Heather

By Caitlin Mullen

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER * A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE PICK

"I've found my favorite crime novel of the year so far, one I'm already recommending to people who love Tana French and Liz Moore.... I read Heather in a single sitting." --Sarah Weinman, The New York Times

"If you enjoyed Mare of Easttown, you'll love Heather. A gritty cold-case detective story, vividly and insightfully written. Not just a story of murder, it's a thought-provoking and moving meditation on mothers and daughters and the long-reaching consequences of the choices we make." ―Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient and The Fury

A small-town detective reopens an unsolved case, sending shock waves across generations of women in this gripping new mystery from the Edgar Award-winning author of Please See Us.

1990. In the myth-riddled woods of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, sixteen-year-old Annabelle Riley's twin sister, Sabrina, has been having an affair with a mysterious older man, and Annabelle is determined to uncover what's going on. Then, inexplicably, both sisters disappear.

In this same town years later, newly instated police chief Callie Hauser makes an arrest that unexpectedly resurrects details from a heartbreaking cold case. As she digs deeper, the past and the present collide, challenging everything Callie believes about right and wrong, who she is, and the town she's always called home.

A propulsive mystery as incisive as it is forgiving, Heather bears a visceral reminder that the truth of a woman's life is often complicated and unknowable--to those on the outside, and sometimes even to herself.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1250400570
• ISBN13: 9781250400574
• Release Date: June 2026
• Publisher: Celadon Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

3.5 stars

HEATHER by Caitlin Mullen This is a sloooow burn, police procedural/murder mystery involving the disappearance of 16 year old twin sisters, Sabrina and Annabelle, in 1990s New Jersey. Newly appointed police chief, Callie Hauser, wants to take a closer look at the missing twins’ cold case when she uncovers a link to someone she knows. While this was an entertaining small town mystery, it deals with the topics of grooming, teen pregnancy, grief and loss. The shifting POVs and timelines worked well to set the tone and build tension. Overall, I enjoyed it. The characters were complex, interesting and had well drawn character arcs. The end was satisfying and I appreciate how it all came together. Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️ Pub Date: 06.09.2026 **ARC and audiobook courtesy of CeladonBooks and LittleFreeLibrary