Lendle

“A twisting, intense psychological thriller.”—Bestselling author Scott Nicholson, Chronic Fear

Even a genius can be played for a pawn by a cunning and deadly manipulator.
Lauren James is a former psychiatrist, still reeling from her husband’s suicide and the subsequent miscarriage that swept away her tidy life the year before. On the anniversary of his death, she opens what she hopes to be a “Welcome to Mensa” envelope and pulls out a threatening puzzle along with the identical suicide note she had burned the previous year. Unraveling the twisted clues, Lauren embarks on a harrowing journey drawn in by a child’s neglected grave, a professor from the island of St. Croix, and a U.S. Supreme Court nominee. When Lauren discovers the reason behind her husband’s shocking death, she must struggle with her deepest convictions and whether killing is acceptable if it saves more lives.

“Former psychiatrist Lauren James opens what she hopes is an acceptance letter from Mensa, only to find a weird puzzle and her late husband’s suicide note, which she burned the year before. Lauren seeks solutions with the help of Caleb, a mysterious astronomer from the Caribbean, who has his own puzzles to solve. Looking for love, as well as a confidante, Lauren puts her trust in a man she meets on a cruise. However, the man is a politician with an agenda Lauren couldn’t have seen coming. Brilliant Prey marks an exciting debut for psychological suspense writer Brenda Wallace.”—Debbi Mack, New York Times bestselling author of the Sam McRae mystery series