The Happiness Thief
A Novel
by Nicole Bokat
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date May 18 2021 | Archive Date Apr 13 2021
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Description
―Mystery Scene Magazine
Forty-one-year-old Natalie Greene lost her mom and her childhood memories in a car crash two decades ago. What remains is a haunting feeling that she was responsible for her mother’s death. After her husband leaves for another woman, Natalie accompanies her famous stepsister, Isabel Walker (aka “The Happiness Guru”) on a retreat to the Cayman Islands. There, a late-night collision triggers Natalie’s long-buried trauma and a heightened sense of guilt.
Upon returning home to Boston, Natalie tries to settle back into her life as a food photographer and single mother to a teenage daughter—but then, one day, an anonymous email arrives about the Cayman accident that suggests foul play. In her search for the truth, Natalie must deal with a mix of fear, confusion, and suspects. With the help of Isabel and an attractive journalist, she uncovers a trail of deceit that begins on that deserted Caribbean road, circles back home, and ends in the most unexpected of places.
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
"Bokat is an evocative wordsmith . . . she has crafted a sympathetic heroine as her main character. . . . A compulsively readable mystery and character study.”
―Kirkus Reviews
"So, so smart, and as downright dangerous a read as the edge of a razor, Bokat's book is a masterful study of memory, family, and the lies that derail us. Don't even dare to think you'll get any sleep once you start reading."
―Caroline Leavitt, New York Times best-selling author of Pictures of You and With or Without You
"Sharp, quick-witted, with twists you can’t foresee, Bokat’s smart new thriller casts a sharp eye on a family’s buried secret. In this riveting story of gaslighting, murder, and betrayal, a woman seeking to unlock her past mistakenly trusts one she should not. Some people are like cyanide pills wrapped in chocolate truffle—dangerous, but irresistible. The Happiness Thief will swallow you whole.”
―Tess Callahan, author of April and Oliver
"Nicole Bokat has the rare and precious gift of being both a master storyteller and an elegant poet. Each and every sentence dazzles in this intelligent and fiery tale about family, loss, and what it means to feel happy, whole."
―Judy Batalion, author of The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos and White Walls
"The Happiness Thief is a beautifully written, heart-thundering page-turner. I tore through it, desperate to discover answers. The novel's characters are as rich and complex as you and I."
―Aspen Matis, #1 Amazon best-selling author of Your Blue Is Not My Blue and Girl in the Woods
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781647420574 |
| PRICE | $16.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 280 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Literary R, Reviewer
THE HAPPINESS THIEF is an elegantly written mystery that keeps you rapt from the get-go. Natalie has a deep well of PTSD from the loss of her mother two decades ago in a car crash. Now in her forties, she faces even more loss when her husband leaves her, plus more trauma when a crash occurs while she’s on retreat to the Caymans.
After returning home, Natalie receives a shocking email suggesting the Cayman collision was not what it seemed. The ensuing twists and turns will keep you up all night, heart-pumping, awareness narrowed to just the page before you until you reach the last one. Whew!
4 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 18 May 2021
#TheHappinessThief #NetGalley
Thanks to the author, She Writes Press, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
Rubie C, Reviewer
Natalie Greene lost her mom and her childhood memories in a car crash two decades ago. What remains is a haunting feeling that she was responsible for her mother’s death. After her husband leaves for another woman, Natalie accompanies her famous stepsister, Isabel Walker (aka “The Happiness Guru”) on a retreat to the Cayman Islands. There, a late-night collision triggers Natalie’s long-buried trauma and a heightened sense of guilt.
This was such a wonderful fast paced thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat!
The writing was great. The story even better!
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