Carousel Court

Joe McGinniss Jr., who is “poised to become one of our sharpest observers of life in America at the start of the twenty-first century” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), returns with a gripping, psychologically intense literary thriller about the unraveling of a modern marriage in the midst of economic collapse.

Nick and Phoebe Maguire are a young couple seeking a fresh start in Southern California after a personal tragedy. But they arrive just as the Great Recession takes hold, settling in a foreclosed suburban neighborhood on the brink of ruin. Surrounded by abandoned homes, neighbors in debt, and families falling apart, Nick and Phoebe are soon caught in a spiral of desperation, secrecy, and betrayal.

Trapped in toxic suburbia and struggling with the pressures of parenting, debt, and disillusionment, each spouse hatches a plan to reclaim their place in the American middle class—plans that will ultimately collide with devastating consequences.

Described as “fearless…harrowing but, against all odds, ultimately tender” (O, The Oprah Magazine), Carousel Court is a haunting portrait of marriage under pressure, and of a society grappling with psychotropic drugs, digital infidelity, financial insecurity, and fractured dreams. It’s an unforgettable novel for fans of Tom Perrotta, Richard Yates, and gritty, emotional fiction rooted in real-world tension.

“Fast…Foreboding…Joe McGinniss spins an edgy tale, often laced with a reporter’s eye for the little details that make characters pop” (The Washington Post). Carousel Court will leave readers riveted—and reconsidering what it means to love, trust, and survive in 21st-century America.