Perfect Life - A Novel

By: Meredith Lavender, Kendall Shores

Published by Random House, 2026-07-07

Following a shocking murder, a woman must face the secrets from her past—and a husband she thought she knew—in this twisty, sizzling novel from the bestselling authors of Happy Wife.

Este Walker didn’t move to Winter Park, Florida, to make friends. Five years ago, she ghosted her life in California to reinvent herself among the lakefront estates of Florida’s elite. With a cocktail in hand, more money than she could ever spend, and secrets she intends to keep buried, she’s finally content—or, you know, close enough. Who cares if her seclusion and secrets have left her with a small social circle? Her husband Beau and her best friend Nora are the only company she needs.

But Este’s secrets are catching up to her. Last year, when Nora gained national attention as a suspect in her husband's disappearance, Este’s picture was flashed onscreen. Suddenly the past she had hoped to keep buried is closing in on her—and Beau might be keeping secrets of his own. And then a mysterious death turns Winter Park upside down.

Thrust into a high-stakes murder investigation, Este must unravel a web of lies and secrets to answer the question: What exactly happened in California, and has it come back to haunt her? More importantly: How is she going to get herself out of this mess?