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Swallowtail
"A taut storyline that will keep you turning pages well into the night. Fans of Mare of Easttown will love this one!" –Edwin Hill, author of Who to Believe.
In the gritty seaside town of Quincy, Massachusetts, the killing of a teenager on her daughter’s dance team plunges Detective Samantha Star into the trauma of her abduction twenty years before. As clues point to a serial killer obsessed with Surrealism and Greek myth, Sam must unravel the mystery of her own kidnapping to solve the crime–before her daughter is next. At stake are not just the teenagers’ lives, but also Sam’s identity as a detective and an artist, and a community’s chance at healing. SWALLOWTAIL is the moving story of a woman’s journey to free herself from the trauma of her past, and a thought-provoking exploration of violent representations of women in myth and art.
"In Ross's striking novel, Greek mythology and small town New England go head-to-head in a page-turning thriller about the truths we work to keep buried, or can't bear to reveal. Ross blends gritty realism with heartbreak and loss in a story that will linger in your memory, led by a protagonist you'll want to revisit again and again."--Christine Murphy, author of Notes On Surviving The Fire
"Emily Ross powerfully and authentically reveals the gritty reality, disturbing history, and the fierce loyalties of small-town life. SWALLOWTAIL is gorgeously written, and is clearly born from a deep knowledge of those whose lives Ross so genuinely portrays—people whose hopes won’t quit, whose friendships endure, and whose dreams propel them into dangers they could never have predicted. Evocative, compelling, and utterly heartbreaking, this is an unforgettable story.” Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS
"SWALLOWTAIL is a haunting, dual-timeline mystery about how our pasts are never really forgotten and how we must wrestle with them in order to live fully in the present. Full of art and mythology, this eerie crime novel unfolds with grace and a big helping of suspense. A terrific read!" — Sarah Stewart Taylor, author of the Maggie D'arcy and Bethany, Vermont mystery series
"Emily Ross elevates the small-town murder mystery with complex female dynamics, a series of increasingly twisted crimes rooted in Greek mythology, and a New England community that bears scars. An artful exploration of trauma and obsession that delivers reveal after stunning reveal with narrative muscle and heart, SWALLOWTAIL is top-notch crime fiction." — Tessa Wegert, author of In the Bones
"Ross expertly mixes mythological tales, teenage longing, and thrilling murders for a result unlike anything you’ll ever read. Much like the art in her story, SWALLOWTAIL is a masterpiece that dives into what it means to find where you truly belong. You won’t be able to put this down!" —Amina Akhtar, Bestselling Author of Almost Surely Dead and Kismet
"Blending the disparate worlds of teen dancers and townie detectives, Ross has choreographed a mesmerizing pas de deux of past trauma and present-day terror in this chilling mystery, where everyone and everything is suspect–even memory."— Kelly J. Ford, Anthony-nominated author of Real Bad Things.
Emily Ross is the author of the International Thriller Writers Thriller Awards finalist, Half in Love with Death.
In the gritty seaside town of Quincy, Massachusetts, the killing of a teenager on her daughter’s dance team plunges Detective Samantha Star into the trauma of her abduction twenty years before. As clues point to a serial killer obsessed with Surrealism and Greek myth, Sam must unravel the mystery of her own kidnapping to solve the crime–before her daughter is next. At stake are not just the teenagers’ lives, but also Sam’s identity as a detective and an artist, and a community’s chance at healing. SWALLOWTAIL is the moving story of a woman’s journey to free herself from the trauma of her past, and a thought-provoking exploration of violent representations of women in myth and art.
"In Ross's striking novel, Greek mythology and small town New England go head-to-head in a page-turning thriller about the truths we work to keep buried, or can't bear to reveal. Ross blends gritty realism with heartbreak and loss in a story that will linger in your memory, led by a protagonist you'll want to revisit again and again."--Christine Murphy, author of Notes On Surviving The Fire
"Emily Ross powerfully and authentically reveals the gritty reality, disturbing history, and the fierce loyalties of small-town life. SWALLOWTAIL is gorgeously written, and is clearly born from a deep knowledge of those whose lives Ross so genuinely portrays—people whose hopes won’t quit, whose friendships endure, and whose dreams propel them into dangers they could never have predicted. Evocative, compelling, and utterly heartbreaking, this is an unforgettable story.” Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS
"SWALLOWTAIL is a haunting, dual-timeline mystery about how our pasts are never really forgotten and how we must wrestle with them in order to live fully in the present. Full of art and mythology, this eerie crime novel unfolds with grace and a big helping of suspense. A terrific read!" — Sarah Stewart Taylor, author of the Maggie D'arcy and Bethany, Vermont mystery series
"Emily Ross elevates the small-town murder mystery with complex female dynamics, a series of increasingly twisted crimes rooted in Greek mythology, and a New England community that bears scars. An artful exploration of trauma and obsession that delivers reveal after stunning reveal with narrative muscle and heart, SWALLOWTAIL is top-notch crime fiction." — Tessa Wegert, author of In the Bones
"Ross expertly mixes mythological tales, teenage longing, and thrilling murders for a result unlike anything you’ll ever read. Much like the art in her story, SWALLOWTAIL is a masterpiece that dives into what it means to find where you truly belong. You won’t be able to put this down!" —Amina Akhtar, Bestselling Author of Almost Surely Dead and Kismet
"Blending the disparate worlds of teen dancers and townie detectives, Ross has choreographed a mesmerizing pas de deux of past trauma and present-day terror in this chilling mystery, where everyone and everything is suspect–even memory."— Kelly J. Ford, Anthony-nominated author of Real Bad Things.
Emily Ross is the author of the International Thriller Writers Thriller Awards finalist, Half in Love with Death.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 18, 2025
About the author
Emily Ross
2 books93 followersEmily Ross is the author of International Thriller Writers Thriller Awards finalist, Half in Love with Death. Her mystery thriller, Swallowtail, is forthcoming from Galiot Press in November 2025. She won the Al Blanchard best story award for her short story, “Let the Chips Fall”, which appeared in Devil’s Snare: Best New England Crime stories 2024. She is a graduate of Grub Street’s Novel Incubator and lives in Quincy, MA, with her husband and Obi-Wan Kenobi, their very playful cat.
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