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Inspired by the real 1982 Tylenol Murders

A deathbed confession.

A forty-year-OLD secret.

A connection to one of America’s most haunting crimes.

“Once you start reading, you don’t want to stop.”

-Amazon reviewer

Absolution

Dual-timeine, end-of-life confession where Helen McAllister reveals her role in the 1982 Tylenol murders. Slow-burn, emotionally heavy suspense focused on guilt, redemption, and the cost of long-held secrets.

This isn’t a story about solving a crime.It’s about living with one.

Have a book club?

Absolution raises questions about guilt, silence, forgiveness, and the stories we inherit—making it especially meaningful for book club discussion.

 

Download the complimentary discussion guide below.

Peer Reviews

“As someone who remembers the Tylenol deaths, this story is so compelling. Emily is a master at dialogue.”
—Mia Sheridan, New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author

“Absolution was phenomenal! Crime junkies and family saga folks are going to fall in love with it!.”
—Danielle Stewart,  bestselling author of Three Little Lies

 

“This isn’t just a story about what happened. It’s about what it meant to the people who lived through it.”
—Ruth Cardello, New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author

“Lawson manages to balance the suspense of a mystery with the intimacy of personal reflection.”
—JC Ward, author of the thriller series Stalked and Coasted

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What it's really about:

  • Guilt carried over a lifetime

  • The cost of silence

  • Whether redemption is earned, or given

  • The emotional aftermath of a single irreversible choice

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Bookish Lifestyle Collection

Notes from Emily

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Less content. More correspondence.

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Occasional letters about books, stories, and the writing life.

 

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