THE LAST APPLICANT

The parents at a Manhattan prep school put a new spin on dark academia.

Audrey Singer relishes the power she wields as admissions director at the beautiful, highly selective Easton in Manhattan. She knows her own son’s place in the kindergarten class is guaranteed, even if her teen daughter is struggling a bit with the academic pressure. So it’s a bit out of character when she receives an email pleading with her to consider a late application—and she does. Maybe it’s the writer's charming, self-deprecating tone; maybe she’s just feeling generous as she reads the note in front of a cozy fire, glass of wine in hand while her handsome photographer husband makes dinner; or maybe it’s the fact that she herself didn’t grow up with the proverbial silver spoon. Whatever the reason, she soon finds herself on the receiving end of Sarah Price’s grateful generosity in the form of flowers, manicures, and one very strange set of nesting dolls. Besides the fact that Audrey can’t ethically accept any of these gifts, she begins to get some weird vibes about Sarah, who starts turning up everywhere—including her house. Is she being stalked? This is a thriller, so the answer might seem to be an obvious yes…but it’s so much more complicated, and bonkers, and satisfying than that. There’s a refreshing frankness about sex and attraction that drives the personal side of the drama, as well as a thoughtful recognition of how grief and loss break people down in different ways. The ending dials it all up to 11, and it’s pretty absurd, but why hold back? In a novel invoking the world of the 1%, there’s no point in being stingy!

Deliciously thrilling—and thrillingly extra.