Woman on the Edge

Samantha M. Bailey

Nov 2019 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this eBook

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER

A moment on the subway platform changes two women’s lives forever—a debut thriller that will take your breath away.

A total stranger on the subway platform whispers, “Take my baby.”
She places her child in your arms. She says your name.
Then she jumps…

In a split second, Morgan Kincaid’s life changes forever. She’s on her way home from work when a mother begs her to take her baby, then places the infant in her arms. Before Morgan can stop her, the distraught mother jumps in front of an oncoming train.

Morgan has never seen this woman before, and she can’t understand what would cause a person to give away her child and take her own life. She also can’t understand how this woman knew her name.

The police take Morgan in for questioning. She soon learns that the woman who jumped was Nicole Markham, prominent CEO of the athletic brand Breathe. She also learns that no witness can corroborate her version of events, which means she’s just become a murder suspect.

To prove her innocence, Morgan frantically retraces the last days of Nicole’s life. Was Nicole a new mother struggling with paranoia or was she in danger? When strange things start happening to Morgan, she suddenly realizes she might be in danger, too.

Woman on the Edge is a pulse-pounding, propulsive thriller about the lengths to which a woman will go to protect her baby—even if that means sacrificing her own life.

Ratings and reviews

Woman on the Edge by Samantha M. Bailey is a suspenseful mystery novel. Morgan Kincaid is surprised when a woman comes up to her on the subway platform and gives her the baby she is carrying. She says that she has been watching Morgan. She asks her to love the baby and not let anyone hurt her. The woman then jumps in front of the incoming train. Unfortunately, no one can verify Morgan’s account of the events. Detective Martinez focuses on Morgan as the prime suspect. She wonders if Morgan pushed Nicole for her baby. Morgan and Detective Martinez have history. Morgan soon notices that someone has been in her apartment and they have only stolen one item. She then notices someone following her. Morgan wonders if she is being paranoid or if someone is trying to kill her? Morgan wants answers and is not willing to wait for them. If you regularly read mystery novels, you will have no problem solving the whodunit. I kept hoping that the author would surprise me at the end. The point-of-view switches from Morgan in the present to Nicole in the past to tell the story. I found Woman on the Edge a hard book to get into (it took me a little while). I felt like I had been dumped into the middle of a story in the beginning plus it was confusing with the back and forth. Once I understood what was happening and got into the story, the book moved along steadily. I could feel Nicole ’s agitation and panic as well as Morgan’s fear. I found the second half of the book more gripping than the first. You do need to suspend your disbelief over the events that happen to the characters (some are hard to believe). Woman on the Edge is a dark and intense story that deals with suicide, postpartum depression and a deadly psychopath. There is foul language in Woman on the Edge. This is a good debut novel from Samantha M. Bailey. Be prepared to stay late so you can learn how the book turns out.

Firstly, I have to say that I have a deep respect for anyone who puts pen to paper, embarking on the thankless task of writing a novel. I admire those who have the stamina and bravery to put something original out there - exposed and vulnerable to critics who cannot possibly understand how difficult it is to be truly original and expressive when so many wonderful things have already been written. I love reading, and appreciate that my own passion could not be fulfilled if others did not take this leap of faith to produce works for my consumption. Unfortunately, occasionally there are times however when I wish a writer had been told by a professional or friend that their output is a mess before releasing it out into the world. Woman on the Edge by Samantha M. Bailey is a debut novel that badly needed such a voice of reason. Although the premise is captivating and the novel starts out on a promising note, it quickly devolves into a tangle of unsympathetic characters engaged in improbable scenarios in which they make stupendously imbecilic decisions. Morgan Kincaid, a social worker on her way to work one day encounters a desperate woman with a baby in her arms. This stranger somehow knows her name and tosses the baby in her arms to her right before falling backwards onto the train tracks. It turns out that the mother is Nicole Markham, founder and CEO of a famous athleisure company who has been brought to this insane state due to a combination of past trauma, paranoia due to PPD and an insidious plot against her. Despite being in a crowded place, no one witnesses to the event can corroborate Morgan’s version of the tragedy. Morgan has her own storied past which involves a husband who committed suicide after being investigated for embezzlement. For some reason, the same irrationally vindictive detective that believed that Morgan was involved in those financial crimes also is on this case as well, and now suspects her of pushing Nicole to her death. The novel consists of alternating chapters describing Nicole’s unnecessary dissolution and Morgan’s harebrained attempts to clear her name by playing amateur detective while ignoring her lawyer’s advice. These are both women apparently bereft of friends, intuition, social skills-or even a shred of common sense. Any potential empathy or credibility is lost as the reader becomes increasing confused by how the plot unfolds; frustrated by the implausibility of the motives of the ancillary characters; and infuriated by the way Morgan and Nicole are repeated victims of their own bad choices. It is difficult to see all the women portrayed in the novel possessed with so few redeeming qualities, and the baby is the only female character left worth rooting for. What is truly unfortunate is that Woman on the Edge, with a bit more care and editing, might have been an interesting look into the insecurity of motherhood and the devastating effects of postpartum psychosis. Then, it might have had the potential to be mystery worth sinking into instead of one that must simply be endured. Thanks to the author, Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

About the author

Samantha M. Bailey is the author of Woman on the Edge, a USA TODAY and #1 national bestseller; her second novel, Watch Out for Her, was an instant #1 national bestseller. Her books have sold in eleven countries to date. Samantha is a journalist and freelance editor; her writing has appeared in NOW Magazine, The Village Post, The Thrill Begins, and The Crime Hub, among other publications. She lives in Toronto, where she can usually be found tapping away at her computer or curled up on her couch with a book. Connect with her on Twitter and Instagram @SBaileyBooks and on her website at SamanthaMBailey.com.