Laurie Petrou – författare

** SELECTED AS ONE OF COSMOPOLITAN''S HOTTEST NEW BEACH READS FOR SUMMER 2022 **

It''s a fine line between admiration and envy.

Diana Martin has lived her life in the shadow of her sadistic older brother. She quietly watches the family next door, enthralled by celebrity fashion designer Marianne Taylor and her feted daughter, Aurelle.

She wishes she were a ''Taylor girl''.

By the summer of 1995, the two girls are at university together, bonded by a mutual desire to escape their wealthy families and personal tragedies and forge new identities.

They are closer than lovers, intoxicated by their own bond, falling into the hedonistic seduction of the woods and the water at a remote university that is more summer camp than campus.

But when burgeoning artist Diana has a chance at fame, cracks start to appear in their friendship. To what lengths is Diana willing to go to secure her own stardom?

The lines between love, envy and obsession blur in Laurie Petrou''s utterly enthralling, unceasingly tense new novel. A darkly compelling coming-of-age story, perfect for fans of Donna Tartt''s The Secret History or Liane Moriarty''s Big Little Lies.

''A dark and dreamlike journey into the obsession, envy and love between two young friends in the 90s. The tension simmers in this atmospheric lake-side setting until the crushing end. Laurie Petrou''s writing is melodic and immersive. A delicious read!'' - Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push''A lyrical, nuanced deep dive into female friendship and all of its messy complexities. Laurie Petrou writes with a sharp observational eye and lush, gorgeous prose. Stargazer is an emotional masterpiece, both gritty and incandescent at once'' - Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, bestselling author of The Girls Are All So Nice

''Tense is an understatement when it comes to describing Stargazer. Dark, but written with elegance, Stargazer will have you hooked'' - Living North Magazine

''Stargazer entwines obsession, adulation and chilling female friendship into an enthralling, addictive read. Giving off strong The Secret History vibes, it drew me in from the first pages, and it''ll make you want to be a ''Taylor girl'', even though you know it''s not a good idea...'' - Lisa Hall, bestselling author of Between You and Me

''A chilling look at the fine line between love and obsession, longing and desperation, ambition and mania... These women will haunt you'' - Gin Phillips, bestselling author of The Well and the Mine

''An outstanding book with some of the most beautiful lines I''ve ever read'' - Samantha M Bailey, bestselling author of Woman on the Edge

''Stargazer is a galaxy of a novel: At once a story of friendship, a coming of age, and a dark and utterly captivating tale of family, lust, loss, fame, art and the ever competing hope and destructiveness of youth'' - Amy Stuart, bestselling author of Still Mine

''A sinuous, captivating exploration of the mysterious depths of female friendship that had me hooked from its first pages... This unforgettable novel from a truly talented novelist is perfect for fans of Celeste Ng'' - Marissa Stapley, bestselling author of The Last Resort

''A slow-burn literary thriller in the best possible way: eerie, beautiful, and impossible to put down. I loved it'' - Robyn Harding, bestselling author of The Perfect Family

''Readers who loved Elena Ferrante''s My Brilliant Friend will love Stargazer, a haunting tale of female friendship that explores the delicate and dangerous territory - in art and in love - that lies between inspiration and exploitation'' - Heather Young, author of The Lost Girls

** From the author of Stargazer, one of Cosmopolitan''s hottest new beach reads for summer 2022, comes a sharp, disquieting thriller with a devastating twist **

Two sisters. One fire. A secret that won''t burn out.

The Grayson sisters are trouble. Everyone in their small town knows it. But no-one can know of the secret that binds them together.

Hattie is the light. Penny is the darkness. Together, they have balance.

But one night the balance is toppled. A match is struck. A fire is started. A cruel husband is killed. The potential for a new life flickers in the fire''s embers, but resentment, guilt, and jealousy suffocate like smoke.

Their lives have been engulfed in flames - will they ever be able to put them out?

Steeped in intrigue and suspense, Sister of Mine is a powerhouse debut perfect for fans of psychological thrillers and domestic suspense such as Liane Moriarty''s Big Little Lies and Shari Lapena''s The Couple Next Door.

''A solid psychological study of the relationship between siblings [...] the tension arises as much from the careful peeling away of the two girls'' characters as it does from the mystery itself'' - DAILY MAIL

''A twisty, claustrophobic nail-biter'' - ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

''Beautifully written, tense and real'' - ANN CLEEVES

Art, ambition and desire collide when a struggling academic becomes entangled in the life and marriage of her literary idol.

By day, Dr Ruth Morgan lectures on ''AI: the new frontier of storytelling'' at East Toronto University. By night, she toils away at a collection of short stories, fantasising about a literary career to rival that of the iconic Shelby Rayburn, internationally renowned and widely hailed as the voice of Ruth''s generation of women.

When Shelby and her husband, Oscar, make an appearance at an annual faculty party, Ruth can''t believe her luck. The trio immediately hit it off, and an intoxicating intimacy develops between them, underwritten by a simmering sexual tension.

Everything changes when Shelby makes Ruth an offer she can''t refuse - one that she can''t tell anyone about, including Oscar. As boundaries blur and secret alliances form, the dynamic becomes riddled with distrust and threatens to implode. Ruth and Shelby need each other, but each has their own agenda when it comes to friendship, love and literary stardom.

Deepening her exploration of female friendships, art and fame, award-winning author Laurie Petrou returns with a suspenseful campus novel examining what it means to be a creator in an age where notions of authorship, relationships and notoriety have become dangerously undefinable. Perfect for readers who enjoyed The Rachel Incident, Luster or Conversations with Friends, as well as fans of Jodi Picoult.

''Dark, fascinating, and utterly fearless, The Rayburn Affair reminded me of Julia May Jonas''s Vladimir in the best possible way... I was unsettled, enthralled and completely transfixed. Petrou writes with razor-sharp insight and lyrical power, marking her as one of our most daring contemporary voices'' - Marissa Stapley, New York Times bestselling author of Lucky

''An exceptionally evocative and seductive story about the dangerous allure of intimate connection and slippery security of power... Raw, real and riveting, The Rayburn Affair should be on everyone''s must-read list'' - Samantha M Bailey, internationally bestselling author of Hello, Juliet

''A dark, sexy tale of infatuation, envy and creative life set within the cloistered walls of an elite university. The Rayburn Affair has richly drawn characters, simmering tension and a perfect denouement'' - Robyn Harding, internationally bestselling author of Strangers in the Villa

This novel contains references to sexual harassment.