Dear Debbie. By Freida McFadden. Audiobook

Emma Smith

Revenge is best served cold – though a few warm appetizers to tide you over until the main course are perfectly acceptable too.

To the outside world, I, Debbie, am the picture of an ordinary housewife. I have a devoted accountant husband, two teenage daughters – who can be a handful, as teenagers are – and a passion for cultivating my garden. I even write an advice column for our local paper.

But lately, cracks have begun to show in this perfect facade. My daughters are changing: Lexi has become venomous toward me, while my easy-going Izzy was mysteriously kicked off her soccer team. My husband, Cooper, has been disappearing to places unknown. And now, to top it all off, I've lost my job at the paper.

Let's be clear: I'm a problem-solver. Some might call my methods… inventive. But when someone targets my family, they aren't just making a mistake – they're ordering a consequence, and I make sure it's delivered.

I'll admit, I was skeptical about this story initially. While I've enjoyed this author before – The Inmate was brilliant – something about this cover gave me pause. It reminded me of a pair of scissors I once owned, which now makes me wonder where they ever ended up.

In the end, I was completely drawn in. The raw, unfiltered "Dear Debbie" drafts in her folder were a particular highlight; it felt like she was speaking directly to me, especially about that snoring husband!

Watching her refuse to take anyone's nonsense was a thrill. Her plots against those who wronged her family were masterfully calculated. And Jo Dolan? She absolutely deserved what was coming. Debbie's brand of protective fury was unhinged in the most satisfying, business-like way.

The final twist genuinely surprised me – it certainly cast Cooper in a new light. There's nothing quite like a revenge tale where justice, in its own unique way, is seamlessly served.