Best Day Ever

April 17, 2017
In this slow-burning marital thriller, Rouda (The Goodbye Year) delivers a chilling, first-person portrait of a modern-day psychopath that delves into questions of how well we really know those closest to us. Paul Strom has planned the best weekend ever for his lovely wife, Mia. From the outside, he seems to be the ideal doting husband, with an amazing job at a big advertising agency in Columbus, Ohio. They have two beautiful boys, a wonderful home, and even a fabulous lakeside getaway by Lake Erie. Although it seems like they have it all, Mia hasn’t been feeling well and things between them don’t have quite the same spark—so Paul has decided to take her to the lake house for the weekend, just the two of them. Even as they drive away from the city and toward the idyllic cottage by the lake, a small thread of lies and deception begins to unravel, the tension building as it becomes clear that Paul is not everything he says he is and the weekend he has planned is not quite what it seems either. But Mia, though her voice is not the focal point of the novel, is not to be underestimated. A tensely written, shocking book that will hold readers on the edge of their seats to the very last page. Agent: Katie Shea Boutillier, Donald Maass Literary.

As the listener joins Paul Strom, the perfect husband is planning the best day ever for his wife, Mia. But it quickly becomes apparent that all is not as it seems. Paul's definition of best day ever has uneasy undertones that gnaw at the listener. Narrator Graham Halstead, performing Paul's point of view, combines the disturbing mix of dry wit and calculating intent that leads to a suspenseful listen. Amy McFadden recounts the parts of the story told from Mia's viewpoint, and her voice is perfectly matched to the character. This thriller keeps the listener engaged and speculating about what comes next. K.J.P. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

August 1, 2017

Promising an idyllic respite from their everyday routine, "the best day ever," Paul Strom whisks his wife, Mia, away from their suburban home in Columbus, OH, to Lake Erie for a romantic weekend. Their lakeside retreat, in its prestigious gated community, is just one benefit of the couple's extravagant lifestyle. Paul and the much younger Mia met a decade ago at the advertising agency where he was an executive and she a promising newcomer. After a whirlwind romance, they married, set up housekeeping, and Mia spent the next decade at home raising their two young sons. As Paul narrates this memorable day in their life, offering glimpses into the past and hints of his motivations for the trip, disturbing secrets bubble under the surface, threatening to compromise their relaxing vacation. VERDICT This latest psychological thriller from best-selling Rouda (The Goodbye Year) is destined to fly off the shelves, enticing readers to ride along as this multifaceted day in the life of the Stroms unfolds.--Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights

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