A chilling, atmospheric novel inspired by the classic Chinese tale Painted Skin, in which two sisters on a wintry cabin getaway find themselves trapped by a deadly blizzard with a mysterious teenage girl who may be hiding something far more sinister than they could ever imagine.
(Releasing May 2027)
Girls Of Prey
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Perform their mother's death rites. That’s all sisters Elise and Jade want to do when they drive north through the wintry forests of Canada to the remote cabin where they spent their springs. But their journey takes an unsettling turn when they encounter a beautiful teenage hitchhiker alone in the freezing cold.
The girl calls herself Carmilla. She claims to remember nothing else. Disturbed by her strange behavior, the sisters alert the police, only for Carmilla to disappear into the night. Elise hopes that's the last they'll see of her. But the next morning, she discovers the girl hiding in their cabin's basement—and learns that Jade secretly let her inside.
Now Carmilla has a story to tell: She's escaped from kidnappers who are still hunting her. They're always watching. Listening. Jade believes her, but Elise remains suspicious. When a sudden blizzard severs their connection to the outside world, Elise has little choice but to let Carmilla stay.
As tensions mount within the claustrophobic cabin, Elise’s grief and anxiety begin to manifest as terrifying nightmares and visions of her dead mother. Then Carmilla disappears in the middle of the night, and Elise is forced to consider the possibility that the girl was telling the truth.
Something sinister is lurking in the woods—and it has been watching them all along.
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Julie Chan has nothing.
Her twin sister has everything.
Except a pulse.
(Out Now!)
Julie Chan Is Dead
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Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she’s always envied.
Transforming into Chloe is easier than expected. Julie effortlessly adopts Chloe’s luxurious influencer life, complete with designer clothes, a meticulous skincare routine, and millions of adoring followers. However, Julie soon realizes that Chloe’s seemingly picture-perfect life was anything but.
Haunted by Chloe’s untimely death and struggling to fit into the privileged influencer circle, Julie faces mounting challenges during a weeklong island retreat with Chloe’s exclusive group of influencer friends. As events spiral out of control, Julie uncovers the sinister forces that may have led to her sister’s demise and realizes she might be the next target.
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© Claire Lam
Liann Zhang is a bestselling Chinese Canadian author. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in psychology and criminology. Her debut novel, Julie Chan Is Dead, has won the Libby Award for best thriller, been nominated for an Anthony Award, a Trillium Book Award, a Barry Award, an ITW Award, a Kobo Award, and was long listed for Canada Reads. Her book has been translated and published in over ten languages. She splits her time between Vancouver and Toronto where she lives with her two cats, Juice and Bean.