Under the Influence

The New York Times bestselling author of Labor Day and After Her returns with a poignant story about the true meaningand the true priceof friendship.Drinking cost Helen her marriage and custody of her seven-year-old son, Ollie. Once an aspiring art photographer, she now makes ends meet taking portraits of school children and working for a caterer. Recovering from her addiction, she spends lonely evenings checking out profiles on an online dating site. Weekend visits with her son are awkward. Hes drifting away from her, fast.When she meets Ava and Swift Havilland, the vulnerable Helen is instantly enchanted. Wealthy, connected philanthropists, they have their own charity devoted to rescuing dogs. Their home is filled with fabulous friends, edgy art, and dazzling parties.Then Helen meets Elliott, a kind, quiet accountant who offers loyalty and love with none of her newfound friends fireworks. To Swift and Ava, hes boring. But even worse than that, hes unimpressed by them.As Helen increasingly falls under the Havillands influencerunning errands, doing random chores, questioning her relationship with ElliottAva and Swift hold out the most seductive gift: their influence and help to regain custody of her son. But the debt Helen owes them is about to come due.Ollie witnesses an accident involving Swift, his grown son, and the daughter of the Havillands housekeeper. With her young sons future in the balance, Helen must choose between the truth and the friends who have given her everything.