NEED TO KNOW
Lisa Unger has a new novel on the way, Served Him RightThe book follows Ana Blacksmith, who comes under suspicion when her ex-boyfriend turns up deadRead an exclusive excerpt, below
Lisa Unger is at it again — and thriller fans won’t want to miss this one.
In Served Him Right, due out this spring from Park Row Books, Ana Blacksmith goes for brunch with her closest friends and sister Vera to celebrate her recent breakup from boyfriend Paul. But when terrible news arrives about her ex, all eyes turn to Ana — whose reputation isn’t exactly sterling. And when her best friend falls deathly ill after brunch, suspicion only intensifies.
Turns out, Ana isn’t the only one who might wish Paul ill. “As the investigation unfolds, rumors of a secret network that uses ancient methods to obtain justice begin to emerge,” the official synopsis teases. “Vengeance is sweet, but it can also be deadly. Ana and Vera are determined to find the truth before Ana takes the fall and their own long-buried history comes to light.”
“In Served Him Right, I did a deep dive into the idea of female power — how it is perceived, how it is quashed, how it is wielded,” Unger says of the new novel. “The idea of the woman as someone intimately connected to the earth, as a life-bringer looms large, but equally fascinating to me was how a certain type of woman might use her knowledge of the earth, its medicines and its poisons, to take control of her situation, to save herself, protect herself and maybe even to exact revenge.”
Below, get a sneak peek at an exclusive excerpt shared with PEOPLE.
Lisa Unger.
Brian James
The sound of the doorbell moves through me like an electric shock, sitting me bolt upright, leaving my skin tingling.
No one else seems bothered, or to have even registered the interruption.
Iggy glances at her phone, looking at photos of the baby — every few minutes it seems. Payton and Esme are whispering about something obviously very important. Only Vera acknowledges the ringing doorbell. She doesn’t rise but looks to April, who gives a nod and heads to the door.
How much is Vera paying the mousy little thing that she’s always at my sister’s beck and call, lingering in the shadows of all our functions? She’s barely there, big glasses, and weird eyes — one brown, one green. Plain white Keds, faded loose-fitting jeans. Basic.
She comes back and whispers to my sister. Vera’s eyes catch mine. Then she rises and glides from the room.
“What’s going on?” asks Iggy, still gazing at her phone.
I shake my head, get up and follow my sister. Stopping in the entrance to the octagonal foyer with its black-and-white tile floor, I peer around the towering vase of flowers on the round table in the center. Through the open door I see that there are two police cruisers in the drive. A pair of uniformed officers stand behind a tall man in a suit, who holds out a gleaming gold shield in a leather case.
Him.
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I didn’t think we’d be seeing each other again. My mind starts to grapple for why he would be here at my sister’s door. Under my confusion, there’s a little thrill.
I don’t like his expression. Eyes heavily lidded, face stubbled, a thick head of dark hair, mouth kind of pouty. He obviously thinks a lot of himself. One of those men who’s always sure of his position.
Also: He’s a cop?
“What is it?” I hear myself say. “What’s happened?”
My sister turns to me. She doesn’t utter a word, but I hear it all the same.
What did you do?
“Honey,” Vera says softly. The loving older sibling, offering kindness and support. Her stare is like a cattle prod. “I’m so sorry.”
She moves and puts her arm tight around my shoulders.
“What?” I ask, heart in my throat. “What’s happened?”
“Ms. Ana Blacksmith?” I don’t like his voice. It’s cold, official. I guess we’re acting like this is the first time we’ve met. I’ll go along with that.
“That’s right.” My throat constricts.
“I’m Detective Timothy Bandeau from the Little Valley Police Department. I am afraid we have some difficult news. The body of Paul Hayes was discovered by hikers this morning. We understand you were in a relationship.”
The space tilts a little. A veil comes down, separating me from reality.
“We broke up,” I manage to say. “A few weeks ago. How? How did he die?”
“It’s unclear at the moment, but we suspect foul play. Can you think of anyone who might want to hurt him?”
This is where I’m supposed to break down, right? But I stand rigid, eyes locked with the detective’s.
Can I think of anyone who would want to hurt Paul?
Ha.
They are legion. Some of them are even in this house.
“When was the last time you spoke with Mr. Hayes?”
“I’m not sure. A while.”
“Can you be more specific?”
“I thought he was in Aruba with his new girlfriend.”
“Apparently not.”
‘Served Him Right’ by Lisa Unger.
Park Row
He pulls his mouth into a sympathetic grimace. But it’s all an act. “Can I ask you to come with us to the station, Ms. Blacksmith?”
“As if.” A voice from behind me. “That’s a hard no. Unless you have a warrant for my client’s arrest.”
Payton presses up beside me — all Jimmy Choo and Chanel Number 5. I practically cry out with relief.
The detective smiles wanly, gives Payton an up and down.
“This is a first,” he says. “Your lawyer got here before I did.”
“It’s brunch,” I say weakly.
It was supposed to be girl talk and flowers, mimosas and croissants. I leave out the part about how this gathering was called to erase Paul Hayes from our online lives, the ex-orcism. It seems inappropriate now. Potentially incriminating, actually.
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Iggy and Esme join us.
“What’s going on?” says Esme.
“Paul,” says Vera, voice taut. She’s very slightly quaking. “He’s dead.”
Iggy draws in a sharp gasp.
I never do get to play the fainting card. Iggy beats me to it.
She goes down like a stone.
Adapted from Served Him Right by Lisa Unger, Copyright © 2026 by Lisa Unger. Published by Park Row Books.
Served Him Right by Lisa Unger hits shelves on March 10, 2026 and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.