The Plunge: A Novel Hardcover – April 21, 2026

“Acclaimed playwright Raicek’s debut novel is a twisty, tense psychological thriller, tantalizingly sexy and explosively unnerving.”—BooklistA searing suspense that follows a grieving young woman as she is pulled into a seductive love triangle. As secrets from her past begin to resurface, she is forced to question who’s lying, who she can trust—and whether, in the end, she can trust herself. Perfect for readers of Emma Cline’s The Guest and Raven Leilani’s Luster.I had become good at hiding things, and most of all from myself. In the wake of her fiancé’s shocking death, Liv flees to New York where she seeks refuge in the apartment of an old mentor. Broken and lonely, she ventures to a party one night and sees him: Damon, her magnetic former neighbor. At his side is Isabel, a beguiling older widow whose presence intrigues and unsettles her. Desperate for escape, Liv is drawn into their charged dynamic and becomes entangled in their dazzling lives.But when an investigative journalist invades their circle, threatening to expose a shattering secret from her past, Liv begins to unravel. She embarks on an all-consuming affair with Damon, complicated by her deepening bond with Isabel. Over the course of one scorching summer – moving from Manhattan to the North Fork to Lake Como – their lives collide in a dangerous game of desire and betrayal that pushes them to an explosive edge. Searing, taut, and propulsive, The Plunge plumbs the depths of obsession and the ravages of grief. Told with razor-sharp prose and emotional precision, it offers an unflinching examination of the deceptions that undo us, and marks the arrival of a resonant and provocative new voice in fiction. Read more