Publication Date: June 23, 2026
A missing child tears a family apart in this switchback roller coaster of a psychological thriller that builds to a final, jaw-dropping twist, perfect for fans of Jennifer Hillier and Lisa Lutz.
On the surface, Sonia and Graham Starr were a glamorous couple: She, the sleek entrepreneur; he, the boyishly handsome painter with an irrepressible zest for life. They had everything money can buy and the one thing it can’t—a precious, precocious four-year-old named Roxie. But when Roxie disappears into the Pacific Ocean on a perfect August afternoon, their world crumbles around them.
Months later, Roxie’s twenty-one-year-old former nanny, plagued by guilt and confusion, returns to the Starrs’ beach house on the “American Riviera,” the rarefied stretch of land around Santa Barbara where the mountains meet the sea. Her first night back, she gazes out at the sand, only to see a child who bears a striking resemblance to Roxie. When she calls out, the child runs away.
Colleen never believed that Roxie, who was afraid of the surf, would run into the ocean on her own. Now, she is determined to get to the truth, even if it means facing her greatest fears.
The Girl on the Beach asks us who we trust when we can’t trust ourselves.
Colleen never expected to return to the swanky beach house, but she desperately needs to remember that August afternoon when 4-year-old Roxie Starr drowned.
Author Carol Snow delivers a haunting thriller about a nanny who, while searching for answers, sees a little girl who resembles Roxie.
The Girl on the Beach sets up a twisty story that drops subtle clues along the way. Told from Colleen’s perspective using a before/after approach, the characters take shape. The wealthy parents, Sonia and Graham, who value door alarms and security cameras. Little Roxie, who never set foot on the sand without an adult. And the nanny who questions what really happened.
What unfolds is a multi-layered story brimming with suspense. Each “before” snippet provides another piece of the framework, revealing unexpected twists.
The Girl on the Beach hooks readers in the beginning, keeping them on the edge until the very end.
Carol Snow is the author of ten novels, including her latest psychological thriller, The Girl on the Beach. Known for her sharp insight into human behavior, she has been recognized by Booklist as “an author to watch.” With a background in psychology from Brown University and an MA in teaching English from Boston College, Carol brings a deep understanding of emotions and language to her work.
