She Didn't Stand a Chance
A Novel
USA Today Bestseller!
"Clever, atmospheric, and sizzling with suspense, this book is an addictive binge." --Heather Chavez, author of Before She Finds Me and What We'll Burn Last
The desert heat can be deadly. But nothing kills like a cold heart.
Gertie hasn't seen her siblings since she was a toddler. Now, she's back at the family home she barely remembers, summoned there to witness the reading of her father's will. Shockingly, Gertie stands to inherit a substantial portion of the family business and her father's prized Palm Springs home. And no one is more surprised--and angry--about Gertie's inclusion in the will than her sisters and brothers.
Trapped in a remote house that doesn't feel like home with siblings that don't feel like family, Gertie is isolated in more ways than one. And when she discovers that her father may have been murdered, and a member of the household staff dies not long before she has a near-deadly accident of her own, she realizes she'll be lucky to get out of this unexpected family reunion alive.
A suspenseful read that feels just as suffocating as the dry California air in which it is set, She Didn't Stand a Chance takes readers on a wild journey of jealousy, lies, and family secrets with deadly consequences.
Pages: 304
ISBN: 9781728292953
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1 rating
Carla B.
Gertie hasn’t seen her siblings since she was a kid, and honestly, she was fine keeping it that way. But when she’s summoned to her late father’s estate in Palm Springs for the reading of his will, she quickly learns the desert heat isn’t the only thing simmering. Shocked to find herself inheriting part of the family business and her father’s prized home, Gertie realizes fast that her greedy siblings aren’t exactly thrilled with this turn of events. As tensions boil over and accidents pile up, Gertie starts wondering if her father’s death was no accident... and if she’s next.
Spillin’ the Book Tea:
Let’s just start with this...I love Gertie. Watching her character grow through the pages gave me something to root for. She’s relatable, grounded, and the kind of FMC you want to survive the chaos. Her siblings though? Yikes. Greed, jealousy, secrets... this family brought it all to the table and none of it felt warm or fuzzy.
This book does an incredible job with tension. The claustrophobic setting, one big, lonely house in the oppressive desert heat, amps everything up. It had that classic closed-in, isolated vibe where you start questioning who you can trust and what’s lurking around the next corner. The pacing kept me locked in, and the suspicion just kept building until I needed to know how it was all going to end.
It’s suspenseful, sharp, and exactly the kind of family drama meets thriller I enjoy. Big thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
The Vibes It Brings: