A Different Type of Poison
- Judith D Collins
- Nov 25
- 8 min read
Not every invitation is meant to be accepted. This one could be her last.
by Liz Alterman
Narrators: Anna Caputo, Rachel F. Hirsch, Leslie Howard
Simon Maverick
ISBN: 9798999924704
Publisher: One More Page Press
Publication Date: 11/25/2025
Format: e-book & audio
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
NOV featured #LitLiftMiniAuthorChats
The Plot meets Disclaimer in a simmering, slow-burn domestic thriller and psychological suspense novel that explores the stories we tell, the secrets we bury, and the price we pay for both, perfect for fans of Sally Hepworth, Liane Moriarty, and Lisa Jewell.
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 taut literary thriller with shocking twists, A Different Type of Poison explores the line between where fiction ends and truth begins.
The hardcover and paperback available on pub date.
About the Author
Photo credit: Christine Harris | Birch Studio
Writer, Editor, Storyteller
Liz Alterman is the author of the award-winning memoir, Sad Sacked, the young adult thriller, He’ll Be Waiting, the suspense novels The Perfect Neighborhood, The House on Cold Creek Lane, and You Shouldn't Have Done That, as well as the romcom Claire Casey's Had Enough.
Her next suspense novel, A Different Type of Poison, will be released November 25, 2025. Liz's work has been published by The New York Times, The Washington Post, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, and other outlets. Subscribe to her Substack where she shares the ups and downs of the writing life (and cat photos). Liz lives in New Jersey with her husband and three sons. When she isn't writing, Liz spends most days reading, microwaving the same cup of coffee, and looking up synonyms. For more or to say hello, visit: www.lizalterman.com
Praise
"Deliciously damaged characters, big secrets, and twists aplenty make for fast-paced entertainment in Liz Alterman’s rollicking book-within-a-book thriller, A DIFFERENT TYPE OF POISON."
-- Andromeda Romano-Lax, The Deepest Lake
"This book is fast-paced, oh-so-twisty and very, very clever. I literally raced through the last half, my fingers flying to turn the pages, breath caught in my throat, as the tension mounted, and everything came together. If you like beautifully written, clever suspense thrillers, then this is a must-read."
-- Miranda Rijks, One Little Mistake
Exceptional Authors.
Standout Books. Elevator Talk.
Behind the Book & the Author
INTRIGUING QUESTIONS. INQUIRING READERS WANT TO KNOW.
Welcome to the featured November 2025 (4 of 4) #LitLiftMiniAuthorChats, a part of the #AuthorElevatorSeries and back with us for the second time, special guest author (and comedian) and my personal favorite, Liz Alterman, and her electrifying new literary thriller, A DIFFERENT TYPE OF POISON, out November 25, 2025.
A taut literary thriller with shocking twists, A Different Type of Poison explores the fine line between fiction and reality.
Join us for a fun elevator ride and learn more about the book and this talented author, arriving in November.
Welcome, Liz!
Behind the Book
Q. Give us your best ELEVATOR PITCH for A DIFFERENT TYPE OF POISON.
When an author receives an invitation to discuss her dark campus thriller back in her hometown, she quickly accepts, not realizing she may be walking into her scariest chapter yet.
Q. DESCRIBE your novel in three words.
Suspenseful, Twisty, Unhinged
Q. TOPICS: Name 1-3 topics or themes addressed in the novel?
The story asks:
• Where’s the line between fact and fiction?
• How far will you go to feed your ego?
Q. SETTING: Place (s), area, season where the book is set.
The novel is split between two main characters. Molly, who lives in an upscale community in New York in a nice farmhouse, and Anna, who rents a small home in Ohio.
Q. DID YOU KNOW? Name 3-5 things that readers may (or may not) know about your book, or that are not included in the book.
While, thankfully, I don’t have much in common with my main character Molly, there is a scene that involves a royalty check that mistakenly goes to a neighbors’ house, which is loosely based on a real-life experience. (In the book, Molly’s earned $17, in my case, it was closer to $7—eek! Thankfully, things have picked up a bit since then!)
In A Different Type of Poison, I share excerpts from Molly’s novel, Birds at Night. I love it when there’s a diary included or a book within a book. I did this on much smaller scale in my young adult thriller He’ll Be Waiting.
Before I got a bit busier with freelance work, I volunteered at my local library and I have the utmost respect for librarians. In A Different Type of Poison, I allude to a fictional podcast called “Leave It to a Librarian,” and now I wish that were a real podcast!The library remains one of my absolute favorite places so I was excited to set part of this book in a library.
Q. UPCOMING: Can you share what you are currently working on or what is next in ten words or less (or more)?
Thanks for asking! I’m working on a revenge-focused suspense manuscript, tentatively titled Still With Me.
Q. FORMATS: Liz, will your book be available in all formats?
Yes, thanks for asking!
Available for pre-order now in e-book and audio formats
Hardcover and paperback formats available for purchase on pub day, Nov 25th.
For signed copies, complete the form on my website.
Behind the Author
Q. DID YOU KNOW? Name 3-5 things that readers may (or may not) know about YOU, the author.
I have a fear of birds, but I’m trying to be braver and overcome it. My family thought it was funny/strange that I titled the book within this book Birds at Night.
I love to bake and often do some of my best procrastinating in the kitchen.
I dream of someday moving to a warm climate where I’m surrounded by palm trees and I never have to wear a coat again.
I teach workshops on memoir writing and it’s an honor and a privilege to listen to writers share their stories.
Q. BOOK REC: A book you would recommend.
A friend recommended The Death of Us by Abigail Dean and it’s chilling—easily one of my favorites this year. The audiobook narrators are fantastic.
Thank you, Liz, for spending time with us today!
Thank you for having me, Judy! Your questions always make me think and I’m so grateful for your support!
My Review
A DIFFERENT TYPE OF POISON, by Liz Alterman (a favorite author), is an enthralling 'book within a book' literary thriller that masterfully weaves suspense and intrigue, leaving you breathless with every turn of the page.
If a story is in you, it has to come out."
—William Faulkner
About...
What begins as an alluring book tour and a bestseller novel quickly spirals into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, where tension and excitement mount with every chapter, making it impossible to put down.
Characters...
Molly Archer:
Living in Manhattan, a recently divorced (ex-Dan), mom of two young children (Isaac and Ingrid), and finally a bestselling author (M.J. Archer, pseudonym) of a dark campus thriller, Birds at Night becomes a New York Times bestselling hit.
Anna Fox:
An enthusiastic (obsessed) book club organizer, a librarian from Molly's hometown in Milltown, Ohio, invites her to speak. Molly has no memory of her, but Anna seems very keen to reconnect. She wonders why this stranger seems to know her—maybe her mom will know.
Molly's widowed mother:
Her health and memory are declining, prompting Molly's trip to Ohio. This way, she can check up on her mom and attend the book club while on tour. Plus, it would be great to see her best friend, Gavin.
Are her dreams of finally becoming a bestselling author coming true, or is it unleashing a nightmare? What secrets has Molly buried?
What Molly initially perceives as a warm welcome soon morphs into a chilling entrapment, orchestrated by a woman whose face is hauntingly familiar yet completely elusive. As the delicate boundaries between her vivid fictional world and her own unsettling reality begin to dissolve, an intricate tapestry of betrayal and deception unfurls before her.
Long-buried secrets rise to the surface, weaving an atmosphere thick with tension and suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats and eagerly guessing until the very last, jaw-dropping twist.
My Thoughts...
A DIFFERENT TYPE OF POISON is a gripping literary thriller—a book within a book—that masterfully blends high-stakes suspense with deep characterization and lyrical prose, exploring emotional complex themes and relationships that make it impossible to put down.
The characters are richly developed, each with intricate backstories, internal conflicts, and moral ambiguity. Molly's thriller begins to mirror the mysterious events in her own life, blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
Molly's mother holds the key to the truth about Anna, but her unreliable memories lead to cryptic information that forces Molly to question everything, heightening the psychological suspense and manipulation.
Featuring dual perspectives from Molly and Anna, with a chapter from Evelyn, the narrative builds tension as it races toward a shocking conclusion. Liz keeps readers hooked from start to finish, with Anna's dark humor providing a delightful contrast.
The title, A Different Type of Poison, encapsulates themes of manipulation and psychological abuse, presenting these forms of "poison" as more damaging than any physical threat.
As a writer of dark thrillers, Molly is accustomed to fictional forms of danger. The title emphasizes the contrast between the fictional poisons in her books and the real-life emotional and psychological "poison" she encounters in her hometown.
The narrative blurs the lines between where fiction ends and truth begins, highlighting how real-world secrets can be far more toxic than any fictional story. Ultimately, the title serves as a metaphor for the slow, simmering, and often unseen ways in which people can harm one another emotionally and psychologically.
Night birds symbolize mystery, the unconscious mind, hidden fears, and secrets. Molly's book title and content serve as a metaphor for the repressed memories and dark truths from her youth that she has kept hidden, even from herself.
Birds at Night is a profound reflection of Molly's character, her history, and the psychological journey she must undertake to confront the "different type of poison" that has been lurking in her past, making this a thought-provoking literary thriller and a perfect book club pick for further discussions (questions included).
A DIFFERENT TYPE OF POISON is highly entertaining, a propulsive page-turner that explores highly-charged topics and themes of manipulation, trauma, gaslighting, mother-daughter relationships, family drama, repressed memories, unresolved issues, toxic relationships, and dark, buried secrets.
As a devoted fan of the author, I highly recommend this book as well as Liz's previous works. Alterman masterfully reveals how seemingly safe and familiar settings can harbor hidden menaces, while also highlighting the long-lasting, damaging effects that concealed secrets can have on mental well-being and interpersonal connections.
Among her other novels that capture the intricacies of family drama and explore similar themes of psychological manipulation, suburban secrets, deception, betrayal, and the shadows of a troubled past are:
You Shouldn't Have Done That (2025)
The House on Cold Creek Lane (2024)
The Perfect Neighborhood (2022)
Interview...
Stay tuned for my fun #LitLiftMiniAuthorChat with Liz on pub day (my blog) to learn more about the book and this talented author.
Recs...
A captivating read that will enthrall fans of the author as well as those who revel in intricate psychological thrillers and tantalizing literary suspense.
If you enjoy the intricate storytelling found in books such as The Plot, Disclaimer, or All This Could Be Yours, as well as works by authors like Mary Kubica, Sally Hepworth, Alice Feeney, and Shari Lapena, you will be captivated by this gripping story that promises to engage both your mind and your senses.
Special thanks to the author and publisher for graciously sharing an advanced reading copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Nov 25, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
