Book Review
Description
A NEW YORK TIMES, OPRAH DAILY, CRIME READS, TOWN & COUNTRY, AND BOOKPAGE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK!
From the New York Times bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive and Bright Young Women comes a "sexy new thriller" (New York Post) with a "shocking and mindbending" (SheReads) last page.
It's been twelve years since Faye Heron broke Henry Spalding's heart. Henry was her college boyfriend, her first love, but Faye was in danger of being subsumed by him and the intensity of their connection—a connection that took her beyond boundaries she'd only dreamed of crossing.
Now, Faye is one half of a power-producing duo with her Hollywood husband. Henry is a married father running the family business. On the surface, both of their lives have essentially gone to plan.
When a former and beloved college professor suddenly passes away, Faye and Henry find themselves back on campus for the funeral, circling something old and dangerous. Something, if Faye is honest with herself, she has been trying to duplicate for years. But Henry is one of a kind.
The kind who delivers a hypnotic apology for the way things ended.
The kind who suggests they go back to the hotel for a drink.
The kind who drugs and kidnaps her.
When Faye comes to Henry’s remote mountain cabin, she’s beside herself. Has Henry brought her here to punish her? She did, after all, write and star in a lauded episode of television based on their indelicate appetites and vicious breakup. As her week of captivity unfolds, Henry’s wanton demands intensify, and Faye finds herself pulled back into his irresistible gravity. But as Faye and Henry spiral into their old dynamic, a sprawling, years-old mystery begins to take shape—one that will rewrite history as Faye remembers it and reveal an astounding, cataclysmic truth.
Reviews
“[A] smart thriller… This is the book to grab if you’re craving a prickle of fear. Be forewarned, the ending is a doozy.” —New York Times Book Review
“[A] taut contemporary tale of the explosive reunion of two former lovers… Knoll's twisty tale of psychological suspense, with its exploration of a nuanced relationship with elements of submission and control, will get readers talking.” —Booklist
“Toxic and titillating… Helpless’ thrilling cascade of thought-provoking plot twists and surprising reveals is sure to keep readers guessing.” —Bookpage
"Knoll is a master of ambitious, cool-headed heroines who know exactly how to package their pain. But in Helpless, she lets one of them get seriously hot and bothered... Unapologetically kinky and almost diabolically twisty, this thriller keeps making you rethink who is using whom, and why. Also: Your book club will need at least two meetings to unpack the ending." —Oprah Daily