Danger Lurks in the Hamptons in New Thriller 'The Hostess'

A dream escape to the Hamptons quickly unravels into suspicion and fear in Courtney Psak’s new psychological thriller, The Hostess, where a recovering woman begins to question whether her glamorous hostess is hiding something far more dangerous beneath the surface.

Set in Southampton, the novel follows Natalie, who retreats from the city with her husband after a traumatic accident. A peaceful stay in a luxurious guest house, owned by the mysterious Sadie, soon takes a darker turn as unsettling incidents mount and Natalie discovers that a previous guest vanished without a trace.

“As things start to become more sinister, Natalie starts to wonder, ‘Who is Sadie? And why did she choose to rent to her in the first place?’” Psak said.

For Psak, the tension at the heart of The Hostess comes from a familiar contradiction: the allure of wealth and beauty masking something more troubling.

“I feel like people will ignore certain warning signs because everything looks so glossy and beautiful,” she said. “You go into a beautiful home, and even if something feels off, you explain it away.”

That idea — that appearances can deceive — drives the novel’s suspense, especially as Natalie’s own perception is called into question. Still recovering from a traumatic brain injury, she struggles to trust what she sees and hears, heightening the uncertainty as the story unfolds.

Psak said part of the inspiration also came from the rise of vacation rentals, where strangers temporarily inhabit unfamiliar spaces.

“Anytime you stay in one of these places, you kind of wonder — what happened here before me?” she said. “Could there be cameras? Has something bad happened?”

Though she had not spent significant time in Southampton before writing the book, Psak later visited to ensure authenticity.

“I actually rented a car and drove around the town to make sure I had things accurate,” she said. “How far things are, the feel of the area — that was important to me.”

The paperback edition of The Hostess is set for release April 21, following earlier digital and audiobook editions.

Psak’s journey to publishing began long before her author debut. A graduate of Monmouth University and Pace University, she started her career in magazines, working with outlets such as Cosmopolitan, Self and Modern Bride. But the 2008 financial crisis reshaped her path.

“I handed in my thesis on how bridal magazines survive recessions,” she said. “Two days later, the magazine I was working at shut down.”

She pivoted to a communications role at Viacom, while continuing to write fiction. In 2015, she self-published her first novel, Thirty Days to Thirty, which sold thousands of copies.

After taking time away to raise her children, Psak returned to writing with a focus on psychological thrillers, studying the genre closely before releasing The Tutor in 2025 as part of a three-book deal.

Her work often draws from affluent settings like Palm Beach and the Hamptons, where appearances can be deceiving.

“A lot of people go from Palm Beach to the Hamptons in the summer,” she said. “There’s definitely a similar world there.”

Psak is scheduled to appear at the Hamptons Whodunit Festival in April for a book signing and will also attend ThrillerFest in New York City later this year.

With The Hostess, she hopes readers will look beyond the surface — even in the most idyllic surroundings.

“Everywhere has its secrets,” Psak said. “Even the most beautiful places.”