Next to Heaven: A Novel

"NSFW Gatsby." —Book of the Month

"A sizzling beach read about the misdeeds of the rich." —Wall Street Journal

"The novel on every beach towel this summer, all summer, everywhere." —Esquire

America's most perfect town hides its darkest secrets in this "lurid" and "propulsive" novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author James Frey (New York Times Book Review Podcast) — a world where privilege, sex, scandal, and murder lurk beneath a flawless veneer.

New Bethlehem, Connecticut. Picture-perfect lawns, manicured hedges, and multi-million dollar homes present a carefully curated facade. But beneath the designer yoga gear and country club memberships lies a darker reality.

In this world of excess, best friends Devon and Belle have it all—beauty, money, status. But they want something more. Something dangerous. Something that makes them feel alive. Their solution? A party—a meticulously curated gathering of New Bethlehem's elite, from a desperate ex-NFL quarterback to a hockey coach with a penchant for married women, and a ruthless Wall Street "closer" who wields his wealth like a weapon.

One night. An ultra-elite swingers party. Multiple betrayals. And a murder that will shatter New Bethlehem's carefully constructed facade.

Enter a world of troubled opulence and sharp betrayal that's reminiscent of "The White Lotus," "Your Friends and Neighbors," and "Big Little Lies"—a world of spectacularly badly-behaved rich people where money can buy anything. . .until it ruins everything.

An addictive page-turner where rich people behaving badly has never been so entertaining.