The Next Mrs. Parrish

The Next Mrs. Parrish (2024) is a psychological thriller that continues the twisted tale of deception, power, and survival introduced in the authors' bestselling debut, The Last Mrs. Parrish. Delving deeply into the darker aspects of human nature, The Next Mrs. Parrish explores the tense and dangerous reunion of Daphne and Amber Parrish. As they navigate a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, their actions are set against the backdrop of a wealthy Connecticut community. Themes of manipulation, the quest for power, and the complexity of female relationships are central to the narrative, which builds upon the legacy of its predecessor.

Written by the internationally acclaimed duo Lynne and Valerie Constantine, under the pen name Liv Constantine, The Next Mrs. Parrish became an instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller and a CBS New York Book Club Pick. Additionally, the authors’ debut novel was a Reese’s Book Club Pick and is slated for a Netflix adaptation.

This guide refers to the 2024 Bantam e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide contain descriptions of emotional manipulation, psychological abuse, and domestic violence.

Plot Summary

The Next Mrs. Parrish continues the narrative of psychological intrigue that begins with The Last Mrs. Parrish (2017). The story revolves around the complex relationships of Jackson Parrish; his current wife, Amber Parrish (whose real name is eventually revealed to be Lana Crump); and his ex-wife, Daphne Parrish.

Amber, who has become a prominent socialite, is still grappling with the aftermath of her husband Jackson's conviction for tax evasion. Despite her public image of sophistication, Amber is deeply unsettled by the abusive Jackson’s impending release from prison. Her life, once characterized by opulence and control, is now overshadowed by the specter of Jackson’s return, and she takes the measure of stealing Jackson’s stash of diamonds to secure her financial independence. She also bears the weight of her past crimes—particularly, her decision to murder her previous husband, Jake Crawford, in an unsuccessful attempt to gain access to his wealth. This issue is brought to light when she attends an event designed to showcase White Orchid jewelry and encounters the owner of the company, Daisy Ann, who publicly accuses Amber of murdering Jake Crawford (Daisy Ann’s father). The resulting scene ignites a scandal, and Amber schemes to get revenge upon Daisy Ann by wresting control of White Orchid away from her. At the same time, Daisy Ann launches into an independent investigation of Amber’s past, determined to bring the woman to justice for her crimes.

A parallel plotline is revealed through interwoven chapters featuring the first-person perspective of Jackson’s ex-wife, Daphne Parrish, who has moved away from the affluent town of Bishops Harbor after her tumultuous divorce from Jackson. Now, she finds herself drawn back to the town when her teenage daughter, Tallulah, runs away to seek out her estranged father. Struggling with the lingering effects of the abuses she endured during her marriage to Jackson, Daphne cautiously returns to town to allow her daughters to have fully supervised visits with their father. However, Jackson soon manipulates the situation to his advantage. Working in tandem with Amber, he arranges to drug Daphne during a family visit to the beach and then engineers a situation that puts Daphne’s daughters at risk. Child services separates Daphne from her daughters, who are temporarily sent to live with Jackson.

Jackson delivers an ultimatum; he forces Daphne to return to him and threatens to sue for sole custody of their daughters if she refuses. Feeling that she has no other choice, Daphne reluctantly accepts in an attempt to repair her damaged relationship with her daughters, who have by this point been manipulated into believing that Daphne has a substance use disorder. The family remains trapped under Jackson’s opulent roof, chafing at his rigid restrictions as he gradually escalates his psychological abuse of Daphne.

Meanwhile, Amber pursues her goal of ruining Daisy Ann’s business. She extorts Daisy Ann's unethical partner, Wade Ashford, into helping her with a confidence scheme to trick Daisy Ann into selling her controlling interest in White Orchid. Amber then arranges for a competitor to purchase the company—or so she believes.

Interspersed with the chapters detailing Amber’s schemes, the narrative gradually reveals the results of Daisy Ann’s sleuthing efforts. She secretly delves into Amber’s past and discovers Amber’s real name, Lana Crump. Upon speaking to Amber’s relatives and former associates, she discovers that Amber has made a habit of manipulating and ruining her romantic partners. She also finds circumstantial indications that Amber may have killed Jake, but she still lacks hard evidence.

As the novel approaches its climax, Daphne makes several escape attempts. The first is thwarted by Jackson, but she later gets the upper hand by drugging his beverage and handcuffing him to the bed one evening. She then flees with her daughters, using funds that her friend Meredith has given her, and heads to a planned safe house that is provided by none other than Daisy Ann. As Daphne and her girls enter the safe house, Jackson’s presence is revealed. He gloats, declaring that Daisy Ann has been in league with him all along. (At a different point, the narrative also reveals that Jackson and Daisy Ann have conspired to thwart Amber’s attempts to gain control of White Orchid.)

Now, Jackson declares that FBI agents are coming to arrest Daphne for kidnapping their daughters. However, when the agents arrive, they arrest Jackson instead, and the narrative reveals that Daisy Ann has only been pretending to work with Jackson. In reality, she learned of his questionable dealings with Amber, found out about Daphne’s plight, and resolved to help her.

Meanwhile, when Amber learns that her White Orchid scheme has backfired due to Jackson’s betrayal, she plans to flee the country and start a new life abroad. However, Daisy Ann has finally uncovered hard evidence that Amber murdered Jake Crawford. After an initial misstep, Daisy Ann thwarts Amber’s escape and arranges for her to be caught and arrested at the airport.

Amidst Jackson’s new legal troubles, his past business dealings finally catch up with him, and an irate business partner, angered over the absence of the diamonds that Amber stole, has Jackson beaten. As a result, Jackson is permanently incapacitated, and although Daphne feels a lingering sense of regret over his fate, she knows that she and her girls are now free.