Marion

AN INDIE NEXT PICK - A LIBRARY READS SELECTION - Named a Most Anticipated Book of Summer by Goodreads - People - Buzzfeed - SheReads - Scary Mommy

"A fiendishly clever feminist remix of Psycho. Rowan's bold take on Hitchcock's classic benefits from wicked humor, a well-rounded heroine fueled by righteous anger, and a breakneck pace." --Publishers Weekly

NORMAN WAS HER FIRST...

Marion is in deep. She's stolen money from the Manhattan ad agency where she works in a desperate bid to help her sister escape an abusive marriage, but the bus breaks down before she can make it to Saratoga Springs. It's late at night, and the only place with vacancies is an old set of cabins on the outskirts of town. She pays for a room in cash, and ends up chatting with Norm, the young innkeeper who's handsome, charming and a touch hung-up on his elderly mother. Back in her room, she steps into the shower, scrubbing off the late-summer heat, when the curtain is pulled back...

Norm Billings is there with a knife. He raises his arm to strike, but before he does, Marion knees him in the balls, grabs the knife, and stabs the life out of him. Now, she's covered in blood, and she's a woman on the run--not just a thief, but a killer, too. Where will she go? How will she save both herself and her sister? And what mysteries will she uncover as she does?

In Psycho, Hitchcock shocked audiences when he killed off his protagonist. But what if the leading lady had fought back? Marion offers an alternate history of the most famous dead blonde to ever grace the silver screen. Only this time, the knife is in her hands--and she's no victim.

Author: Leah Rowan
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 06/02/2026
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.14lbs
Size: 9.51h x 6.36w x 1.26d
ISBN: 9781250416469


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 04/13/2026
Library Journal 03/01/2026 pg. 88
Booklist 05/01/2026

About the Author
Leah Rowan is an author living in Brooklyn and the Catskills. Marion is her forthcoming thriller.