KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench, where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site, so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
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THE HOSTESS
The Perfect Escape or The Perfect Nightmare?
BY COURTNEY PSAK
BLURB
A gripping new psychological thriller with a twist you won’t see coming.
Don’t miss Courtney Psak’s next unputdownable thriller, available to pre-order now!
Natalie and her husband decide to escape the city for a much-needed break. After suffering from a terrible accident, Natalie needs some time and space to recover. So when they find a gorgeous rental home on an estate in the Hamptons available at the last minute, it seems too good to be true.
The owner of the estate, Sadie, is beautiful, elegant and wealthy, and Natalie is immediately drawn to her.
But as the women begin to bond, Natalie can’t shake the feeling that Sadie is hiding something beneath her polished exterior.
When Natalie discovers that the previous guest disappeared without a trace, dark questions surface: Who exactly is the hostess? What are her secrets? And can Natalie uncover the truth, before it’s too late?
“Thanks to effective foreshadowing, author Courtney Psak takes readers on a suspenseful journey full of misdirection.” — Novels Alive
Praise for Courtney Psak
“Twisting, propulsive, and unsettling, The Tutor is a haunting reminder that sometimes the
greatest dangers come from the ones we call family. Courtney Psak has crafted a dark, crafty tale of deception and redemption you won’t soon forget.” — Carter Wilson, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of Tell Me What You Did
“Florida heat, Palm Beach luxury, and long-buried secrets and lies blend to make THE TUTOR a slick and stylish debut. Pacy psychological suspense that will keep you turning the pages until the final, killer twist.” — Lisa Unger, New York Times Bestselling Author of Close Your Eyes and Count to 10
“The Tutor is a fast- paced, twisty addition to the domestic suspense genre. It’s perfect for fans of Sally Hepworth, Alex Finlay, and Megan Miranda.” — ChickLit Central
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THE HOSTESS
The Perfect Escape or The Perfect Nightmare?
BY COURTNEY PSAK
Excerpt
Chapter One: Natalie
Luke was right. The weather today isn’t anything but pleasant.
We step up to the wraparound porch, supported by Corinthian columns, with unobstructed views of the endless ocean ahead of us. White cumulus clouds float like whipped dollops in the sky to complete the picturesque scene. My eye follows a boardwalk that edges the property and bridges over the thick covered dunes.
Off to the corner, I notice a gas firepit elevated on pavement stones with four white love-seat couches surrounding it, the dunes backdropping it into a picture-perfect scene.
I even imagine myself and Luke snuggled up under a blanket on a cool night, the fire dancing in front of us, until my mind wonders what sort of creatures could be hidden beneath the brush.
The backyard, while spacious and well manicured with corduroy lines of freshly cut grass, still doesn’t feel as private as I would’ve initially thought. There is a garden hedge squared off in the middle of the property that seems to act as a privacy wall, but it can’t be more than a hundred feet, which on a property as large as this, doesn’t do that much.
Then again, it’s obvious that the garden is meant more as a beautiful feature of the property, rather than to act as a divide.
I think about what Luke and I are paying for this rental and it’s much lower than anything else on the market, despite being ten times nicer than anything else available. I wonder what the reason for that is. Are the pictures online for this property dated and we are in for a surprise? Or did something not work out with a previous renter? Then again, anyone—no matter how wealthy—can run into money troubles.
The taxes alone on this place have to be astronomical. Maybe they needed a quick fix.
I follow the porch toward the backyard, descending from a set of stairs, bringing me toward the pool. It’s large and rectangular with an elevated hot tub pouring into it like a miniature waterfall. The white cushioned loungers lining the edge are perfectly even, as if they were brand new and being staged for a photo shoot. I suddenly have the feeling like I’m being watched. I turn toward the main house, but I don’t see anything at first. I still can’t shake the feeling.
My eyes flick back up, scanning the windows until I notice the silhouette of a woman on the second floor. My body stiffens. After a moment, the figure steps back, the white curtain falling closed.
The thought of being here, knowing someone might always be spying on us, sends a deep shudder through me, but I have to push the thought away. We need this to work.
“Are you okay if I go get the bags from the car?” Luke asks.
“Of course.”
Luke gives me a quick smile.
I look back up at the now-empty window and suddenly feel vulnerable and exposed. I turn, scurrying back up the steps to check the door to the back porch, praying that it’s open, my hand shaking as I try to grip the handle. I feel a pressure building in my chest as I struggle with the door. I need to be inside right now, but I can’t seem to get my feet to listen. All I have to do is walk around the porch to the front, but I can’t seem to do that. It’s as if I’m frozen in place, the panic in me rendering my body catatonic, unable to move.
I see a dark shadow on the other side of the glass door inside the house. It’s approaching me, the outline I realize much larger than Luke. It comes up on me fast, ripping the door open angrily. My hand, still on the handle, jerks and pulls me inside, causing me to fall into the figure.
I let out a startled gasp, as I feel the strong grip of seemingly large hands on my arms, holding me in a tight lock, unable to escape if I wanted to.
The fear overwhelms me as I look up at the person in front of me. His face is slack with emotion. His dark brown eyes are deadened, as if there is nothing behind them. His thick, black eyebrows furrow angrily at me.
I find my footing, eager to back away, but his grip remains tight on me. I struggle again, about to let out a scream loud enough for Luke to hear, when finally, the man lets go of me and I step back, catching my breath.
I notice then he has got to be a least six and half feet tall. Taller than my five-six frame or Luke’s even six. He appears older, early to mid-forties, but strikingly muscular.
He’s standing there, his squared-off jaw tightly set, and there is the slight hint of a scowl like I’m an intruder in his house. Then it suddenly occurs to me that I might be. Maybe we have the address wrong. I swallow hard.
“I’m so sorry,” I apologize. “We were looking for the Wilson residence. We are supposed to be staying in their guest house.”
He crosses his arms, leaving his expression the same. “This is the Wilson residence.” His voice is deep and scratchy.
“Oh,” I say, confused. “I’m Natalie. My husband Luke and I were told by Sadie Wilson that we could stay in this guest house for the month of—”
“You shouldn’t be here,” he says cutting me off.
I blink in surprise. “I’m sorry. Was there some sort of mix-up?”
He appears angry with me for asking the question. “No.”
“Okay,” I try to keep my voice light.
We stare at each other for a long moment.
“Can I help you?” I hear Luke’s voice behind him, as he comes in through the front door with our bags.
He turns back toward Luke, his expression still the same. Then he lets out a long-winded exhalation from his nostrils,as if frustrated.
He turns back to me. “Just get out,” he growls, his breath hot on mine. Then he walks past me, slamming the back door shut.
About Author Courtney Psak…
Courtney Psak is a mystery thriller writer whose novel The Tutor will release August 7th, 2025, with Hodder and Stoughton, with whom she’s signed a three-book deal. The follow-up thrillers are expected for release in 2026.
Courtney graduated with a degree in Communications and Journalism from Monmouth University, followed with a master’s degree in Publishing from Pace University.
She started her career writing for magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Self and Modern Bride. In 2015 she wrote her first novel, Thirty Days to Thirty, and sold thousands of copies while working as a project manager for Viacom in New York.
Courtney currently lives in Palm Beach, Florida with her husband and two sons. She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, the National Writers Association and the Mystery Writers of America.
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Links to Courtney’s websites, blogs, books, #ad, etc.:
Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/4t0PhXY
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/4a17JYQ
Official Website: CourtneyPsak.com
Facebook: /Courtney.psak
Instagram: @courtneypsak_
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Special Giveaway: Courtney will gift one paperback (U.S. Only) of THE HOSTESS to one lucky winner and one digital copy of THE HOSTESS to another lucky winner who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Good luck!
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The book looks and sounds like an excellent read looking forward to reading this book
Scary and intriguing. Thanks so much for sharing.
Oh oh…the die is cast… 😲🤔
Nice to meet you, Courtney….
NOT ENTERING 😊
Welcome back to Karen’s Killer Book Bench, Courtney. I love twisty thrillers. I need this one on my Kindle. Thanks for sharing your book with us today!
nice cover
Good afternoon, wow, another intriguing sounding and looking book! Thank you so much for sharing the excerpt, I will definitely be adding it to my TBR. Have a Great week.