The Surrogate

Kat White, the narrator of this engrossing domestic thriller from British author Jensen (The Sister), is devastated when she and her husband, Nick, apply a second time for an international adoption and are once again rejected. By chance, Kat runs into her estranged best friend, Lisa Sullivan, in a coffee shop in Craneshill, England, where the Whites live. The two were close until Kat began dating Lisa’s twin brother, Jake, who died in a car accident. At one point, after the former friends reconnect, Lisa says she was a surrogate for a celebrity couple and would be thrilled to help Kat. They proceed with the surrogacy, and Lisa becomes pregnant, but Kat soon has cause to wonder whether she can trust her friend—Lisa has doctor’s appointments without her, wants extra money, and disappears for days. Meanwhile, Kat starts to doubt Nick’s commitment to being a father and worries he’s having an affair. As it happens, both Kat and Nick have secrets that threaten to undermine their marriage. Credible characters complement the twist-filled plot. Agent: Rory Scarfe, Blair Partnership (U.K.). (Dec.)