A female-forward courtroom drama…” —Kirkus Reviews
“In this enjoyable psychological thriller…the author, herself a lawyer in suburban Virginia, writes convincing courtroom scenes and presents the two very different women as fully realized characters. The whodunit remains tantalizingly unclear right up to the surprise ending. Those who like their legal dramas with a light touch will be satisfied.” —Publishers Weekly
“A fun—and funny—tale of PTA moms and the small-town lawyer mom whose quest for success leads to a moral dilemma. I found myself laughing out loud at the sociopathic PTA mom, Kira.” —Marcia Clark, bestselling author and iconic former LA prosecutor
“Impressive and intoxicating. The women inhabiting this story are bold, clever, complex, and deliciously thorny—quick to show you what they’re capable of if you dare underestimate them. This book is a dark delight, and Kristin Wright is an author I’ll be closely watching.” —Margarita Montimore, USA Today bestselling author of Oona Out of Order
“The Darkest Flower is juicy, suspenseful, and wickedly fun. With pitch-black humor, a fresh and engrossing voice, and one of the most fascinating characters I’ve come across, Kristin Wright explores the toxicity of privilege—and its ability to poison people from the inside out. From its attention-grabbing first line to the chilling revelations of its conclusion, this book is a stay-up-all-night read.” —Megan Collins, author of The Winter Sister and Behind the Red Door
“In The Darkest Flower, Kristin Wright takes the legal thriller to a new level when a PTA mom is poisoned (she survives!) and the main suspect is more venomous than the toxin used in the attempted murder. Dark. Twisty. Unforgettable female leads.” —Cara Reinard, author of Sweet Water
“The Darkest Flower is a fast-paced legal drama that pulls you in from the first page to the last. Like the best fiction, it is about so much more than the plight of its well-drawn characters and the jaw-dropping reveal, as it challenges you to reconsider your own beliefs about the things that matter most—family, friendship, and truth.” —Adam Mitzner, Amazon Charts bestselling author of Dead Certain
“The Darkest Flower is as much a riveting legal thriller as it is an exploration of modern-day motherhood and privilege. The story shows exactly what happens when the much-feared queen of the PTA gets accused of attempted murder. I couldn’t stop reading.” —Kellye Garrett, author of the Detective by Day series and winner of the Anthony, Agatha, and Lefty Awards
“The Darkest Flower unfolds with the sinister beauty of a night-blooming poison. Wright has created a character so compelling in her deviousness that you find yourself reading just to find out what she says and does next. Relentlessly suspenseful, grimly humorous, and sneakily challenging, this twisty portrait of the extremes of motherly ambition will stay with you.” —Elly Blake, New York Times bestselling author of the Frostblood trilogy
“A twisty and darkly hilarious ride-along, Kristin Wright’s timely thriller skewers the deadly sense of entitlement lurking below even the prettiest of facades.” —Mary Ann Marlowe, author of Some Kind of Magic and Dating by the Book
“Wright’s The Darkest Flower is a dark, visceral view into the lives of suburban PTA moms. The final twist thrills, leaving you wanting more.” —Roselle Lim, author of Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune and Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop
“The Darkest Flower is a deliciously nasty drama about the dark side of motherhood, with an antiheroine you’ll love to loathe and wicked wit dripping from every line. Clear your schedule, because you won’t be able to put this one down until you reach the scandalous and oh-so-satisfying conclusion!” —Layne Fargo, author of Temper and They Never Learn
“This is Big Little Lies if Cersei Lannister was heading the cast of malicious, impeccably groomed housewives. An addictive page-turner with a twist you won’t see coming!” —Michelle Hazen, author of Breathe the Sky
“PTA presidents and poison don’t usually mix, but they’re the perfect blend in Kristin Wright’s fantastic thriller debut The Darkest Flower. Wright has created a propulsive legal thriller with plenty of juicy secrets to uncover behind those perfect picket fences. The Darkest Flower is Desperate Housewives meets Big Little Lies, and you won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough.” —Vanessa Lillie, Amazon bestselling author of Little Voices and For the Best
2021-01-27
A desperate housewife relies on a young attorney’s skills to save her from disaster.
Kira Grant loves her pockets of power. As president of the Garden Club, she can make sure that her turn to host falls in the highly prized late spring months, when her hydrangea border is at its peak. As president of the Wolf Run Elementary School PTA, she can insist that her son, Finn, be honored as one of the two students to earn straight A’s from first through fifth grades. So when Kira is arrested for attempted murder after handing a poisoned smoothie to fellow PTA board member Summer Peerman at the fifth grade graduation party, the prospect of a long prison term isn’t her biggest worry. Being bounced off her boards and, worse, being barred from the school, is. Kira hires young defense attorney Allison Barton to plead her case. She thinks that as the mother of a kindergartener, Allison will empathize with the painful prospect of losing daily contact with her children’s teachers. And if Allison gets out of line, Kira can always ask her senior partner, Dan MacDonald, forever a sucker for a peek of cleavage, to intervene. For the most part, Allison, who burns with a hard and gemlike flame, gives the client her all, although she disagrees with Kira’s desire to cast the suspicion of racism—since Summer is biracial—on a fellow PTA board member as a motive for the attack. In alternating chapters, Wright contrasts conniving Kira with conscientious Allison, leaving the reader to wonder what a legal victory would even look like.
A female-forward courtroom drama with bit parts for a few lucky guys.
