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2026: Six friends. One storm. A secret to die for…
2026: Six friends. One storm. A secret to die for…
We arrived at the beautiful, sprawling Spanish villa ready to celebrate – over twenty years of friendship, and of course, Alexis’s big birthday. It’s paradise. Alexis has pulled out all the stops, and like always, I know we’re meant to be grateful…
But the tensions begin on the very first night.
The workaholic slipping off to take mysterious calls. The people pleaser afraid to speak out. The quiet observer snidely analysing every move we make. The former life of the party knocking back wine to forget it all. Even I, the peacekeeper, have secrets…
And of course, Alexis, the Queen Bee – furious that, as a summer storm descends, her perfect trip isn’t working out like she planned… Her fury makes it feel like she’s hiding something. Like her schemes are unravelling…
I thought our secrets finally emerging might be the biggest threat on this trip. But on the last night, I wake up on the cold floor of the locked wine cellar, a knife clutched in my hand and Alexis’s body unmoving beside me.
I want to scream, to cry, to run, but with the floodwater rising, we’re trapped. My friends all think I killed her. But I know I didn’t, which means someone else here did…
Author mini tour – Essex and Spain
Essex
Colchester
All six women (Alexis, Polly, Selin, Annie, Catherine and Nic) come from here. They all went to the same secondary school, and still live in the area now.
Mersea Island
Polly used to visit here as a child. And despite being in a luxury villa, when things start to go wrong, it’s here she longs to return to. But why?
Spain
Madrid
All of them flew into Madrid airport for the amazing trip of a lifetime – but will all of them catch a flight home?
The Málaga Mountains
The fictional villa is located high up in the mountains surrounding Madrid. Although which mountains isn’t specified, it was inspired by a real villa that my (really lovely!) friend hired to celebrate her 50th. When I saw it, the Málaga Mountains and the nearby Montes de Málaga nature park, I thought it looked like the setting for an Agatha Christie story!
Colmenar de Oreja
This is the small town I used as a template for the one the women visit. Just like in Just Between Us, there is a secret passage that runs beneath the main square!
Destination/location: Essex, Spain Author/guide: Barbara Copperthwaite Departure Time: 2026
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