Blood Sugar

*A New York Times* Best Thriller of the Year

"Terrific. You might come for the mystery, but you will stay for the sheer energy."--New York Times Book Review

An utterly delicious debut thriller that tells the story of the most likable murderess you will ever meet, perfect for fans of Riley Sager and Jessica Knoll.**

I could just kill you right now! It s something we ve all thought at one time or another. But Ruby has actually acted on it. Three times, to be exact.

Though she may be a murderer, Ruby is not a sociopath. She is an animal-loving therapist with a thriving practice. She s felt empathy and sympathy. She s had long-lasting friendships and relationships, and has a husband, Jason, whom she adores. But the homicide detectives at Miami Beach PD are not convinced of her happy marriage. When we meet Ruby, she is in a police interrogation room, being accused of Jason s murder. Which, ironically, is one murder that she did not commit, though a scandal-obsessed public believes differently. As she undergoes questioning, Ruby s mind races back to all the details of her life that led her to this exact moment, and to the three dead bodies in her wake. Because though she may not have killed her husband, Ruby certainly isn t innocent.

Alternating between Ruby s memories of her past crimes and her present-day fight to clear her name, Blood Sugar is a twisty, clever debut with an unforgettable protagonist who you can t help but root for an addicting mixture of sour and sweet.

Named one of the most anticipated reads of 2022 by PopSugar, Bookpage, and Crimereads

“Mesmerizing. . .  Rothchild does a terrific job keeping readers wondering about Simon’s reliability, and pulls off the considerable challenge of engendering sympathy for an unrepentant killer. Vivid prose is another plus. . . Jeff Lindsay fans will have a hard time not devouring this standout effort in one sitting.”--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“This disturbing thriller begs to be inhaled in a single sitting, but the experience may raise the question of how many friends and loved ones are quietly, happily getting away with murder. [A] provocative, unsettling psychological thriller.”--Shelf Awareness

“Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild has one of the best tag lines we've ever seen: ‘She's accused of four murders. She's only guilty of three.’”--PopSugar

“Rothchild gives readers an unreliable narrator who truly lives up to the moniker. . . A compelling and entertaining psychological thriller.”--Kirkus Reviews

“One of the best debuts I’ve read in a while, with a fascinating story, wicked sharp writing, and an unforgettable narrator. Blood Sugar needs to be on your 2022 reading list.” – Samantha Downing, bestselling author of For Your Own Good

“A chilling, twisty and exceptionally smart thriller that will convince you that not every cold-blooded killer is a villain. I adored this book from page one and didn’t want it to end.” — Michele Campbell, bestselling author of It’s Always the Husband

"It's rare that I read a book where I love everything about it! Ruby is a one-of-a-kind protagonist—book smart and street smart, delightfully self-righteous with a healthy balance of Oops! and I Got This. She makes rules to live by, and breaks rules when other people fail her standards for acceptable human behavior. I had the feeling I was reading the world's best diary—relatable, witty, unpredictable—the prose flows merrily along, full of delicious details. Truly, Blood Sugar is one of the most entertaining novels I've ever read. I'll never forget Ruby, the ethical assassin." --Zoje Stage,  bestselling author of Baby Teeth

“Unsettling from its outset and engrossing to its very end, Blood Sugar pulls the reader deep into the mind of its highly intelligent, obsessively organized protagonist — an accomplished woman who just so happens to leave a trail of dead bodies in her wake. Never before have I cared so much for such an untrustworthy character.”—Kathleen Barber, author of *Truth Be Told

"Inventive, engrossing, and wicked, BLOOD SUGAR is the tale of a woman who just can’t seem to stop killing people. But she would never hurt her own husband—right? Ruby Simon is perhaps the most relatable murderer since Dexter. I found her story disturbingly fun."—Stephanie Wrobel, bestselling author of Darling Rose Gold*

Autorentext
Sascha Rothchild is an Emmy-winning screenwriter, who has written and produced lauded shows such as GLOW, The Bold Type, The Baby-Sitters Club, and The Carrie Diaries. In 2015, she was named one of Variety's “10 TV Writers to Watch.” Rothchild has written for LA Weekly, the Los Angeles Times, Elle, and the Miami Herald, and adapted her article, "How to Get Divorced by 30" into both a memoir and a screenplay for Universal Studios. She graduated from the honors program of Boston College summa cum laude, with a major in theater and screenwriting. Blood Sugar is her debut novel.

Klappentext

*A New York Times* Best Thriller of the Year

"Terrific. You might come for the mystery, but you will stay for the sheer energy."--New York Times Book Review

An utterly delicious debut thriller that tells the story of the most likable murderess you will ever meet, perfect for fans of Riley Sager and Jessica Knoll.**

“I could just kill you right now!” It’s something we’ve all thought at one time or another. But Ruby has actually acted on it. Three times, to be exact.

Though she may be a murderer, Ruby is not a sociopath. She is an animal-loving therapist with a thriving practice. She’s felt empathy and sympathy. She’s had long-lasting friendships and relationships, and has a husband, Jason, whom she adores. But the homicide detectives at Miami Beach PD are not convinced of her happy marriage. When we meet Ruby, she is in a police interrogation room, being accused of Jason’s murder. Which, ironically, is one murder that she did not commit, though a scandal-obsessed public believes differently. As she undergoes questioning, Ruby’s mind races back to all the details of her life that led her to this exact moment, and to the three dead bodies in her wake. Because though she may not have killed her husband, Ruby certainly isn’t innocent.

Alternating between Ruby’s memories of her past crimes and her present-day fight to clear her name, Blood Sugar is a twisty, clever debut with an unforgettable protagonist who you can’t help but root for—an addicting mixture of sour and sweet.

Leseprobe
Chapter 1

OCEAN

The waves weren't that big. But he was only seven, so even the smallest of chop towered over his drenched head. "Never turn your back on the ocean" was advice he would never hear. Instead he faced the shore, proudly gesticulating. His father was busy, drinking a sweating can of domestic beer and complaining to his group of friends about the lack of waterfront-zoning laws. His mother was busy looking at the stretch marks drifting across her once flat, smooth stomach. So neither noticed their son waving and smiling at them in the Atlantic Ocean, just thirty feet ahead.

At the moment he was going to give up on making eye contact with his parents and turn toward the blue-on-blue horizon, a crest crumbled and slapped him in the back, pitching him forward, facedown, forcing him to take a big gulp of warm salty water. He coughed. A new wave jostled him before he could regain his natural rhythm of breath, and then another. So panic started to set in. A panic with flailing arms, jerking legs, and lungs fighting against t…