Cult-de-sac

by Jude Nichols

All is well on Spring Street, but not for long...

When new neighbors move into a close-knit, cul-de-sac community, they are welcomed into the fold. Julianna, a nervous newlywed, does her best to fit in among the established clutch. Wearing the perfect outfit to holiday gatherings. Bringing the perfect gift to children’s birthday parties. And making the perfect appetizer for barbecues. Perfect, perfect, perfect. But her neighbors soon learn that Julianna’s perfection is an illusion, a painfully sought façade. There is darkness beneath her glossy surface for she was raised in a dangerous cult she escaped from as a teenager.

When a neighbor turns up dead on Julianna’s back patio, it is deemed an unfortunate accident. While the community is still grieving their loss, another family is touched by that darkness that seemed to sweep in with the arrival of the new neighbors. A pregnant, young mother on the street goes missing. And with this second tragedy, all who had their doubts about the first ‘accident’ are convinced more than ever that it was not just fate that claimed one of their own but something much more sinister; trusting the old saying that lightning never strikes in the same place twice.

378 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 3, 2025

About the author

Jude Nichols is a writer and mother. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two young sons, the only woman and blonde in a pack of handsome redheads. Though she does have female company in her lovely black and white pup Bagel. Jude is a fan of and writer of dark(ish) domestic suspense. She writes and thinks about her novels while trapped in the school pickup line, on the soccer field sideline, and while stirring mac and cheese. Though she does not mine directly from her day to day, she is livin’ that mom life, and as they say, ‘write what you know.’ Jude truly appreciates each and every reader who takes a little break from their world to join one of her twisty, topsy-turvy fictional worlds.

Reviews

[Lorraine DeMoranville · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Characters were well developed, and plot was interesting although far fetched. Worth the read.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Well thought out characters ans plot.
A perfect mix of suspense and cozy relationships.