Book Spotlight | Burlington by Heather Dixon

Today the spotlight is on Burlington by Heather Dixon!

This domestic suspense is a fresh take on belonging, obsession and schoolyard politics that “explores the exclusive world of wealthy mothers and demonstrates how privilege can come at a devastating price”, perfect for fans of Celeste Ng and Liane Moriarty. Burlington will be released on 22 August so don’t forget to pre-order your copy now!

To give you a taste, I’m sharing the synopsis and an excerpt from the book. Thank you Books Forward for this exclusive excerpt!

Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Publication Date: 22 August 2023
Author: Heather Dixon
Publisher: Rising Action Publishing Co.

Synopsis

Mae Roberts never thought she would fit in amongst the beautiful and rich mothers at Riverpark Elementary. But, when she’s accepted into their clique and they ask her to be a part of their unofficial neighborhood watch, Mae finds herself slipping more and more into a world of odd dinner parties, secrets and lies, and even rumors of suicide attempts.

When one of the Riverpark Moms disappears, and then another, Mae must decide what’s more important — fitting in or uncovering the truth.

Excerpt

Chapter Seven

Evelyn was already at the schoolyard on Monday morning when Mae got there. Her mouth was set straight and thin across her face, her chin pointing up, and a deep line had carved a trench between her eyebrows. She glanced sideways at Mae, then looked away again before Mae could react. She was so friendly when they spoke on the phone, but now everything about Evelyn’s body language was closed off, and Mae wondered if she had read into their last exchange incorrectly.

Shortly after, Leah appeared, moving across the blacktop in a brisk manner. She stopped and adjusted her son’s backpack and then leaned over to kiss his forehead. After he found his friends and moved on, Leah stayed in place, frowning as she fidgeted with her purse, placing her hands inside her pockets, then pulling them out again to examine her fingernails up close. She looked around, her serious eyes squinting as if she couldn’t see past a few feet in front of her.

Mae couldn’t help but notice how Leah’s eyes rested on Evelyn for a moment, then looked away, then looked back. She kept waiting for Evelyn and Leah to call out to one another, to reach out for a hug as they got closer, but Leah only gave Evelyn another sidelong glance and turned to walk away.

Mae touched the base of her neck as she did when she was uneasy. It gave her a minute to process. What was up with Evelyn today? What was Leah’s story?

“Hey.”

Mae’s head jerked to the side. Evelyn was suddenly next to her.

“Oh, uh. Morning,” Mae fumbled. “How are you?”

Evelyn shrugged. “You know. Living the dream.” She turned to face the kids in front of her, watching over them with the poise of a mother lion as they ran shouting and laughing.

“Thanks again for dinner the other night,” Mae said. “It was great.”

Evelyn glanced sideways, allowing a small smile, then turned her head back to the kids in front of her, her forehead creasing as her eyebrows scrunched together.

“Lisa told me something upsetting,” Evelyn said, as if Mae knew who Lisa was. “You’ll probably hear it through the rumor mill, so I thought I should tell you.”

“What’s that?”

“Alice is missing.”

Mae turned her head so sharply her neck cracked. “What?” She had that text from Alice, though. They were going to meet up for a drink. “What do you mean missing?”

“Maybe she left.” Evelyn pushed a stray piece of hair away from her face. “Nobody really knows.” Her voice was distant.

Mae’s skin tingled. She took a step back to steady herself while her mind worked it over. Missing or left? Which was it? The two words had vastly different meanings.

“Apparently,” Evelyn continued. “Her husband said she got up and made breakfast and went through the morning routine as usual, but then, near the end of the day, the school called him to come to get the kids. She never showed up. When he got home, the house was silent, and she was gone. Still. Some people think she left. They think she couldn’t cope.”

In her nine years of being a mother, Mae couldn’t imagine up and leaving one day. The thought was unfathomable. There had to be some explanation. Her muscles were numb, and her entire body was heavy. Somehow she managed to move closer to Evelyn.

“How could no one know where she went?” she croaked. Her eyes scanned the groups of women around her. If Alice was missing, why wasn’t anyone alarmed? Why weren’t people around them talking about this?

“She didn’t leave a note or anything. She just—vanished.” Evelyn turned to face Mae, her big eyes even more pronounced than usual and she shook her head. “Isn’t that awful? I can’t imagine she would abandon her kids. Leaving all this?”

Mae didn’t answer. Instead, she continued scanning the yard until she spotted Ruby and Isla. She let out a heavy breath while her mind worked it over. What did it take to push a mother far enough to leave her kids behind? Mae understood how sadness could find you. She hadn’t experienced it herself, but she knew of a few friends and acquaintances who had, people who had been nearly broken open by it. Depression wasn’t choosy; it came for you whether you were rich or poor, whether you had a circle of support or not.

That kind of depression didn’t fit with the Alice Mae knew, though. Unless she was an expert at hiding it. Mae watched Isla talking to another little girl. Their heads were bent together, almost touching, examining something in the palm of Isla’s hand. They were smiling and relaxed, as if nothing was wrong. Nothing in their little world was. Yet, for Mae, she couldn’t comprehend what had just happened in hers. What did it mean if Alice didn’t leave? Did someone hurt her? Or maybe she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It would be better to think she ran away. The other answer was so much more sinister. Mae’s body swayed slightly.

“Should we call the police?”

Evelyn stood still, her stare blank as she watched the vast sea of kids in front of her. “I’m sure her husband will take care of that.”

“I hope she’s okay.”

“Me too.” Evelyn put her hands into her pockets.

When the bell rang, the kids scattered like ants, squealing and rushing to line up, as if they were surprised by the sound. It rang every day at the same time, and yet they always seemed shocked by it.

A woman a few feet in front of Mae threw her head back, laughing at something her friend had said. Mae was struck by how casual she appeared. In fact, most parents were standing on the blacktop in the early morning, sipping coffee, having relaxed conversations and acting as if everything were perfectly normal. Mae envied the way their lives hadn’t been changed in an instant by this news. But didn’t some of them know Alice? Weren’t they worried about her? Mae had never thought she would know someone who had gone missing; it was a surreal feeling, but it didn’t appear to strike anyone else as shocking. She couldn’t stand around like the rest of them.

“We should do something.” Mae turned her head to face Evelyn, but she mustn’t have heard over the noise. She had already started to walk away.

Cover photo by Jon Flobrant