Wellness retreats are supposed to be peaceful, right? But what if everything you’re trying to escape follows you into the place that’s supposed to be your safe haven? Blending the claustrophobic tension of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None (my personal favorite Christie) with the contemporary setting and fractured relationships of The Guest List, Echo Ridge puts a modern spin on the classic locked-room mystery. This chilling thriller comes out January 5, 2027, everyone’s hiding something as the bubble of serenity pops and a reality that is far more dangerous sets in. 

Echo Ridge by Audrey J. Cole

Echo Ridge Sanctuary is nestled in the rainforest in the Cascades, tranquil and remote. People are looking for enlightenment, healing their souls. But healing is hard after a murder pops the bubble, plunging the retreat into chaos. Jade is looking to heal from recent betrayal, teaching Tai Chi at Echo Ridge. Naomi March suffered the loss of her daughter and is searching for similar solace with her other daughter. Two more guests arrive that destory the illusion of tranquility. Jade’s former best friend and business partner, and her new fiancé is someone Naomi’s family can never forgive. Now they’re trapped by a storm but the weather are the least of their worries. Secrets, paranoia, and revenge plots set in, and there’s still a killer on the loose. 

Preorder the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon 

Prologue

Naomi

Lily’s phone goes to voicemail after the third ring. I sink against the driver’s seat and end the call without leaving a message. I hope she and Dylan aren’t having another fight, which seems to be all they do lately—when they’re even talking at all.

Thanks to daylight savings, it’s already dark as I pull out of the physical therapy clinic parking lot. I wanted to tell Lily about a pub Karen suggested she and I visit in Victoria next week called The Sticky Wicket. I’m still disappointedthat Miranda can’t go, but it will also be

nice to spend a couple of days with Lily one-on-one. I’ve been worried about my oldest daughter lately, and I’m afraid she and Dylan are on the brink of divorce.

Earlier this year, Lily confided that Dylan had racked up enough gambling debts that they were having to get asecond mortgage on their home. The next time I asked about it, Lily told me not to worry, that everything was fine; they’d taken care of it.

But these last couple of months Lily has been tense. Distant. Unlike herself, not wanting to open up—even to me. I’m certain that all Lily’s troubles all have to do with Dylan. He was glued to his phone even more than usual the last few times I saw him. According to Lily, he’s suddenly spending tons of time at the gym and coming home late nearly every night.

 Miranda goes to the same gym, and she saw Dylan flirting with some young woman after a spin class back in September. She told Lily, but Lily dismissed it as nothing.

I have no doubt Dylan is cheating on my daughter. Even though she hasn’t wanted to talk about it, I’m sure thatLily knows. I’m hoping that having a couple of days together alone for my birthday trip will allow her to open to me about her marriage.

My ringtone echoes through my Bluetooth speakers. I check the screen, surprised to see Miranda calling me, not Lily. My youngest daughter doesn’t call as often as Lily does. But Lily mentioned Miranda wanted to take me out todinner since she couldn’t go with us to Victoria, so maybe she’s calling to make plans.

“Hi, honey.”

 A sob. “Mom.” Miranda’s voice comes out a croak.

 I sit tall, my body tensing as my fingers clenching the steering wheel. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Has she had another seizure? After last month, she’s not even supposed to be driving, but Miranda’s always been strong-willed. “Are you okay?”

“It’s Lily. She—” Miranda’s voice breaks. “She…. Mom, she’s gone.” My heart stills as my brows knit in confusion. “Gone?”

“There was a break-in. She was stabbed. Murdered. In her house.” My lungs go rigid. It can’tbe. No, no, no. “What?” I hear myself say.

Miranda breathes into the phone. “Dylan just called me from the hospital.”

 A horn blares from behind me. I stare at the green light, tears blurring my vision as I sit frozen in shock and disbelief. My foot doesn’t move from the brake. I’m immobilized from

Miranda’s words. She can’t be. Not Lily.

 The horn erupts again, longer this time. “Mom? You still there?”

My foot finds the gas. I speed through the intersection before pulling onto the shoulder. I feel as though I’moutside of myself as the car behind me whizzes past. Like my body is trying to detach itself from this reality I can’t bear to accept.

My hand trembles as I throw the car into park. “Are you sure she’s…” I can’t bring myself to say it. “Gone? You said Dylan called from the hospital. Can’t they save her?”

“I’m sure.” Miranda clears her throat. “Dylan said Lily had been stabbed several times by whoever broke in and that she was pronounced dead on arrival at the ER.”

My lip quivers. How can this be happening? A sob escapes my lips. Lily. My girl. Dead. I can’t breathe. Please, God, don’t let this be real.

I feel sick thinking how terrified Lily must have been in her final moments. How horrifying it would’ve been forsomeone to attack her so violently. Who would do such a thing? And why?

“Wait. Where was Dylan during the break in?”

 “He came home afterward, apparently. And he found her… in the laundry room.”

 I suck in a sharp breath, my thoughts running too fast to speak. The sheer horror of it is too much to take in.

Through my shock, a single thought pushes itself to the front of my mind: this doesn’t make sense. A home invasion in Lily’s modest, and safe, neighborhood? There would be nothing of any real value to steal from Lily’s home. I glance at the clock on my dash. It’s not even seven p.m. Had they broken in while it was still daylight?

 “Are the police sure it was a break in?” I ask Miranda.

 “I don’t know.” Miranda sniffs. “That’s just what Dylan told me. He said they were taking him to the police station for questioning.”

Dylan.

 “I’m heading there too.” My throat clenches up as I throw my car in reverse. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Don’t drive, Miranda.” I can’t have anything happen to my youngest daughter too.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take an Uber.”

A sob erupts from my throat when I make a U-turn. I want to scream. Wail at the top of my lungs. Beat my fistsagainst the wheel in hysteria. Do something, anything, that could make this not true and bring Lily back.

I picture how tired Lily looked the last time I saw her as a tear slides down my cheek. My sweet girl. I can’t bear to imagine how she must’ve looked when she died. What she must’ve gone through. If I allow myself to think about it, I’ll collapse, and I can’t do that until I speak with the police.

Even in my shock, I know this wasn’t some random act of violence due to a break-in gone wrong. This was a crime of passion. A calculated, premeditated one at that.

And I have to make sure Dylan doesn’t get away with it.

Preorder this thrilling mystery today!

Audrey J. Cole is a USA TODAY bestselling thriller author, and her books have been translated into multiple languages. She resides in the Pacific Northwest with her two children. Before writing full time, she worked as a neonatal intensive care nurse for eleven years. She’s also a pilot’s daughter.