Two exes trapped together on a weekend retreat must join forces to clear their names of murder in this whip-smart, utterly compelling dark comedic fantasy perfect for fans of Little Thieves, A Deadly Education, and the TV show Severance.

Hester Crooks knows she could be a great writer, but she has neither the money nor the support to pursue it.

When Hester is invited to attend an exclusive retreat where attendees will be mentored by some of the continent’s most successful entrepreneurs, she’s determined to use the weekend to convince alchemical genius Elona Whitbee to become her patron. Patronage would pay Hester’s university tuition and allow her to write full-time. There’s just one obstacle: Edwin Turner, her ex-boyfriend—and biggest competition.

But the retreat takes a deadly turn when Whitbee attacks Edwin over his project, and Hester kills the alchemist in self-defense. Desperate to find out why she attacked him and clear their names before the retreat ends, Hester and Edwin have no choice but to act as grim puppet masters to pretend Whitbee is still alive. But as they get closer to uncovering Whitbee’s murder-worthy secret, they realize it’s far more dangerous knowledge than they anticipated.

And worse, the other mentors might also kill to keep her secret.

Perfect for readers looking for:

• Lovers to enemies to lovers
• Second-chance romance
• Morally gray heroine
• Murder!
• Forced proximity
• Ace-spec representation
• Severance meets Weekend at Bernie's—but make it YA fantasy