When a bestselling author receives an invitation to return to her hometown to discuss her dark campus thriller, she never suspects she may be walking into the most unsettling plot twist of her life.
After her first two books flatlined, author Molly Archer is thrilled that her latest, Birds at Night, is an instant hit. Newly divorced and raising two children in an upscale community north of Manhattan, Molly will do whatever it takes to sustain her novel’s momentum and support the lifestyle she’s worked so hard to achieve.
When an enthusiastic book club organizer from her hometown reaches out, Molly welcomes the opportunity to meet her readers. Traveling back to Ohio offers the perfect excuse to check on her widowed mom, whose health—and memory—appear to be unraveling.
As much as she looks forward to the trip, one thing troubles Molly: She can’t remember Anna Fox, the woman who extended the invitation and seems all too eager to reconnect. Will Molly’s visit introduce her to a new group of adoring fans or is she stepping into her deadliest chapter yet?
A Different Type of Poison is a simmering, slow-burn psychological, domestic thriller that gets more addictive with each chapter!
The story follows Molly Archer, an author who’s riding high after her book, a dark campus thriller called Birds at Night, has become a breakout hit after her earlier novels flopped. Newly divorced and juggling two kids, she’s working hard to write a sequel and establish herself as a mainstream writer. When an invitation arrives from Anna Fox, a woman from her hometown who claims they know each other and is the head of a book club, she sees it as a chance to meet her readers & check in on her widowed mother. But there’s one detail she can’t shake: she doesn’t remember Anna Fox.
The story is told from the shifting dual perspectives of Molly and Anna. Molly’s POV is the emotional core of the story—she’s a woman juggling motherhood, sudden career success/pressure, and unresolved feelings tied to her ex-husband and hometown. Her POV is filled with self-doubt, fragmented memories, and concerns about her mother’s slipping memory. She’s also the epitome of an unreliable narrator—readers will get the sense that Molly knows that things aren’t adding up but can’t quite piece them together—but also isn’t saying everything she knows! In contrast, Anna’s POV is much darker. She puts on an act to appear warm and welcoming, but her inner dialogue depicts a troubled woman with unsettling obsessions and a need for revenge. Anna’s chapters allow the reader to know more than Molly does—and to see the danger long before Molly does, helping to make for an addictive, unsettling reading experience. With each chapter from Anna’s perspective, her mask slips a little more, making her more unlikable and adding to the suspense!
This pacing is very much slow-burn. The first few chapters feel more like a domestic drama than a thriller as readers are eased into Molly’s world—as she’s grappling with writer’s block, motherhood, and drama with her ex-husband and nanny. Once the perspectives start shifting and Anna’s plan is set in motion, the tension begins to hit. Readers will have to be patient to see this book’s true worth—in the second half, the stakes heighten, the “story within a story” unravels secrets, and readers will feel a building dread for Molly’s homecoming trip! In the final chapters, the psychological suspense tightens like a noose, leading to a climax that’s as emotionally charged as it is shocking. And if that’s not enough, there’s another surprise waiting for readers in the final chapter that will leave readers unsettled in the best possible way!
Overall, A Different Type of Poison is a bingeable psychological thriller that really heats up in the second half—and readers will be furiously turning the pages to see how it all ends! If you enjoy domestic thrillers full of drama, unreliable narrators, and stories that blur the line between truth and fiction, this is the book for you!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of A Different Type of Poison is read by seasoned narrators Leslie Howard, Anna Caputo, and Rachel F. Hirsch.
Leslie Howard performs the majority of the narration as Molly, using a steady, intimate voice with undertones of sarcasm, determination, and unease to perfectly capture an intelligent woman (and mother) with a conflicted inner life. When Molly is presenting herself to the world (especially at book events), Howard gives Molly a warm, inviting voice to complete her façade of competence as a successful author and mother. But her inner dialogue is a whole different story, where Howard adds hesitation and anxiety in her voice. Molly’s dialogue with her ex-husband Dan is a highlight of the audiobook—the tension between them is palpable, and Howard makes their interactions so convincing as a feuding ex-couple that listeners will be pulled right into the drama! When Molly finally realizes she’s in real danger, Howard transforms the scene into a pulse-pounding experience with faster pacing and a tremble in Molly’s voice, making the danger visceral without overacting. In the final chapter, Howard shifts her performance again, giving Molly a (cunning) newfound strength and bringing Molly’s full arc—self-doubt to terror to quasi-devious empowerment—to life in a way that leaves listeners breathless!
Anna Caputo portrays Anna in a dynamic performance, giving an unsettling quality to her voice—just sweet enough on the surface to seem harmless, but with undercurrents of bitterness and obsession that make her seem dangerous. Most of Anna’s chapters are told through her inner dialogue and scheming, and Caputo uses a cool, sharp voice to maximize the intensity, giving listeners a thrilling front-row seat to Anna’s unraveling psyche! Whenever Anna fixates on Molly, Caputo adds an extra chill to her tone, emphasizing her dark obsessive hatred. When Anna is unmasked in the climax, Caputo uses her impressive acting skills and a wider vocal range to convey Anna’s rage—and listeners will be hanging on to every word—the true sign of a top-notch performance! Rachel F. Hirsch narrates a supporting character towards the end with a lot of expression and tension in her voice, adding another (unexpected) layer of drama to the story that helps keep listeners glued to their headsets!
Together, the narrators elevate A Different Type of Poison into an immersive, unsettling psychological listen—the best kind of listening experience for a domestic thriller! This audiobook is perfect for listeners who love dramatically performed multi-narrator psychological thrillers, unreliable narrators, and nuanced vocal acting that really heats up by the end!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of A Different Type of Poison is read by seasoned narrators Leslie Howard, Anna Caputo, and Rachel F. Hirsch.
Leslie Howard performs the majority of the narration as Molly, using a steady, intimate voice with undertones of sarcasm, determination, and unease to perfectly capture an intelligent woman (and mother) with a conflicted inner life. When Molly is presenting herself to the world (especially at book events), Howard gives Molly a warm, inviting voice to complete her façade of competence as a successful author and mother. But her inner dialogue is a whole different story, where Howard adds hesitation and anxiety in her voice. Molly’s dialogue with her ex-husband Dan is a highlight of the audiobook—the tension between them is palpable, and Howard makes their interactions so convincing as a feuding ex-couple that listeners will be pulled right into the drama! When Molly finally realizes she’s in real danger, Howard transforms the scene into a pulse-pounding experience with faster pacing and a tremble in Molly’s voice, making the danger visceral without overacting. In the final chapter, Howard shifts her performance again, giving Molly a (cunning) newfound strength and bringing Molly’s full arc—self-doubt to terror to quasi-devious empowerment—to life in a way that leaves listeners breathless!
Anna Caputo portrays Anna in a dynamic performance, giving an unsettling quality to her voice—just sweet enough on the surface to seem harmless, but with undercurrents of bitterness and obsession that make her seem dangerous. Most of Anna’s chapters are told through her inner dialogue and scheming, and Caputo uses a cool, sharp voice to maximize the intensity, giving listeners a thrilling front-row seat to Anna’s unraveling psyche! Whenever Anna fixates on Molly, Caputo adds an extra chill to her tone, emphasizing her dark obsessive hatred. When Anna is unmasked in the climax, Caputo uses her impressive acting skills and a wider vocal range to convey Anna’s rage—and listeners will be hanging on to every word—the true sign of a top-notch performance! Rachel F. Hirsch narrates a supporting character towards the end with a lot of expression and tension in her voice, adding another (unexpected) layer of drama to the story that helps keep listeners glued to their headsets!
Together, the narrators elevate A Different Type of Poison into an immersive, unsettling psychological listen—the best kind of listening experience for a domestic thriller! This audiobook is perfect for listeners who love dramatically performed multi-narrator psychological thrillers, unreliable narrators, and nuanced vocal acting that really heats up by the end!
The audiobook of A Different Type of Poison is read by seasoned narrators Leslie Howard, Anna Caputo, and Rachel F. Hirsch.
Leslie Howard performs the majority of the narration as Molly, using a steady, intimate voice with undertones of sarcasm, determination, and unease to perfectly capture an intelligent woman (and mother) with a conflicted inner life. When Molly is presenting herself to the world (especially at book events), Howard gives Molly a warm, inviting voice to complete her façade of competence as a successful author and mother. But her inner dialogue is a whole different story, where Howard adds hesitation and anxiety in her voice. Molly’s dialogue with her ex-husband Dan is a highlight of the audiobook—the tension between them is palpable, and Howard makes their interactions so convincing as a feuding ex-couple that listeners will be pulled right into the drama! When Molly finally realizes she’s in real danger, Howard transforms the scene into a pulse-pounding experience with faster pacing and a tremble in Molly’s voice, making the danger visceral without overacting. In the final chapter, Howard shifts her performance again, giving Molly a (cunning) newfound strength and bringing Molly’s full arc—self-doubt to terror to quasi-devious empowerment—to life in a way that leaves listeners breathless!
Anna Caputo portrays Anna in a dynamic performance, giving an unsettling quality to her voice—just sweet enough on the surface to seem harmless, but with undercurrents of bitterness and obsession that make her seem dangerous. Most of Anna’s chapters are told through her inner dialogue and scheming, and Caputo uses a cool, sharp voice to maximize the intensity, giving listeners a thrilling front-row seat to Anna’s unraveling psyche! Whenever Anna fixates on Molly, Caputo adds an extra chill to her tone, emphasizing her dark obsessive hatred. When Anna is unmasked in the climax, Caputo uses her impressive acting skills and a wider vocal range to convey Anna’s rage—and listeners will be hanging on to every word—the true sign of a top-notch performance! Rachel F. Hirsch narrates a supporting character towards the end with a lot of expression and tension in her voice, adding another (unexpected) layer of drama to the story that helps keep listeners glued to their headsets!
Together, the narrators elevate A Different Type of Poison into an immersive, unsettling psychological listen—the best kind of listening experience for a domestic thriller! This audiobook is perfect for listeners who love dramatically performed multi-narrator psychological thrillers, unreliable narrators, and nuanced vocal acting that really heats up by the end!
