Publication Date: February 3, 2026
A disgraced movie star returns to Hollywood 10 years after the kidnapping of her young daughter intent on seeking revenge, for fans of Monika Kim and Rachel Yoder.
NOTHING FEELS BETTER THAN REVENGE.
Ten years ago, Lila Devlin was an A-list actress with a movie star husband and a beautiful baby girl, Josie. When Josie was kidnapped out of her home and never seen again, Lila’s previously pristine public image twisted into that of an Unfit Mother. Driven mad by the hungry press, incompetent cops, and relentless true crime–obsessed “fans,” she disappeared into anonymity.
Now, Lila Devlin returns to LA with a grand vision for a radical new skincare brand to reinvent herself and honor Josie’s legacy. She’s prepared to move into the next chapter of her life with forgiveness in her heart, when an encounter with a parasitic blogger ends with him dead. Lila suddenly discovers forgiveness isn’t nearly as satisfying as a body hitting the floor.
With the help of her devoted publicist Sylvie, Lila begins a relentless, blood-soaked hunt through LA. Giving her skincare the edge it needs, they introduce a secret ingredient—revenge-sourced—from the bodies piling up. But as the company’s success skyrockets and Lila begins unraveling the truth behind her daughter’s kidnapping, her murderous side hustle threatens the life she’s painstakingly rebuilt.
Both a striking portrayal of grief and womanhood, and a twisting, cynical satire on celebrity and toxic beauty standards, Cruelty Free is an ambitious debut from a talented star on the rise.
When Lila Devlin returns to Los Angeles after a decade, her focus is on starting a beauty brand to honor the daughter she lost.
Instead, she morphs into revenge mode that ultimately unravels the details around her daughter’s kidnapping.
Author Caroline Glenn uses a compilation of oral histories to provide the background for Cruelty Free. This approach highlights Lila’s acting career, in addition to the Devlin baby scandal.
Pairing Lila up with a cutthroat publicist who has her own baggage proves to be genius. They turn the beauty industry upside down with a secret ingredient. I’ll add a quick warning for sensitive readers: the story comes with a side order of horror.
Between the main character’s grief and revenge, there’s a gamut of emotions that will grab your attention and keep it focused until the end.
Cruelty Free offers a fresh voice with a psychological thriller that leaves a lasting impression.
Caroline Glenn is a screenwriter and novelist from Los Angeles, California. She attended Emerson College and NYU Tisch, where she studied playwriting. Her screenplay, Don’t Borrow Trouble, was #6 on the 2024 Black List, the industry’s top unproduced screenplays. She has worked as a writer’s assistant on shows like The Last of Us, The Miniature Wife, and more. Cruelty Free is her debut novel.
