Next to HeavenNext to Heaven

"NSFW Gatsby." --Book of the Month
"A sizzling beach read about the misdeeds of the rich." -- Wall Street Journal
"The novel on every beach towel this summer, all summer, everywhere." -- Esquire

Uncover the dark underbelly of the American dream America's most perfect town, in this "lurid" and "propulsive" novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author James Frey ( New York Times Book Review Podcast)-and discover a world where privilege, sex, scandal, and murder lurk beneath a flawless veneer.

New Bethlehem, Connecticut. Picture-perfect lawns, manicured hedges, and multi-million dollar homes present a carefully curated facade. But beneath the designer yoga gear and country club memberships lies a darker reality.

A world of troubled opulence and sharp betrayal. "It's this pulpy, Collins-esque beach read about the 1% of the 1%. It's sexy and it's fun and it's an easy read about intrigue--it's Your Friends and Neighbors . It's Billions . It's The White Lotus before the vacation" (Bestselling author and podcaster Rich Roll). A world of spectacularly badly-behaved rich people where money can buy anything. . .until it ruins everything.

In this world of excess, best friends Devon and Belle have it all--beauty, money, status. But they want something more. Something dangerous. Something that makes them feel alive. Their solution? A party--a meticulously curated gathering of New Bethlehem's elite, from a desperate ex-NFL quarterback to a hockey coach with a penchant for married women, and a ruthless Wall Street "closer" who wields his wealth like a weapon.

One night. An ultra-elite swingers party. Multiple betrayals. And a murder that will shatter New Bethlehem's carefully constructed facade.

Behind every great fortune, lies a great crime. " --Honoré de Balzac

"A Connecticut sex romp-cum-murder mystery . . . 'big nods' to Jackie Collins, Danielle Steel, and Tom Wolfe." -- Vanity Fair
"A satirical look at the "beautiful, wealthy and unsatisfied.'" -- People Magazine
"Lurid . . . Propulsive. . . appeals to one's baser instincts." -- New York Times Book Review Podcast
"A deliriously over-the-top portrait of decadence on the brink." -- Bustle