The Aunt
- Judith D Collins
- Jul 17
- 5 min read
By: Courtney Psak
Narrator: Lauryn Allman
ISBN: 978-1399748193
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication Date: 09/22/2026
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
You think you know your sister? Think again...
The day that Amy gets the call, her whole world falls apart.
Her younger sister Lexi has been killed in a tragic boating accident, along with her husband. Despite being estranged
for the last ten years, Amy never stopped loving Lexi, and the news crushes her.
But Amy is shocked when she discovers she is set to inherit Lexi's beautiful mansion on Palm Beach, all her fortune...and her newborn daughter. Amy is stunned — how did she not know her own sister had a baby? And when the police reveal that they are treating the accident as suspicious, Amy starts to question everything.
Did she ever really know her sister? What secrets has Lexi been hiding? Can Amy protect
her baby niece, or will the truth cost her everything?
About the Author
Courtney Psak is a mystery-thriller writer and the author of three psychological thrillers released by Hodder & Stoughton, most recently The Aunt.
Courtney graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Journalism from Monmouth University and went on to earn a master’s degree in Publishing at Pace University.
She started her career writing for magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Self, and Modern Bride. In 2015 she wrote her first novel, Thirty Days to Thirty, and sold thousands of copies while working as a project manager for Viacom in New York.
Courtney currently lives in Palm Beach, Florida with her husband and two sons. She is a member of the Crime Writers' Association, International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, and the Mystery Writers of America.
Connect
Praise
"A twisty, sordid tale of sibling rivalry that will leave you breathless." —David Ellis, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
Praise for Courtney Psak
"Florida heat, Palm Beach luxury, and long-buried secrets and lies blend to make THE TUTOR a slick and stylish debut. Pacy psychological suspense that will keep you turning the pages until the final, killer twist."
— Lisa Unger for The Tutor
"Twisting, propulsive, and unsettling, The Tutor is a haunting reminder that sometimes the greatest dangers come from the ones we call family. Courtney Psak has crafted a dark, crafty tale of deception and redemption you won't soon forget."
— Carter Wilson for The Tutor
"Original and a simply riveting read from start to finish, "The Tutor" by Courtney Psak is a deftly crafted psychological thriller -- the kind that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the novel has been finished and set back upon the shelf."
—Midwest Book Review for The Tutor
Exceptional Authors.
Standout Books. Elevator Talk.
BEHIND THE BOOK AND THE AUTHOR
Stay tuned, book lovers for a special #LitLiftMiniAuthorChat ride with the bestselling author, Courtney Psak. For the first time stepping into the Lit platform, we are excited to welcome Courtney with her hightly anticpated thriller (in paperback), The Aunt, coming September...
Get ready for some Palm Beach scandal (for those who are missing Palm Royale).
My Review
THE SISTER SHE THOUGHT SHE KNEW IS GONE.
If you love fast-paced psychological suspense, dark family inheritance secrets, and high-stakes twists, you need to add The Aunt to your TBR
The Hook
An estranged sister dies in a suspicious Florida boating crash, leaving a grieving woman to inherit a sprawling Palm Beach estate, a massive fortune—and a secret newborn niece she never knew existed.
Elevator Pitch
"The Aunt" by Courtney Psak is a propulsive, high-stakes psychological thriller centered on family deception and lethal secrets. When Amy discovers her estranged sister Lexi has died under highly suspicious circumstances, she is thrust into a life of unexpected wealth and sudden motherhood. But stepping into Lexi’s luxurious Palm Beach mansion means stepping into a carefully constructed web of lies. As the police investigate the deaths, Amy must unravel what her sister was hiding to protect the innocent baby left behind—before the same shadow catches up to her.
Setting
A stunning, sweeping luxury mansion nestled in the exclusive enclave of Palm Beach, Florida, juxtaposed against dangerous, unpredictable coastal waters.
Vibe
Sun-drenched noir, deeply paranoid, deceptive, claustrophobic despite the wealth, and laden with buried family tension.
A Tragic Accident. A Secret Inheritance. A Mansion Built on Lies.
Genre
Domestic Suspense / Psychological Thriller / Women Sleuths / Sisters
Themes
The dangerous illusions of wealth, the dark realities of family estrangement, sudden maternal instinct, and how little we truly know the people we love.
Standout Characters
~Amy: A grieving, shell-shocked protagonist suddenly forced to transition into a protective guardian while playing amateur detective
~Lexi (The Deceased Sister): Though gone, her presence looms over every chapter as her complex history, hidden baby, and dark choices unravel from the grave.
Author Writing Standout
Told from the past (Lexi) to the present (Amy), Courtney Psak's pacing makes it impossible to put the book down. Her background in high-profile magazine journalism shines through in the sharp, clinical observations of the ultra-wealthy of Palm Beach lifestyle, masking a dark underbelly of psychological terror beneath the bright Florida sun.
Takeaway
Blood relationships do not guarantee transparency, and sometimes the biggest secrets are kept by those we share a past.
Title Significance
The title. " The Aunt" represents a sudden, jarring shift in identity. Amy is no longer just a distant sister; she is transformed into a legal protector, anchoring her to a child she must shield from the hidden dangers that destroyed her sister's life.
Metaphor
The luxury estate is a gilded cage built on quicksand. The surface represents ultimate financial freedom, but every step taken inside pulls the protagonist deeper into a suffocating trap of past sins and hidden threats.
Why You Should Read
Read this if you devour unputdownable, fast-paced thrillers with explosive, mysterious family secrets, estranged sisters, the haves and the have-nots, unexpected inheritances, and structural twists that completely upend your theories every few chapters.
My Thoughts
THE AUNT grabs you from the tragic opening hook and refuses to let go. The tension builds beautifully as Amy tries to balance her new reality with the terrifying realizations about her sister’s true life. Psak crafts an excellent game of cat-and-mouse that keeps you guessing until the final, killer reveal.
A tragic accident, a sudden fortune, and a baby she never knew existed.
Courtney Psak's "The Aunt" is an absolute masterclass in domestic suspense! You will not be able to put this Palm Beach thriller down.
Verdict 5 / 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"A gripping, binge-worthy beach thriller that proves the most dangerous secrets are always kept close to home."
Stay tuned for a fun #LitLiftMiniAuthorChat ride to the penthouse on my blog, where we go behind the author and the book (9/22). Do not miss it!
Recs or Read-Alikes
~Reef Road by Deborah Royce: A rich story that’s also steeped in Palm Beach History and Society.
~The Palm Beach Murders by James Patterson
~The Charlie Crawford Palm Beach Mystery Series: Books 1, 2 & 3 by Tom Turner
~For fans of the popular Apple TV show, Palm Royale.
~Authors Freida McFadden, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Joy Fielding's Puppet, among others.
~Lorraine Zago Rosenthal's New Money and Independently Wealthy.
Special thanks to Kaye Publicity for sharing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Sept 22, 2026
Sept 2026 Must-Read Books
