Strangers Behind Closed Doors - by Catherine Adel West (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A twisty thriller about a woman who vanishes from a luxury hotel, and the detective who believes the case is tied to the unsolved disappearances of other Black women in the city.

Giovanni Mason worked hard to become the first Black head concierge at Chicago's exclusive and glamorous Ivory Hotel. It's a job that requires patience, perfection, and, above all, self-control. But when Giovanni reunites with her former best friend, makeup influencer Natalie Moore, things get heated as a mending of fences morphs into a public argument in the hotel restaurant, and Giovanni loses her cool. Hours later, Natalie is missing. Evidence piles against Giovanni--a ransacked, blood-spattered hotel room, fresh bruises on her body, and a troubling gap in her memory from the last twelve hours.

Detective Redding Stark is the only one unconvinced of Giovanni's guilt. She sees disturbing parallels to a series of disappearances targeting Black women and believes Natalie's case is part of something bigger. Together, she and Giovanni are pulled into a dangerous web of privilege, power, and betrayal inside--and far beyond--the walls of the Ivory Hotel.

Will Giovanni and Detective Stark find Natalie or join the missing?

Review Quotes

"Strangers Behind Closed Doors is a gripping and intricately woven tale of secrets, survival, and the unyielding pursuit of justice brought to life through West's masterful storytelling and vivid, evocative prose. A compelling exploration of systemic injustice and resilience." --Terah Shelton Harris, author of Where the Wildflowers Grow

"Clever, perceptive and much, much creepier than you think, Strangers Behind Closed Doors is a lacerating look at class and race and the bonds we need to survive the horrors of both. Catherine Adel West is a powerhouse." --John Fram, critically acclaimed author of The Bright Lands and The Midnight Knock

"A gripping, fast-paced read that twists and turns through the streets of Chicago as it explores issues of race, class, friendship, and influencer culture...This novel questions what it means to thrive in a society that is built to keep power and attention consolidated to a select few, and provides no easy answers." --Christine Kandic Torres, author of The Girls in Queens

"A powerful thriller based on the chilling reality of unsolved disappearances of Black women, and the racist and misogynistic systems that utterly fail them...West delivers a gripping, twisty tale with wit and an originality that will captivate and keep you guessing until the very end." --Iris Mwanza, author of The Lions' Den

"Strangers Behind Closed Doors seamlessly blends two of my favorite genres: domestic suspense and police procedural. Catherine Adel West has crafted a story ripe with vivid writing and complex characters that explores much needed, timely topics. I can't wait to see what she writes next." --Kellye Garrett, award-winning author of Missing White Woman