Paper Cut

「極致成癮、節奏驚人，且擁有如解謎盒般的精巧結構。」——凱蒂·海斯（Katy Hays），《紐約時報》暢銷書《修道院》（The Cloisters）作者

一段翻頁到停不下來的懸疑處女作。主角曾因青少年時期逃離邪教而名聲狼藉，如今，當危險的秘密反撲而來，她的未來也隨之身陷囹圄——本書深受潔西卡·諾爾（Jessica Knoll）作品與《女孩們》（The Girls）粉絲喜愛。

眾所皆知的是故事，無人知曉的是真相……

露西·高登（Lucy Golden）是犯罪實錄界的偶像。二十年前，她因在逃離加州邪教時犯下的謀殺案而聲名大噪。但正如洛杉磯人所深知的：名聲轉瞬即逝，露西和她的故事與被世人遺忘之間，永遠只隔著一個新聞週期。更不用說，她正忙於應付一名跟蹤狂，還要調解名攝影師母親與醜聞纏身的搖滾歌手妹妹之間冰冷的冷戰。最糟的是，網路酸民開始針對那場傳奇罪案提出愈發威脅性的質疑——這些問題足以毀掉她的生活。

因此，當一位當紅紀錄片導演提議將她的案件拍成下一部作品時，露西視其為讓所有質疑者閉嘴的絕佳機會。然而，隨著拍攝開始，她必須重返加州沙漠，與那段焦灼往事中的關鍵人物們對質。當然，過去從不像表面那樣簡單，埋藏已久的秘密很快便與現狀的威脅激烈碰撞。露西能在反對者挖掘出真相前阻止他們嗎？而為了守護她多年來一直在訴說——甚至藉此獲利——的故事，她究竟會做到什麼地步？

敘事交織於現在與露西當年的熱銷回憶錄（記錄她在邪教中那段命定的夏天）之間，《紙傷》（Paper Cut）結合了心理懸疑、加州邪教黑色文學，以及對「犯罪實錄熱潮」的犀利剖析。這部處女作既精闢又具推進力，引人入勝的劇情將讓讀者直到最後一頁都欲罷不能。

“Darkly addictive with a blistering pace and puzzle-box structure” —Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters

A page-turning suspense debut about a woman infamous for escaping a cult as a teenager, who finds her future threatened when dangerous secrets come back to haunt her—perfect for fans of Jessica Knoll and The Girls.

Everybody knows the story. Nobody knows the truth…

Lucy Golden is a true-crime icon, infamous for the murder she committed while escaping a California cult twenty years ago. But as everyone in Los Angeles knows, fame is fleeting, and Lucy and her story are always just one news cycle away from obscurity. Not to mention, she’s fending off a stalker and moderating an icy feud between her acclaimed photographer mother and her scandalous rock star sister. Worst of all, online trolls are asking increasingly threatening questions about the legendary crime. Questions that could tear her life apart.

So when a hotshot documentarian makes her case the subject of his next film, Lucy sees a chance to silence any doubters once and for all. But as filming begins, she must return to the California desert and come face-to-face with a cast of players from her torrid history. Of course, the past is never what it seems, and long-buried secrets soon collide with present-day threats. Can Lucy stop her critics from digging up the truth before it’s too late? And how far will she go to protect the story she’s been telling—and selling—all along?

Told in a narrative split between the present day and Lucy’s hit memoir about her fated summer in the cult, Paper Cut combines psychological suspense with coming-of-age Californian cult noir and a sharp examination of the true-crime phenomenon. As incisive as it is propulsive, this mesmerizing debut will keep readers hooked until the last page.