What She Left Behind

Published in September, WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND follows Lauren as she begins a new life with her therapist husband Paul. Things gradually become not quite as they seem, and the mystery enhances as we are introduced to Paul’s first wife Eliza as she desperately tries to escape Paul’s web, whilst Lauren becomes more and more trapped in it. As we move between the perspectives, we are left with the question – what ever did happen to Eliza? With a chilling twist, WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND feels reminiscent of compulsive thrillers such as THE GIRL BEFORE and CLOSE TO ME.

Lauren can’t believe she’s escaped her old life in London for a new start with her partner, Paul, and his two young children. Haunted by her past, Lauren knows how lucky she is: a dream home, a ready-made family. And she also knows how much she could lose.

But as Lauren struggles to adjust to motherhood, her fears grow. She’ll never live up to the ghost of Paul’s perfect wife, or help him forget his grief over her tragic death. And as village rumours begin to swirl about their house in the woods, Lauren feels ever more isolated – despite Paul’s reassurances. She wants to trust Paul – she owes him everything – but how can she, when she can barely trust herself?

In her other life, Emily makes TV – having worked on award winning television programmes including EDUCATING YORKSHIRE, FIRST DATES, and SAD: WHO DARES WINS – as well as developing original programming for all the main broadcasters. Her lifelong fixation with story and character is the thread that runs through her work, and ultimately led to the pursuit of a writing career. Her debut MY BEST FRIEND’S SECRET was published by Quercus in 2021, and WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND was published by Quercus in September 2022. Emily is represented by Teresa Chris at Teresa Chris Literary Agency.