The Invisible Heiress
by Kathleen O'Donnell
Genre:
Psychological Thriller
Psychological Thriller
“Dark, disturbing, deliciously inappropriate.” –
Leslie Wolfe, best-selling author of The Watson Girl.
Leslie Wolfe, best-selling author of The Watson Girl.
From two-time Book of the Year finalist Kathleen O’Donnell comes a
gripping psychological thriller filled with unexpected twists.
gripping psychological thriller filled with unexpected twists.
A psychiatric patient with a dark secret
Preston Blair, a blogger with a dark sense of humor, is committed to a
private psychiatric hospital, accused of a shocking crime. Her father
Todd’s influence as a D.A. has kept her from prison, but her sanity
remains on a knife-edge.
private psychiatric hospital, accused of a shocking crime. Her father
Todd’s influence as a D.A. has kept her from prison, but her sanity
remains on a knife-edge.
A therapist with an agenda
Preston’s therapist, Isabel, is too preoccupied working her latest con on a
rich, married, sadomasochistic secret lover, to care about Preston’s
problems, even when Preston tells her that her socialite mother,
Harrison Blair, had committed an unthinkable crime herself years
before—one that might help explain Preston’s own misdeeds.
rich, married, sadomasochistic secret lover, to care about Preston’s
problems, even when Preston tells her that her socialite mother,
Harrison Blair, had committed an unthinkable crime herself years
before—one that might help explain Preston’s own misdeeds.
A shocking secret that begs to be told
When Preston’s absent husband, Brendan, suddenly turns up and tries to
prove her innocence, tragedy strikes. Preston’s convinced her
parents were involved, but it turns out to be much more complicated.
As Preston delves deeper into the mystery, her head clears and a
devastating event that she had long erased from her muddled mind
comes rushing back.
prove her innocence, tragedy strikes. Preston’s convinced her
parents were involved, but it turns out to be much more complicated.
As Preston delves deeper into the mystery, her head clears and a
devastating event that she had long erased from her muddled mind
comes rushing back.
A killer that cannot be stopped
Stumbling onto video evidence, which exposes a killer’s greed and lust for
power, Preston finds her own life is in danger from a surprising and
once trusted source. She discovers that the truth hurts. It just
might be the death of her.
power, Preston finds her own life is in danger from a surprising and
once trusted source. She discovers that the truth hurts. It just
might be the death of her.
Fans of Gillian Flynn and Jessica Knoll will love Kathleen O’Donnell.
Preston
I don’t know which scene satisfied me most—my posh parents waiting
in the concrete-walled visitors’ room or me deposited in front of them by a
uniformed guard.
They sat across from me at the Formica-topped table. My father’s
face was tight, eyes damp. Seeing him distressed kicked a dent in my smug
demeanor, so I stopped looking at him, my eyes ping ponged toward my mother.
Despite the sordid circumstances, she shone, her beauty ferocious, perhaps
highlighted even more by the dour surroundings. Thick hair still a perfect
shade of bombshell blonde, skin pale but flawless despite time’s march, the
blue of her eyes a perpetual shock.
So entranced I forgot to insult her.
Almost.
“My incarceration poses a real problem for you. Doesn’t it,
Mother? Harrison Blair doesn’t sully herself with the downtrodden.”
She shifted backward then forward quick.
“You’re the problem, Preston. Downtrodden? That’s how you
think of yourself? You—”
“Harrison,
Preston,” Dad said. “Please. Let’s start right. Preston, your mother and I
haven’t seen you in so long. Though God knows I’ve tried. Let’s all make a real
effort.”
He
paused, probably to steel himself for objections in stereo. None came.
Dad
continued. “You’re not incarcerated. You’re hospitalized. Your new therapist
what’s her name.” He squeezed his eyes shut like her name had been tattooed
inside his lids. “Um, she, Isabel, says you’ve made some headway, participating
in therapy now.”
“Might
as well,” I said.
“That’s
the spirit. Won’t be long until you’re back home. You’re doing so well
considering how difficult, well you’re done with that part of the, uh, the
rehabilitation.”
“You
mean the sweating, shaking, puking, padded room part?” I said.
“You’re
sober. That’s all I meant.”
My
mother’s eyes popped like a kidnapper just yanked the hood off her head.
“Sober?”
she said. “Doesn’t that term apply to alcoholics? Surely they have another term
for homicidal, drunken pill add—”
“She’s
clean, Harrison. That’s all that matters.”
Dad
kept yanking on his tie. I thought he might hang himself with it right before
our eyes.
“All
that matters? Is that your idea of a joke, Todd?”
“Nice
dye job, Dad. Only you’d believe those stupid commercials. So natural no one
will—”
“Darling,
stop,” he said to Mother. “Of course sobriety’s not all but it’s a start. I
think, we think enough time has passed. We should jumpstart our family
therapy.”
“We
who?” I said.
The
guard took a step forward, disapproving of my elevated tone. My father waved
him back.
“Not
Mother, I’m sure.”
“Well,
Isabel thought—”
“Just
because I’m in the cuckoo’s nest doesn’t mean I don’t have rights,” I said.
“Isabel shouldn’t talk to you at all about me. I’m an adult. She’s my shrink.
Confidentiality too big a word?”
“Shrinks.
Therapy,” Mother said. “In my day you poured yourself a scotch and got on with
it.”
“You
don’t pour yourself anything. You hire that out,” I said.
“Family
therapy’s part of the deal,” Dad said. “The judge insisted—”
“You
own the judge. We don’t have to do anything. Remind him,
Mother.”
“You
should kiss Judge Seward’s robed ass,” she said, hissing like a stabbed tire.
“You’d be someone’s bitch if not for his mercy.”
“You
mean, if not for your money. Don’t pretend you did shit for me. You did
everything for yourself, Mother, to stop the gossip. That’s what you do.”
With
both fists, Dad twisted the tie he’d finally managed to take off.
“Preston,
we hoped something good could come out of—”
“Todd,
the only good that could possibly come out of this mess is if Preston stays hospitalized
for the rest of her natural life.”
“Harrison,
please. We agreed—”
“You
agreed. With no one but yourself.”
“Hate
to break up the party but I’m ready to go back to my room,” I said more to the
guard than my parents.
“Wait,
Preston,” Dad said, peering around the room, looking for his spine. “It doesn’t
feel like it now, but here’s a chance for you and Mom to, I don’t know what,
start again, improve your relationship, even a little. That’s what we all want,
isn’t it?”
“Steady
on, Dad. The devil comes dressed as everything you want.”
I
let the guard take my arm, turned in time to see Mom lean her head back enough
to dab at the scar under the collar of her ivory silk blouse, a scarlet line
cut across her throat, not quite ear to ear, a vicious permanent necklace.
Kathleen O’Donnell is a wife, mom, grandmother and a recovering blogger.
She currently lives in Nevada with her husband. She is a two time
Book of the Year finalist for her debut novel The Last Day for Rob
Rhino. You can find short stories and blog posts on her website.
She currently lives in Nevada with her husband. She is a two time
Book of the Year finalist for her debut novel The Last Day for Rob
Rhino. You can find short stories and blog posts on her website.
Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
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