The Stepson
I had the perfect life—until my husband’s secret eighteen-year-old son, TJ, showed up. The very next day, a local girl is found dead in our pool, and TJ is the prime suspect. Bennett defends him, but as the police close in, I’m forced to question everything: my marriage, my stepson, and whether I’ve let a killer into my home.
- Carrie - Bennet’s wife, 28
- Bennett Winter - Carrie’s husband, lawyer, 39
- TJ - Bennet’s son, 18
- Andrea - TJ’s mother, deceased at 39
- Marnie - Carrie’s friend and neighbor, Mark's wife
- Mark - Marnie’s husband
- Sofia - Neighborhood teenager, 17
- Lila - Neighborhood teenager 17
- Jessica Jones - Reporter
- Lydia - Carrie’s neighbor, Sienna’s mother
- Sienna - Neighborhood teenager, 17
- Now: Carrie is being questioned about her role in a man's death.
- One week earlier: TJ shows up on Carrie and Bennett's doorstep.
- TJ's mother recently died in an accident; he found her at the bottom of the stairs.
- The morning after TJ arrives, Sofia is found dead in the neighborhood pool.
- Lila goes missing.
- Carrie sneaks into the house where TJ and Andrea lived and finds a necklace on the stairs with blood on it.
- She hears someone else enter the house, hides, and sees Mark.
- Carrie looks up information about Andrea’s death and sees an article by Jessica that some insiders suspect foul play.
- Carrie calls Jessica, who says Andrea had a stalker before her death, but the police dismissed it.
- Bennet believes his and Carrie's meeting was chance while working in the same building, but Carrie had engineered it after reading a local article about his success and stalking him.
- Sienna goes missing.
- Police find Lila’s body in the creek behind the house.
- Lydia shows Carrie Sienna’s diary, in which Sienna mentions secretly seeing an older man and later discovers he was involved with Sofia and Lila too.
- Marnie is wearing a new necklace from mark; it’s the same as the one Carrie found on the stairs in Andrea’s house.
- Carrie sneaks into Marnie and Mark’s house and finds receipts for both necklaces in Mark’s office.
- Mark comes home, finds Carrie there, and admits he was in love with Andrea, who didn’t love him back. He also confesses to relationships with Lila, Sienna, and Sofia, but denies killing anyone.
- Carrie runs home, Mark chases her, and is crushed by an 85lb door that falls off its hinges - he dies.
- Now: Forensics links Mark to the crimes scenes of Andrea, Sofia and Lila.
- Sienna is found alive - she was hiding at a friend’s house because she was scared after what happened to Sofia and Lila.
- Marks death is ruled an accident and Carrie is free to leave.
- Carrie tells Bennet the truth about how they met but he tells her he already knew.
- Bennett admits Andrea didn’t want him involved in her and TJ’s lives, so he simply sent her money.
- Bennett and Andrea were never married; she took his last name to distance herself from her past.
- Epilogue: Three months later
- TJ moves into the neighborhood.
- Marnie stalked and killed Andrea after discovering Mark was sleeping with her.
- Marnie paid TJ to kill Lila, Sofia, and Sienna, knowing Mark was involved with them too.
- TJ also killed Jessica at Marnie’s request because she was investigating Andrea’s death.
- Marnie tells TJ he needs to finish the job and kill Sienna.
The story is told entirely from Carrie’s point of view and jumps briefly between the present and the past, though the "past" is only a week prior. This book has a medium pace but it did seem to drag a little at times.
One of the standout elements for me was the character of Bennett. In a genre where the husband is almost always shady, Bennett actually seemed like a genuinely good guy and a supportive partner. It was a nice change of pace to not spend the whole book suspecting the spouse. Carrie, however, was a bit harder to connect with. She comes across as very meek and isn't nearly as assertive as she needs to be, which makes a few parts in this book hard to see as realistic.
Despite the lull in the middle and my issues with Carrie’s passivity, the writing style is engaging and keeps you hooked. The payoff at the end is worth the wait, delivering a good twist that pulls everything together. If you like domestic thrillers but are tired of the "evil husband" trope, this is worth picking up.
- Sofia - Dead - Bludgeoned and drowned by TJ at Marnie’s request
- Andrea - Dead - Pushed down the stairs by Marnie
- Lila - Dead - Killed by TJ at Marnie's request
- Mark - Dead - Crushed by an 85lb door
- Sienna - Alive - Still wanted dead by Marnie for sleeping with Mark
- TJ - Alive - Being threatened by Marnie to finish the job and kill Sienna
- Carrie - Alive - Not charged in Mark’s death
- Bennett - Alive - Happy to have TJ in his life and that Carrie is safe
- Murder
- Stalking
Publisher: Joffe Books
ISBN: 9781805731221
Publication Date: June 6, 2025
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
