Now an Amazon Prime TV series starring Robin Wright, Olivia Cooke and Laurie Davidson.

She loves your son. She wants your life. How far would you go to protect him?

‘I was blown away’ Jilly Cooper, author of Rivals

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A gripping and chilling debut psychological thriller, The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances is the story of a mother, a son, his girlfriend and an unforgivable lie.

Laura has it all: a successful career; a long marriage to a rich husband; and a twenty-three-year-old son, Daniel, who is kind, handsome and talented. Then Daniel meets Cherry. Cherry is young, beautiful and smart – but she hasn’t led Laura’s golden life. And now she wants it.

When tragedy strikes, a decision is made and a lie is told. A lie so terrible it will change their lives for ever . . .

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'The mother-son psychological drama that'll have you racing to the end' Good Housekeeping

'Sharp, sinister and addictive' Sunday Mirror

'A wildly delicious psychological thriller' Red

I was blown away. The Girlfriend is the most marvellous psychological thriller . . . I couldn’t put it down and kept sneaking upstairs to read another few pages . . . Michelle Frances is a writer we’re going to hear a great deal about. Please read this genuinely exciting novel -- Jilly Cooper
The Girlfriend is a taut psychological thriller, the evil chillingly drawn. Every character is layered and beautifully twisted. Makes me consider running background checks on any potential spouses my children bring home! -- Karen Rose
A juicy thriller and utterly compulsive reading -- Jenny Blackhurst, author of How I Lost You
An original and chilling portrayal of twisted relationships -- Debbie Howells, author of The Bones of You
Brilliantly twisty, a sharp, sinister and addictive read -- Sunday Mirror
Reminiscent of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, BBC producer Frances’ psychological thriller features a dangerous triangle . . . All will relish the tension and surprise delivered by each development as they try to identify the villain and discover the truth right up to the shocking conclusion . . . Frances’ crime debut will please those who want to keep reading in the Flynn zone. * Booklist *
Impressively compelling debut; the tension positively oozes from the pages . . . keeps the reader on a knife-edge throughout -- The Press Association
A fab debut with two twisted women at its core -- Prima
Tension oozes from the page -- The i Paper
Book of the week -- Bella
A fantastic psychological thriller . . . we couldn't put it down -- Take a Break

Michelle Frances graduated from Bournemouth Film School in 1996 and then from the master's programme at the American Film Institute, Los Angeles, in 1998. Returning to London, she has worked for several years in film and TV as a script editor and producer for both the independent sector and the BBC. The Girlfriend is her first novel.