A sinister, sophisticated debut thriller by “a remarkable new voice to watch” (J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author), Man of the Year has been lauded by Shelf Awareness as “an impressive slow burn that builds suspense and cracks the whip at the end…redolent with menace and ego.”Dr. Robert Hart, Sag Harbor’s just-named Man of the Year, is the envy of his friends and neighbors. His medical practice is thriving. He has a beautiful old house and a beautiful new wife and a beautiful boat docked in the village marina. Even his wayward son, Jonah, is back on track, doing well at school and finally worthy of his father’s attentions. So when Jonah’s troubled college roommate needs a place to stay for the summer, Hart and his wife generously offer him their guesthouse. A win-win: Jonah will have someone to hang with, and his father can bask in the warm glow of his own generosity.
But when Robert suspects his new houseguest of getting a little too close to his wife, the good doctor’s veneer begins to crack, and all the little lies he tells start to mount. Before long, Robert is embroiled in a desperate downward spiral, threatening to destroy anyone who stands in his way. It’s only the women in his life—his devoted office manager, his friends and neighbors, his wife—who can reveal the truth…if he’s willing to look.
Biting and timely,
Man of the Year races along at an electric pace, building to a wicked twist you won’t see coming.
A darkly compelling psychological thriller by “a remarkable new voice to watch” (J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author), this sinister debut novel follows a celebrated small-town doctor whose carefully curated life begins to unravel when his fragile ego is threatened.
Dr. Robert Hart has just been named Sag Harbor’s Man of the Year. From the outside, his life appears flawless: a thriving medical practice, a prestigious home, a new wife, and a son finally living up to expectations. When Jonah’s troubled college roommate needs a place to stay for the summer, Robert and his wife offer their guesthouse—an act of generosity that allows Robert to bask in admiration and control.
But when Robert suspects the young man of crossing boundaries with his wife, cracks form in his polished façade. Small lies multiply, paranoia takes hold, and Robert’s need to dominate every situation pushes him into a dangerous downward spiral. As his sense of entitlement curdles into obsession, the consequences ripple outward, threatening to destroy his family, his reputation, and the people closest to him.
Told with chilling precision and building tension, this slow-burn psychological thriller exposes the corrosive power of ego, the violence beneath respectability, and the truths only the women around Robert may be able to see—if he’s capable of facing them.
