The next author I am spotlighting in conjunction with my partnership with ITW — International Thriller Writers — has two different titles for her book and slightly different summaries, depending on where it is available. But rest assured, they are the same book!
The Wives of Murder Club by Emma White — US/UK title
Publisher – Embla Books (only available as e-book right now)
Pub Date – June 2, 2026
Summary:
The first rule of Murder Club? Don’t trust the other wives.
Marta and her true-crime book club escape to remote Snakebite Island for a long weekend of rosé, late-night confessions, and obsessive discussions about serial killers. No husbands. No responsibilities. Just four friends and a shared love of dark stories.
Until one of them turns up dead on the shore. Murdered.
They should call the police. But they can’t. An investigation would expose everything the group has been hiding – including a husband who has mysteriously vanished.
Instead, they stage the perfect disappearance. After all, they know how these stories work. They’ve read hundreds of them.
But real life isn’t a podcast or a paperback thriller. And the deeper Marta gets into the cover-up, the more she realises one terrifying truth: someone on Snakebite Island is a killer. And they’re willing to do it again.
****************************************************************************************************************
Venom Lake by Emma White (Canadian title)
Publisher – HarperAvenue
Pub Date – June 2, 2026
Summary:
For fans of Lucy Foley and Ashley Audrain, this is a smart, biting, set-in-Canada debut thriller about a toxic upscale true-crime book club
On a weekend getaway for their true-crime book club, four women retreat to the sole cottage on isolated Snakebite Island. But what was supposed to be a fun weekend of getting trashed on rosé and talking serial killers takes a dark turn when a member of the group is found dead on the shore. Murdered. By one of her supposed friends.
Under the surface, there’s turbulence in the group. Blackmail, affairs and addiction. Financial misconduct. A missing husband. All of the women are hiding dangerous secrets, but how far are they willing to go to keep them?
The murder creates a dilemma for the three surviving book club report the death and have their own lives shredded by an investigation or use their true-crime knowledge to stage their friend’s disappearance on the lake.
The consequences of their decision will ripple outwards, creating new risks and threatening to unravel their entire net of lies.
****************************************************************************************************************
About the author:
Emma White is a research lawyer by day and a thriller author by night. She has lived in France, Hungary, and Thailand, but Canada is always home. Every summer Emma can be found paddling a kayak on a lake in Eastern Ontario where she plots out (fictional) murders and attempts to befriend the local herons.
Follow Emma White on social media:
****************************************************************************************************************
Praise for The Wives of Murder Club / Venom Lake
“Venom Lake by Emma White is as intense as it is twisty. With secrets galore, toxic friendships and characters you’ll love to hate, this murderous chiller is perfect for fans of May Cobb and Liane Moriarty. Buckle up!” —Hannah Mary McKinnon, internationally bestselling author of Only One Survives
“Twisty, propulsive, and utterly unputdownable. I devoured it in one sitting.” – Bianca Marais, USA TODAY bestselling author of A Most Puzzling Murder
“This is an author to watch.” – The Globe and Mail
“An alluring debut, Venom Lake exposes the poison seeping beneath the surface of a toxic friend group. Each deliciously messy character has a secret they might kill to hide, and Emma White expertly pulls the threads on the web of lies threatening to destroy them all. With a gloriously sharp tone, dark humor, and diabolical twists, this outstanding thriller is an ominous warning to keep your frenemies close. A stunningly clever read!” – Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and international bestselling author of Hello, Juliet
“Who doesn’t love a girls’ weekend at a remote island cottage? Especially when the guests have packed as many secrets as bottles of champagne. Venom Lake delivers a twisty page-turner that keeps the tension bubbling until the final page. And serves as a reminder we all need…be careful who you vacation with.” – Sue Hincenbergs, bestselling author of The Retirement Plan
“Completely entertaining and absolutely terrifying, Venom Lake is an addictive one-sitting read. This is a brilliant and sinister revealing of the deadly danger in toxic friendships, and when book club pals become the main characters in their own true crime saga, who will be left standing in the final chapter? Yikes—you’ll never look at your book club the same way again. Do not miss this gasp-worthy thriller!” – Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of All This Could Be Yours
“A breathlessly intense debut packed with dark, juicy secrets and untrustworthy friendships, Emma White’s Venom Lake is a murderous thrill-ride from start to finish. Loved every minute of it.” – Jennifer Hillier, bestselling author of Little Secrets
****************************************************************************************************************
Hope I have enticed you to consider picking this one up! I know I will be reading it soon and I cannot wait!!! In the meantime…you can check out my feature for this debut on my Instagram account, where Emma shared some great photos. Head here to see!
