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My name is Emma Brennan, and I never thought I’d find myself in this position — standing on a Cape Cod beach at sunrise, wondering which of my friends is a killer. 


I came to the idyllic seaside town of Provincetown, to raise my young niece and figure out what to do next with my life. Eleven months ago my sister vanished off the coast of Ocracoke Island. No body, no answers. Just a teenage daughter left behind — and me. 

At the same time, the man I thought I was going to marry cheated on me with a cute young florist. I joined the Tragic Wives’ Group — a tight-knit, cold-water swimming group with enough personal drama to fill a bestseller. And one of us has put it in a manuscript, spilling all our secrets. 

Then she disappears . . . leaving just a pile of clothes on the sand. She’s the second person I’ve lost in twelve months. 

A SEXY BLEND OF TENSION AND SUSPENSE WITH AN ENDING YOU WON’T SEE COMING. 


This razor-sharp thriller of friendship, obsession and the secrets we’d do anything to protect is perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Liane Moriarty, Lucy Clarke, Sarah Goodwin and Shari Lapena.

Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

About The Author

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Dr. Bella Ellwood-Clayton writes twisty commercial fiction about the secrets we hide from those closest to us. 


Her novels include The Swimming Group (Joffe Books, 2025) and her debut Weekend Friends (Post Hill Press/Simon & Schuster, 2023), which was hailed as "unputdownable" by bestselling author Nicola Moriarty. The Cherry Wives is coming in 2026. 


Her short stories and poetry have been published, and her articles have appeared in Huffington Post, Women's Health, and Daily Life. She holds a BA from Concordia University in Montréal and a PhD from the University of Melbourne. She wrote a nonfiction book, Sex Drive: In Pursuit of Female Desire (Allen & Unwin, 2012), and she has been featured in a National Geographic documentary and given a TEDx talk. 


Canadian-raised, she married an Aussie, and now lives in Melbourne with her two screen-obsessed teens. Plus, of course, a mini Maltese who has delusions of grandeur. 


When not writing, you can find Bella coaxing her offspring outside and randomly blurting out, "Oh, that's a good story idea."

Website and newsletter: www.drbella.com.au (sign up for free short stories and exclusive giveaways) 
TikTok & Instagram: @bellaellwoodclayton 
Email: bella@drbella.com.au 
Editorial Services: https://www.drbella.com.au/editorial-services
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