THE EIGHTH GIRL
By Maxine Mei-Fung Chung
William Morrow, March 17, 2020
One woman, multiple personas.
But which one is telling the truth?
Beautiful. Damaged. Destructive. Meet Alexa Wú, a brilliant yet darkly self-aware young woman whose chaotic life is manipulated and controlled by a series of alternate personalities. Only three people know about their existence: her shrink Daniel; her stepmother Anna; and her enigmatic best friend Ella. The perfect trio of trust.
When Ella gets a job at a high-end gentleman’s club, she catches the attention of its shark-like owner and is gradually drawn into his inner circle. As Alexa’s world becomes intimately entangled with Ella’s, she soon finds herself the unwitting keeper of a nightmarish secret. With no one to turn to and lives at stake, she follows Ella into London’s cruel underbelly on a daring rescue mission. Threatened and vulnerable, Alexa will discover whether her multiple personalities are her greatest asset, or her most dangerous obstacle.
Selected Praise
"The Eighth Girl is an exquisite exploration of childhood trauma and its impact on the psyche. Part thriller, part character study, I devoured this novel in one sitting, reflecting on each sentence, each passage, and each astute observation of humanity. A true gem!" — Wendy Walker, bestselling author of The Night Before
“I am so impressed. I love Chung’s writing: The sheer joy she takes in the tones of the separate personalities, and the skill of her negotiation of what is actually a very complicated plot. It’s a brave and ambitious book.” — Sabine Durrant, author of Remember Me This Way
“Intricately plotted and sensitively written, The Eighth Girl draws the reader into the dark heart of London’s underworld with relentless tension until the shock of the final reveal.” — Harriet Tyce, author of Blood Orange
About the Author
Maxine Mei-Fung Chung is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and clinical supervisor. Trained in the arts, she worked as a Creative Director for ten years at Condé Nast, The Sunday Times and The Times. She lives in London with her son. The Eighth Girl is her first novel.