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Publication Date: 27 August 2026
Format: Paperback
Extent: 256 pp
Our Price: 11.99
ISBN: 9780857309440
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Publication Date:13 August 2026
Format: ebook(ePub)
Our Price: 6.99
ISBN: 9780857309457
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THE RAYBURN AFFAIR
Laurie Petrou
Art, ambition and desire collide when a struggling academic becomes entangled in the marriage and creative life of her literary idol.
By day, Dr Ruth Morgan lectures on 'AI: the new frontier of storytelling' at East Toronto University. By night, she toils away at a collection of short stories, fantasising about a writing career to rival that of the internationally renowned Shelby Rayburn, a literary icon widely hailed as the voice of Ruth's generation of women.
When Shelby and her husband, Oscar, make an appearance at an annual faculty party, Ruth can't believe her luck. The trio instantly hit it off, and an intoxicating intimacy builds between them, underwritten by a simmering sexual tension.
Everything changes when Shelby makes Ruth an offer she can't refuse - one she can't tell anyone about, including Oscar. As boundaries blur and secret alliances form, distrust takes root and threatens to implode it all. Ruth and Shelby need each other, but each has their own agenda when it comes to friendship, love and literary stardom.
This novel contains references to sexual harassment.
LATEST PRESS REVIEWS FOR The Rayburn Affair
new 'A dark exploration of ambition, female friendship, creative obsession and the murky ethics of AI'
- VIP Magazine [read the full review]
MORE PRESS REVIEWS FOR The Rayburn Affair
'Dark, fascinating, and utterly fearless, The Rayburn Affair reminded me of Julia May Jonas's Vladimir in the best possible way. This bold novel offers an unflinching look at desire, betrayal and ambition in the literary world - I was unsettled, enthralled and completely transfixed. Laurie Petrou writes with razor-sharp insight and lyrical power, marking her as one of our most daring contemporary voices'
- Marissa Stapley, New York Times-bestselling author of Lucky and The Lightning Bottles
'A delicious, addictive cocktail of intimacy and ambition, The Rayburn Affair deftly seduces with Laurie Petrou's gorgeous prose. This is both a deep rumination on female friendship and the complexities of marriage, and a dark, thrilling journey into the emotional costs of creativity and notoriety in an academic world. Sexy, shocking and utterly bewitching'
- Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, USA Today bestselling author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here
'A dark, sexy tale of infatuation, envy and creative life set within the cloistered walls of an elite university. The Rayburn Affair has richly drawn characters, simmering tension and a perfect denouement'
- Robyn Harding, Internationally bestselling author of Strangers in the Villa
'An exceptionally evocative and seductive story about the dangerous allure of intimate connection and slippery security of power. Set within the hallowed halls of academia, this extraordinary novel explores how the clawing desire for validation can strip us of all reason, leading us to make desperate choices with devastating consequences. Raw, real and riveting, The Rayburn Affair should be on everyone's must-read list'
- Samantha M. Bailey, USA TODAY and #1 international bestselling author of Hello, Juliet
'A riveting dive into art and fame'
- People Magazine
AUTHOR LINKS
Cover reveal for the US edition of The Rayburn Affair in People magazine
