The Last Mrs. Parrish: A Reese's Book Club Pick

A REESE WITHERSPOON HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK / NATIONAL BESTSELLER / MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD!

“Will keep you up. In a ‘can’t put it down’ way. It’s ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ with XX chromosomes.” —The Skimm

A mesmerizing debut about a coolly manipulative woman and a wealthy "golden couple," from a stunning new voice in psychological suspense.

Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted.

To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne—a socialite and philanthropist—and her real-estate mogul husband, Jackson, are a couple straight out of a fairy tale.

Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn't have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrishes and their lovely young daughters, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces.

With shocking turns and dark secrets that will keep you guessing until the end, The Last Mrs. Parrish is a fresh, juicy, and addictive thriller from a diabolically imaginative talent.

Liv Constantine is the pen name of sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine. Together, they are the bestselling author of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish as well as the novels The Last Time I Saw You, The Wife Stalker, The Stranger in the Mirror, The Senator's Wife, and The Next Mrs. Parrish. Their books have been praised by USA Today, The Sunday Times, People Magazine, and Good Morning America, among many others. Lynne and Valerie are national and international bestselling authors and their books have been translated into 29 languages, are available in 34 countries, and are in development for television and film.

“[A] wicked debut thriller… you’ll relish every diabolical turn.” (People)

“‘The Last Mrs. Parrish’ by Liv Constantine will keep you up. In a ‘can’t put it down’ way. It’s ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ with XX chromosomes.” (The Skimm)

“[A] haunting psychological thriller. . . . Engrossing.” (Real Simple)

“Utterly irresistible. . . . The Last Mrs. Parrish pivots on an enormous and satisfying twist. . . . the pages keep flying, flying, flying by.” (USA Today)

“If you like your thrillers with an unexpected twist, this one’s for you.” (New York Post)

“‘The Last Mrs. Parrish’ Should Be the Very Next Book You Read.” (Huffington Post)

“Fabulous. . . . I read this book in a flash, devouring every twisty delicious detail.” (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

“This deliciously naughty novel of psychological suspense is perfect for fans of Daphne du Maurier, L.S. Hinton and Jessica Knoll.” (LitHub, “5 Crime Must-Reads Coming in October”)

“One compulsive read. . . . It’s a terrific debut, and I look forward to seeing what the Constantine sisters do next!” (Book Reporter)

“Think: a female Tom Ripley. . . . sisters Lynne and Valerie Constantine, writing as Liv Constantine, build momentum with short, cliffhanger chapters racing toward a satisfying denouement.” (Shelf Awareness)

“The Last Mrs. Parrish is an addictive and twisty debut.” (Karin Slaughter, New York Times and international bestselling author)

“Captivating. . . a deliciously duplicitous psychological thriller that will lure readers until the wee hours and beyond. With a plot equally as twisty, spellbinding, and addictive as Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl or Paula Hawkins’s The Girl on the Train, this is sure to be a hit with suspense fans.” (Library Journal (starred review))

“Constantine’s debut novel is the work of two sisters in collaboration, and these ladies definitely know the formula. A Gone Girl-esque confection with villainy and melodrama galore.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))

“To the pantheon of Gone Girl–type bad girls you can now add Amber Patterson, the heroine of this devilishly ingenious debut thriller. . . . The reader watches with shock and delight as Amber cold-bloodedly manipulates Daphne and Jackson and lays waste to anyone else who stands in her way. . . . To say any more would spoil all the twists that Constantine (the pseudonym of sisters Lynne and Valerie Constantine) has in store along the way to a surprising and entirely satisfying ending. Suffice it to say that readers would have to go back to the likes of Ira Levin’s A Kiss Before Dying or Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley to find as entertaining a depiction of a sociopathic monster.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

“The twists keep coming in this psychological roller coaster from debut author Constantine, the pen name of sisters Lynne and Valerie Constantine…this is a satisfying thriller that offers a window into the darker side of glamorous lives and powerful men.”
(Booklist)

“Wonderfully plausible, hy

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine is a twisty, addictive psychological thriller about envy, manipulation, and how appearances can hide very dark truths. The story centers on two women: Amber Patterson, a young woman who believes she deserves a luxurious life she doesn’t have, and Daphne Parrish, a wealthy, elegant socialite married to Jackson Parrish, a powerful businessman. On the surface, Daphne seems to have it all—an adoring husband, two beautiful daughters, a stunning home in the rich town of Bishops Harbor, and a high status in the local social circle. Amber looks at Daphne’s life and decides she should be the one living it. From that decision comes a carefully planned scheme: Amber sets out to steal Daphne’s husband, her position, and her entire life, step by calculated step.

At the beginning of the book, Amber is presented as a plain, overlooked woman who is tired of struggling and fading into the background. She believes the world has unfairly passed her by and that she is entitled to more. Her envy of rich, glamorous women like Daphne grows into a cold determination. Amber studies Daphne’s life and deliberately inserts herself into it. She starts by pretending to share a tragic past similar to Daphne’s: the loss of a sister to cystic fibrosis. Daphne, who is passionate about the foundation she runs in her sister’s memory, is deeply moved by Amber’s story. This is Amber’s first major lie, but it opens the door. Daphne’s kindness and empathy make her vulnerable to Amber’s manipulation.

Amber gradually becomes Daphne’s close friend and confidante. She volunteers for Daphne’s charity, helps with events, and presents herself as selfless and supportive. All the while, she is carefully observing the Parrish family, learning their habits, weaknesses, and secrets. Amber’s real goal is Jackson. She finds him attractive, powerful, and wealthy—the perfect prize. Slowly, she begins flirting with him, testing boundaries, and making herself visible as more than just his wife’s friend. Amber’s inner voice, full of contempt and superiority, contrasts sharply with the sweet, modest persona she shows to others. The first half of the book, told mainly from Amber’s perspective, lets the reader see just how calculated and ruthless she is. She lies easily, uses sympathy as a tool, and enjoys the thrill of getting closer to the life she covets.

As Amber becomes more integrated into the Parrish circle, she starts to undermine Daphne subtly. She plants doubts, encourages Jackson’s attention, and pushes herself into situations where she can be alone with him. She imagines herself as the future Mrs. Parrish, replacing Daphne entirely. Her plan is not just to have an affair; she wants to become Jackson’s wife and force Daphne out. To Amber, Daphne is naïve and weak, and Jackson is a reward she deserves for her cleverness. The reader watches Amber move, piece by piece, toward her goal, and it is easy at this stage to see Daphne as an unsuspecting, slightly sheltered woman who has no idea what is coming.

Midway through the book, the narrative shifts in a crucial way: the story begins to be told from Daphne’s perspective. This change reveals that almost everything the reader assumed about Daphne and Jackson is incomplete. From Daphne’s point of view, the glamorous marriage is exposed as deeply abusive. Jackson, who seemed charming and devoted, is controlling, cruel, and emotionally and physically violent. He isolates Daphne, dictates how she should look and behave, and punishes her whenever she displeases him. The beautiful home and high social status become a gilded cage. Daphne has learned to hide the truth from others, maintaining the image of a perfect marriage while living in constant fear. Her love for her children and her desire to protect them keep her in place, even as she quietly longs for escape.

The shift to Daphne’s narration transforms the story. Amber’s dream life is shown to be a nightmare. The reader now understands that Jackson is not a prize, but a dangerous man. Daphne is not simply a lucky woman with a perfect life, but a survivor carefully managing an abusive husband. She sees Amber coming into her world, sympathizes with her supposed loss, and genuinely wants to help. But when small details start to feel off, Daphne begins to sense that Amber may not be who she says she is. At the same time, Daphne is slowly, secretly creating her own plan to free herself and her daughters from Jackson. She is not as blind or helpless as Amber assumes.

Amber, however, still believes she is winning. She successfully seduces Jackson and, eventually, gets what she wants: Jackson leaves Daphne and marries Amber. For Amber, this is the triumph she has been working toward—the moment when she takes Daphne’s place as the new Mrs. Parrish. She moves into the mansion, takes on the social role, and enjoys the wealth and the status. But once Amber is inside the marriage, she quickly learns the reality Daphne lived with. Jackson treats Amber with the same controlling, abusive behavior he showed Daphne. He criticizes, humiliates, and hurts her. Amber, who was so sure she could handle anything, is suddenly trapped in the life she thought she wanted. The perfect fantasy collapses into terrifying reality.

While Amber is struggling with the truth about Jackson, Daphne continues to move through her own quiet strategy. Because the narrative now allows us to see Daphne’s inner strength and intelligence, it becomes clear that she is not simply a victim. She has been gathering information, protecting herself legally, and carefully planning how to expose Jackson and secure safety for herself and her children. She also discovers the lies Amber told, including the fake story about her sister. The betrayal stings, but Daphne’s response is measured and deliberate rather than impulsive. She understands better than anyone what it means to be under Jackson’s control, and she knows Amber’s new life is far from the victory Amber imagined.

The title The Last Mrs. Parrish takes on layered meaning. At first, it seems to refer to the idea that Amber will be the final wife of Jackson, replacing Daphne. By the end, it reflects something more complex: women moving in and out of the role, each dealing with Jackson’s abuse differently, and the question of who will truly be “the last” to be under his power. The book builds toward a conclusion where secrets, legal maneuvering, and emotional resilience all come into play. Daphne’s plan reveals itself step by step, and Amber’s fate is tied directly to the consequences of her own choices. The theme of “be careful what you wish for” runs strongly through the final chapters.

Ultimately, The Last Mrs. Parrish is about how envy and greed can blind a person to danger, and how appearances can be used both to deceive and to survive. Amber sees only wealth and status and never asks what lies underneath. Daphne, forced to live behind a perfect facade, discovers that image can also be used strategically when needed. The novel also highlights the realities of domestic abuse hidden behind closed doors and the courage it takes to break free from it. By giving both women a voice, Liv Constantine shows two sides of the same glittering life: the outsider who envies it and the insider who knows its horror. The result is a sharp, satisfying story where the villain is not only the obvious manipulator, but also the charming husband whose true nature lurks beneath the glossy surface.