If V. C. Andrews and Kate Morton had a literary love child, Emma Rous' USA Today bestseller The Au Pair would be it.
One of the most anticipated books of 2019 from Pop Sugar, Bustle, Cosmo, Parade, and Goodreads!
Seraphine Mayes and her twin brother, Danny, were born in the middle of summer at their family's estate on the Norfolk coast. Within hours of their birth, their mother threw herself from the cliffs, the au pair fled, and the village thrilled with whispers of dark cloaks, changelings, and the aloof couple who drew a young nanny into their inner circle.
Now an adult, Seraphine mourns the recent death of her father. While going through his belongings, she uncovers a family photograph that raises dangerous questions. It was taken on the day the twins were born, and in the photo, their mother, surrounded by her husband and her young son, is smiling serenely and holding just one baby.
Who is the child, and what really happened that day?
Emma Rous is the
USA Today bestselling author of
The Au Pair. She grew up in England, Indonesia, Kuwait, Portugal and Fiji, and from a young age she had two ambitions: to write stories, and to look after animals. She studied veterinary medicine and zoology at the University of Cambridge, and worked as a small animal veterinarian for eighteen years before starting to write fiction. Emma lives near Cambridge in England with her husband and three sons, and she now writes full time.
The Au Pair is her first novel. It will be published in eleven countries, in ten languages. She is currently writing her second book.
Praise for The Au Pair“This is one hell of a ride.”—
New York Post“This will keep you turning those pages. The characters are still playing on my mind.”—Jane Corry,
USA Today bestselling author of
My Husband's Wife“Entrancing and compelling,
The Au Pair seamlessly alternates between two riveting narrators. Atmospheric and reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier's work, it's a beautiful read that delivers a shocking and satisfying ending.”—Liv Constantine,
USA Today &
Wall Street Journal bestselling author of
The Last Mrs. Parrish
"Family secrets come to light in this compelling debut with a gothic touch and a shocking denouement.” —Lisa Ballantyne, internationally bestselling author of
The Guilty One“As delicious and spellbinding as a soap opera, complete with the dramatic moments and outrageous twists. A promising first novel from Rous,
The Au Pair is an absolutely absorbing and scandalous page-turner.”—
Booklist “A splendid read that will be best enjoyed with a book club or a buddy, as you’ll be itching to digest the tale’s twists with someone else, especially when you reach the jaw-dropping climax.”—
BookPage“With a transporting sense of place and gripping story line,
The Au Pair delves into the darkest of family secrets. A great read.”—Eve Chase
"Emma Rous's engrossing debut novel is delightfully lurid and evocative. Full of twists, turns and red herrings, the mystery is satisfyingly complex with a nice touch of romance on the side…a juicy and compelling read, by a promising new author.”—Shelf Awareness (starred review)
