Amelie and Janet are in love with the same man: Janet's husband.

One knows it; the other doesn't. Or does she?

As bestselling novelist Amelie Ferrar knows, an affair with a married person is like a work of fiction: a kind of spy story with its rules and customs, negotiations and compromises, and many private rituals. But like any spy story, there will inevitably be a betrayal: something will slip, someone else will find out, someone may even die.

As Amelie falls deeper into her obsession with the man she loves—and his wife—the line between the fiction she writes and the reality she lives begins to blur…and the twisted ending to this story is one that not even she could have seen coming.

“Part love story, part exploration into the difficulties of marriage and part psychological thriller, Smith’s latest masterpiece dazzles and delights with plot twists and turns down to the very last sentence. Literally.”

—Traci Medford-Rosow
USA Today bestselling author of Unblinded: One Man’s Courageous Journey through Darkness to Sight and Inflection Point: War and Sacrifice in Corporate America.

“Popular author Amelie Ferrar, the protagonist of this taut, twisted thriller from Smith (The Drowning), is always thinking ahead, envisaging her next plot twist. Though Amelie has relied tangentially on her personal life for inspiration, she finds herself at a crossroads: she thought she was happy—immersed in a two-year affair with a married man, Ben—but she wants more. Her daughter’s in college, her ex-husband’s new wife is expecting, and she feels untethered and alone. Unfortunately, Ben doesn’t feel the need for any changes and has no intention of leaving his wife. Stranger still, Ben’s wife has reached out to Amelie as a friend and confidant. Is it coincidence, karmic comeuppance, or perhaps something more sinister? As Amelie plots the future, on the page and off, she begins to lose control of her narratives with such unexpected and dangerous results as betrayal and death. Smith does a masterful job blending multiple story lines. Readers will find plenty of action, intrigue, and surprises.”

—Publishers Weekly

“In clear prose, Smith spins out a sensuous, sinuous psychological thriller that compels attention to the final line.”

—ALA Booklist

If She Were Dead can be found at most bookstores, or from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.