See How They Fall

In this compelling debut thriller perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty, one detective’s investigation into a family tragedy threatens to collapse a powerful dynasty. . . .

When Skye married into the wealthy Turner family, she thought she was entering paradise. But now, several years later, she remains uneasy amid the opulence of her husband’s world, struggling with her own secrets and working to maintain a normal life for their young daughter, Tilly.

Skye’s delicate balance is undone when the family patriarch, Sir Campbell Turner, dies suddenly and an illegitimate heir comes forward to stake his claim in the luxury goods empire the old man leaves behind. Reluctantly, the Turners receive the newcomer at an intimate weekend retreat at Yallambee, the family seaside estate, but tempers flare and egos clash within their first few hours together and the night ends in a tragedy that leaves one dead and another fighting for life.

Sergeant Mei O’Connor is assigned to investigate the incident and though her superiors are keen to close the case as swiftly as possible, the evidence just isn’t lining up. Convinced that there’s more to the suspicious death than a simple accident, Mei continues to search for answers. But pulling at these threads may just tear down the Turner empire.
1145952850
See How They Fall

In this compelling debut thriller perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty, one detective’s investigation into a family tragedy threatens to collapse a powerful dynasty. . . .

When Skye married into the wealthy Turner family, she thought she was entering paradise. But now, several years later, she remains uneasy amid the opulence of her husband’s world, struggling with her own secrets and working to maintain a normal life for their young daughter, Tilly.

Skye’s delicate balance is undone when the family patriarch, Sir Campbell Turner, dies suddenly and an illegitimate heir comes forward to stake his claim in the luxury goods empire the old man leaves behind. Reluctantly, the Turners receive the newcomer at an intimate weekend retreat at Yallambee, the family seaside estate, but tempers flare and egos clash within their first few hours together and the night ends in a tragedy that leaves one dead and another fighting for life.

Sergeant Mei O’Connor is assigned to investigate the incident and though her superiors are keen to close the case as swiftly as possible, the evidence just isn’t lining up. Convinced that there’s more to the suspicious death than a simple accident, Mei continues to search for answers. But pulling at these threads may just tear down the Turner empire.
17.48 In Stock
See How They Fall

See How They Fall

by Rachel Paris
See How They Fall

See How They Fall

by Rachel Paris

eBook

$17.48 

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Overview

In this compelling debut thriller perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty, one detective’s investigation into a family tragedy threatens to collapse a powerful dynasty. . . .

When Skye married into the wealthy Turner family, she thought she was entering paradise. But now, several years later, she remains uneasy amid the opulence of her husband’s world, struggling with her own secrets and working to maintain a normal life for their young daughter, Tilly.

Skye’s delicate balance is undone when the family patriarch, Sir Campbell Turner, dies suddenly and an illegitimate heir comes forward to stake his claim in the luxury goods empire the old man leaves behind. Reluctantly, the Turners receive the newcomer at an intimate weekend retreat at Yallambee, the family seaside estate, but tempers flare and egos clash within their first few hours together and the night ends in a tragedy that leaves one dead and another fighting for life.

Sergeant Mei O’Connor is assigned to investigate the incident and though her superiors are keen to close the case as swiftly as possible, the evidence just isn’t lining up. Convinced that there’s more to the suspicious death than a simple accident, Mei continues to search for answers. But pulling at these threads may just tear down the Turner empire.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781613165959
Publisher: Penzler Publishers
Publication date: 04/29/2025
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 336
File size: 551 KB

About the Author

Rachel Paris worked as a commercial lawyer in London and Auckland before writing her debut novel, See How They Fall. She holds a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School and a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Auckland. Rachel currently lives with her family in Auckland.

Read an Excerpt

We were all ravenous by the time Nina invited us to take our seats for dinner. Duncan and I helped her carry out heaving platters of spicy prawn and chicken curries and steaming white rice from the kitchen, while Jamie topped up the wine glasses. The long table was shimmering with crystal bowls of white tulips and flickering tea lights. Soft jazz was playing in the background. Typical Nina perfection. She made entertaining seem effortless in a way I never could.

Nina and Jamie were seated at opposite ends of the table. I'd been placed between Tamara and Hugo, who was being his usual boorish self, interrupting and talking over everyone. Once we'd all taken our places, Jamie tapped his knife against his wineglass and the table fell silent.

"Welcome, everyone," he said. "I'd like to make a toast to the late, great Sir Campbell Turner." Jamie surveyed the table, making eye contact with each of us as he spoke, like Campbell used to do. "Dad, you were an inspiration. We miss you every day. As your sons, we vow to continue your legacy, and to always put family first." His eyes snagged on Duncan.

We all raised our glasses. In the Turner family, you didn't clink – that was considered basic, as I'd discovered early on, along with napkin rings, visible designer logos and flying commercial. Cody had a steep learning curve ahead of him if he wanted to become a regular fixture here.

"To Campbell," we chorused.

It was a lovely, heartfelt toast, but across the table Duncan's jaw clenched. The fact that Jamie had slipped so comfortably into his father's role would be grating on him.

At the end of the first course, Duncan cleared his throat. "I'd also like to make a toast tonight," he began, and I found myself holding my breath. "As Jamie said, family meant everything to Dad, and so I'd like to take this occasion to officially welcome my son Cody to his first Turner family dinner." He patted Cody's arm. "To new beginnings."

Everyone joined the toast, bar Hugo, who took a deep swig of wine and leaned across the table towards Cody. His sneer announced something unpleasant would follow.

"Ah yes, Cody. My prodigal nephew." Hugo wiped his mouth with the back of his hand then stared straight at Duncan. "So, come on, tell us."

"Tell you what?" Duncan asked.

"How long the two of you have been scheming about all this." He feathered his hands at Duncan and Cody, as if he were a feudal lord addressing a couple of serfs.

Cody shrugged. "Sorry?"

Hugo's face contorted into a grotesque smile – the same awful smile he gave to household staff before eviscerating them for poor service. "Well, Cody," he said, as if he'd just bitten into something sour. "How convenient that you've crawled out from fuck-knows-where straight after Dad's funeral. I can only assume you're trying to claim some inheritance?" A fog of silence rolled in. Cody shifted in his seat. A vein was twitching at Duncan's temple. I kicked him under the table – a warning not to react. The air was flammable, and he couldn't give Hugo an excuse to ignite it.

"I'm not after any inheritance," Cody said.

"Then why are you here?"

"I just wanted to spend time with my father and to meet you all, since – well, we're all family."

Hugo laughed. "Family?"

Beside me, Tamara squirmed and studied the weave of her placemat. Duncan leaned forward, poised to intervene.

"Well then," Hugo continued, "I trust you'll have no objection to sharing the results of your DNA test with my lawyer?" He eased back in his chair, linking his arms behind his head.

"Ignore him, Cody," said Duncan. "He's just drunk, or high – likely both."

"Yes," said Jamie, shooting his youngest brother a warning look. "That's enough, Hugo."

"Hit a nerve, did I, Dunc? And I'm curious, because you've been so coy about the one detail we most want to know." Hugo's eyes were glassy, and beads of sweat glistened on his upper lip. He was such a creep. "I never did get to the bottom of it. Which whore is Cody's mother?"

The air crackled, and there was a second of silence before Duncan rounded the table and lunged at Hugo. I cried out when he seized Hugo's throat, upending a glass of burgundy which bled across the white linen cloth.

Nina sprang to her feet. "Please, everyone, calm down! Don't spoil the evening."

Duncan ignored her. Hugo sputtered; he was choking.

I screamed at Duncan and tried to pull him off Hugo, but he wasn't letting go. He was never physically aggressive like that, and for a horrible moment I had a flashback to my first foster father – the crunch of cartilage, the smack of fist on flesh, the metallic taste of blood.

By the time Jamie wrestled Duncan to the ground, a ghoulish purple tinge had crept across Hugo's face. There was a stunned silence as Jamie dragged Hugo out to the hallway.

Duncan brushed himself off and turned to Cody. "You okay?" he asked.

Cody looked at his father, then slowly took in the rest of us. Tamara was crying into her napkin. Nina was staring straight ahead, continuing to eat her meal, as if pretending everything was fine would see order magically restored.

"This is fucked up." Cody rose, almost toppling his chair.

"I'm so sorry," I said to him. "Hugo's an idiot." I was desperate to salvage his impression of the family – or his impression of me and Duncan, at least – for Tilly's sake.

"I'll make sure he apologises to you," Duncan added.

"I'm sorry," said Cody, "but I can't stay here after that." He turned to Nina. "Thanks for dinner. And Skye, give Tilly a hug from me."

Skye, Tamara and I cleared away the half-eaten dinner in silence, while Duncan and his brothers brokered a fragile peace in low, muffled voices in the next room. I found Tilly curled up like a comma beside Arabella on the sofa in the media room. Duncan scooped her into his arms, and together we dashed back to the guest house through the hissing rain.

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