Bad Seeds

A warm-hearted, generous businesswoman discovers her dark side when shes betrayed by both the younger man shethoughtwas the love of her life and the best friend shes always trustedwith shattering consequencesinNew York Timesbestselling author Mary Monroes final standalone novel set in the outrageously scandalous, colorful town of Lexington, Alabama.

The daughter of a hardworking restaurant owner, Louise Brooks always sees the best in peopleand in helping them no matter how difficult her own life gets. She’s lived through tragic loss and working in the family business, even after enduring a failed marriage and raising a child. So she’s delighted when she finds a best friend in Della Thornton, a woman struggling with bad breaks and unlucky romances. Many years later, when Louise’s father and her prosperous second husband pass away, Louise takes Della in and gives her a role in the restaurant as it grows more successful than ever . . .

Louise is now convinced lasting love is not in the cards for heruntil she runs into handsome Malcolm Purdy. He’s everything she could wantoutgoing, charming, and attentive. Soon they become engaged. And although Louise is dismayed that Della and Malcolm hate each other from the start, she does her best to keep the peace between the two people she cares about and trusts the most . . .

But a chance encounter from the past shows Louise that neither Della nor Malcolm is quite who they say they areand their deceit runs deeper and deadlier than she imagined. With her illusions in ruins, how far will she go to see justice served? And will her final shocking move cost her more than shes willing to lose?

Mary Monroeis the award-winning andNew York Timesbestselling author of more than 20 novels, with over one million books in print. She is a three-time AALBC bestseller and winner of the AAMBC Maya Angelou Lifetime Achievement Award, the PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award, and the J. California Cooper Memorial Award. The daughter of Alabama sharecroppers, she taught herself how to write before going on to become the first and only member of her family to finish high school. She lives in Oakland, California and can be found online at MaryMonroe.org.

• Publisher: Dafina
• Publish Date: March 31, 2026
• Pages: 320
• Language: English
• Type: Hardcover
• EAN/UPC: 9781496743213
• Dimensions: 9.3 X 6.3 X 1.1 inches | 1.1 pounds
• BISAC Categories: Historical Fiction, Popular Fiction