The Drowning Woman

From the bestselling author of The Party comes a "dark and wild ride of redemption, betrayal, and friendship" (Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push) following a homeless woman fleeing a dangerous past--and the wealthy society wife she saves from drowning.

Lee Gulliver never thought she'd find herself living on the streets--no one ever does--but when her restaurant fails, and she falls deeper into debt, she leaves her old life behind with nothing but her clothes and her Toyota Corolla. In Seattle, she parks in a secluded spot by the beach to lay low and plan her next move--until early one morning, she sees a sobbing woman throw herself into the ocean. Lee hauls the woman back to the surface, but instead of appreciation, she is met with fury. The drowning woman, Hazel, tells her that she wanted to die, that she's trapped in a toxic, abusive marriage, that she's a prisoner in her own home. Lee has thwarted her one chance to escape her life.

Out of options, Hazel retreats to her gilded cage, and Lee thinks she's seen the last of her, until her unexpected return the next morning. Bonded by disparate but difficult circumstances, the women soon strike up a close and unlikely friendship. And then one day, Hazel makes a shocking request: she wants Lee to help her disappear. It'll be easy, Hazel assures her, but Lee soon learns that nothing is as it seems, and that Hazel may not be the friend Lee thought she was.

"As twisty and pacey as it gets" (Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push).

Most anticipated by Goodreads - Indigo​ - SheReads

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Published Jun 13, 2023

308 pages

Average rating: 7.45

621 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Lorisha
Feb 01, 2026
8/10 stars
The ending sucked!
JennyS
Jun 25, 2025
10/10 stars
4.5
fromlizaslibrary
Nov 23, 2024
8/10 stars
This was my Book Club’s read and it didn’t disappoint! I always love a good thriller and this one kept me on edge the whole time. There were a lot of twists that I didn’t see coming which is always my favorite part. I feel like I’m pretty good at seeing what’s coming and although I had ideas for this one, there was still a lot that surprised me. It’s weird to me reading books that reference events from the last few years so having Lee’s tough times come from COVID aftermath was very odd. That aside, Lee’s story was an interesting one. I liked how we got breadcrumbs to what had happened to her over time instead of the whole story all at once. Hazel on the other hand was somehow not as likable. I don’t know why but she rubbed me the wrong way the whole time but when we finally got more of her perspective and story she at least made more sense to me. The end wasn’t quite my favorite but overall, I truly enjoyed it!
Mary Pat Holt
Feb 05, 2026
8/10 stars
This was a twisty tale of friendship, retribution and betrayal between a young homeless woman fleeing from her old life and the wealthy socialite she saves from drowning. Lee never imagined she would be homeless when she was running a successful restaurant in NYC but then the pandemic hit, and she left her life behind to start over in Seattle. Hazel, married to a powerful and controlling man is a victim in an abusive relationship. She feels her only way out is committing suicide by drowning. When Lee saves her, an unlikely friendship begins. Hazel needs help to disappear and she offers a way out for Lee too. As Lee becomes more involved in Hazel's escape plan, she realizes nothing it as it seems, and she finds herself in a more dangerous situation than just sleeping in her car.

I really liked the different POV's; it was large chunks at a time rather than every other chapter. Unreliable characters and lots of twists made this a fast action packed read. Very good thriller!
Tatianamoore1
Aug 14, 2025
10/10 stars
Great book! I couldn’t stop turning the pages! I caught myself staying up way too late just so I can see what happens next. 10/10 definitely recommend!

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