Description

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Dorothy Fiske, eighty-three, adores movie stars, jewelry, murder mysteries, and men. At twenty-five, inspired by Judy Garland and Angela Lansbury, she moved to Los Angeles from a religiously strict Midwestern home. Despite the glamour, Dorothy, heartbroken, was childless. She blamed her sweet, unambitious husband, Eugene, claiming his sperm was weak, but Dorothy knows the truth. Ruth, a sixty-six-year-old home health aide, fears eviction from her LA apartment due to her unusual, antisocial behavior. Previously fired from a nursing facility for residents dying under her care, Ruth targets Dorothy, a widow from a wealthy family in Pacific Palisades, California. Lonely yet prideful, Dorothy hires Ruth as a "lady's maid." Ruth accepts the position and masterfully entwines herself into Dorothy's life because she wants to live in Dorothy's house, alone. The Palisades is a deliciously spun psychological suspense brimming with dark humor in which two women develop a peculiar relationship amid a miasma of Ruth's disturbing memories and Dorothy's pervasive delusions of old Hollywood. Poverty and privilege mingle, companionship turns bizarre, and identity is questioned as the women desperately try to fulfill their shared yearning for motherhood.

About the Author

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Gail Lynn Hanson has lived in Colorado, Texas, Illinois, and Ohio. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two children. She holds a BA in Environmental Biology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a Master’s in Liberal Studies/Creative Writing from the University of Denver. Gail is a long-time member of the Lighthouse Writer’s Workshop in Denver. She founded a kitchen design firm, Studio H, where she currently works to create beautiful culinary spaces. Gail enjoys gardening, baking, and traveling to rural places when she is not arranging cabinetry or words.

Praise For…

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"A wonderfully claustrophobic tale of obsession and self-delusion... The author excels at acclimating the reader to the logic of her characters, which is effectively deployed for moments of both repulsion and humor... Hanson deftly conveys how celebrity fandom becomes its own sort of grotesquerie for all involved; the twists are many and fun, but there's a real darkness here that sticks with the reader after the book is finished."
Kirkus Reviews



"Gail Lynn Hanson demonstrates an exceptional ability to immerse the reader n the minds of her characters.
Hanson effectively captures the absurdity of celebrity fandom but also delves into the darker aspects of the phenomenon.
Overall, the book is a rollercoaster ride of twists and turns that is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers."

Midwest Book Review

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"Hanson brought back my love of psychological thrillers. Bravo!"

​Readers's Favorites



"The laser-like focus on a particularly nuanced and emotionally dynamic relationship... Hanson demonstrates a quite profound gift for human observation..."

​Readers's Favorites



"The intricate dance that the two (characters) perform throughout the book tingles with electricity...the lines between honesty and manipulation get ever more blurred. Overall, The Palisades is an unmissable character study that will stay with readers for a long time after the final page is turned. I recommend it highly."

​Readers's Favorites