The Favorite Daughter: A Novel

Kaira Rouda

May 2019 · Harlequin

About this ebook

In this psychological thriller set in a southern California gated community, a wife and mother wonders how much she can trust her own family.

Jane Harris lives in a sparkling home in an oceanfront gated community in Orange County. It’s a place that seems too beautiful to be touched by sadness. But exactly one year ago, Jane’s oldest daughter, Mary, died in a tragic accident, and Jane has been grief-stricken ever since. Lost in a haze of anti-depressants, she’s barely even left the house. Now that’s all about to change.

It’s time for Jane to reclaim her life and her family. Jane’s husband, David, has planned a memorial service for Mary and three days later, their youngest daughter, Betsy, graduates high school. Yet as Jane reemerges into the world, it’s clear her family has changed without her. Her husband has been working long days—and nights—at the office. Her daughter seems distant, even secretive. And her beloved Mary was always such a good girl—dutiful and loving. But does someone know more about Mary, and about her last day, than they’ve revealed?

The bonds between mothers and daughters, and husbands and wives should never be broken. But you never know how far someone will go to keep a family together . . .

Perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Shari Lapena.

Praise for The Favorite Daughter

A PopSugar Best Book of Spring

“A chilling glimpse behind the façade of the perfect family.” —Liv Constantine, author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

“[An] exceptional psychological thriller. . . . Suspense fans will be amply rewarded.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Diabolical. . . . Delightfully wicked fun.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Jane is a character readers will love to hate. Rouda combines domestic suspense with a touch of dark humor for a compulsively readable book set in the mind of a textbook narcissist.” —Bookreporter

Ratings and reviews

The Favorite Daughter takes the unreliable narrator to a whole new level with Jane, which was a bit two-sided for me. On one hand, the author has created a character who certainly piques the interest. There's no way to read this one and not be shocked by Jane's words and actions. On the flip-side of that, Jane is so out there with her behavior, at least in what she tells the reader, that it's almost impossible not to see where this story has to be going. There are twists, but most of them are a little too easy to at least guess at way before they're revealed. Despite that, the story still held my interest. I think a big part of that lay with the characters. Surprisingly, there really aren't any characters in this one that I particularly liked, but the author still managed to make me feel some measure of sympathy for their situation - even the ones who were in a mess of their own making. That's a feat in itself and certainly shows Rouda's talent for storytelling. In the end, I liked some things about this one, and others, not so much, but it is worth the read.

About the author

Kaira Rouda is a USA TODAY bestselling, multiple award-winning author of contemporary fiction that explores what goes on beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives.  Her domestic suspense novel, Best Day Ever, is a USA TODAY bestseller translated into more than eight languages.  Her new novel,The Favorite Daughter, is available now.  She lives in Washington, D.C., and Southern California and is at work on her next novel.