A thriller in the vein of Pretty Little Liars that deftly balances a heart-pounding mystery with an emotional, empowering story about confronting the complicated aftermath of an abusive relationship.

NOT DEAD ENOUGH
by Tyffany Neiheiser
Philomel, Spring 2024
(via JABberwocky)

Jerry always told Charlotte that he’d never let her go. Now, four months after his death, Charlotte worries this wasn’t just a threat that Jerry made when he was angry.
As she puts up the facade of the grieving girlfriend at school, Charlotte secretly struggles with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, fearful of being labeled as “crazy,” especially since no one knew that Jerry was abusive.
Just as Charlotte tentatively begins a new romance with a cute guy from class, she starts receiving mysterious text messages from someone claiming to be Jerry. Someone claiming that, like him, they will never let her go.
As the texts get more sinister, they are accompanied by increasingly violent attacks on Charlotte. Charlotte realizes that whether it’s a stalker from school or Jerry haunting her from beyond the grave, someone wants her dead.
And if she wants to stay alive, she will have to speak up about her abuse before it’s too late.

Tyffany Neiheiser writes speculative YA thrillers and short stories. She is passionate about mental health and self-acceptance, so those themes tend to find their way into her stories. She has a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling, and she has worked as a counselor for people with both mental health and substance abuse challenges. She has also spent three years as a crisis counselor helping people struggling with suicidal or homicidal ideation. Her internship was with a hospice, providing grief counseling to people who were dying and people who experienced a loss. These experiences have shaped her stories. Her favorite things in life are her dogs, her cats, reading, writing, and hiking.