The Last Mrs. Parrish

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine, first published in October of 2017, is a psychological thriller that examines the lives of rich, East Coast socialites. “Liv Constantine” is the pen name of sisters Lynn and Valerie Constantine, who have backgrounds in marketing and English. The Last Mrs. Parrish is their debut novel. It was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection, a People Magazine Best Pick, and an international bestseller. Netflix acquired the rights to the novel to turn it into a film. This study guide uses the Harper paperback print edition.

Please be advised this text contains depictions of domestic violence, sexual assault, verbal child abuse, falsifying sexual assault allegations, and abusive relationships.

Plot Summary

Amber Patterson establishes a relationship with Daphne Parrish, an exceptionally wealthy woman in the town of Bishops Harbor, by pretending to have a sister who died of cystic fibrosis. Amber volunteers with Daphne’s foundation and spends time with Daphne and her family, which includes the serious elder daughter Tallulah, the blunt younger daughter Bella, and Daphne’s handsome husband Jackson. Amber plots to seduce Jackson and convince him to divorce Daphne.

As she grows closer to Daphne, Amber pretends that her boss sexually harassed her, but she cannot go to the police for fear they will not believe her. Daphne arranges for Amber to get a job at Jackson’s company. Amber slips medication into Jackson’s assistant’s coffee until the woman becomes disoriented and confused, forcing her into early retirement. Amber takes the woman’s place and impresses Jackson with her attention to detail, so much so that he offers her the position full-time. As Amber climbs the ranks of the company, Daphne expresses discontent and worry about her marriage, claiming Jackson cheated on her in the past. She also gives Amber a key to the family’s New York apartment to use when Jackson is not staying there.

After an argument with Daphne, Jackson walks in on Amber at the apartment, and Amber successfully seduces him. The two begin an affair that culminates in Amber’s pregnancy. She demands that Jackson leave Daphne, but Jackson hesitates.

The novel switches to the first-person point of view from Daphne’s perspective. Daphne relives her whirlwind romance with Jackson as he sweeps her off her feet and helps take care of her family while her father is recovering from a heart attack. After a fast engagement and wedding, their relationship starts to splinter as Jackson becomes more controlling. After Tallulah’s birth, Jackson’s abuses increase as he is dissatisfied with Daphne’s weight and the attention she gives the baby. He sexually assaults her and, when she attempts to flee the next morning, has her institutionalized for a month. Over the course of their marriage, he also threatens her with a gun, degrades her, and controls her food intake among other abuses, hiding his cruelty by buying her expensive gifts. After Bella’s birth, he insists that Daphne will keep getting pregnant until they have a son, and they will abort any female children.

Daphne takes classes at a local college, pretending to enroll in art but studying psychology instead. She has a birth control device put in to prevent further pregnancies. She sets up a secret bank account, eventually saving $30,000. Jackson begins to verbally abuse their daughters. She meets Amber and initially believes her to be a friend, but when another of Daphne’s friends finds that Amber is living under a false identity, Daphne hires a private investigator to find out more. She learns of Amber’s past and her true name, then realizes Amber’s intentions. Daphne feeds Amber information about Jackson, hoping to use their affair to escape his clutches.

The novel returns to the present and alternates third-person limited perspectives between Amber and Daphne. Amber threatens to abort the baby if Jackson continues delaying his divorce and, eventually, they tell Daphne about Amber’s pregnancy. Daphne pretends to be shocked and upset, agreeing to the divorce. Amber and Jackson wed shortly before the baby is born. After a disastrous weekend for Tallulah and Bella staying with Jackson and Amber, Daphne visits Jackson at his office. She reveals the truth about Amber, demanding that Jackson sign over his parental rights in exchange for keeping Amber’s secret. Jackson agrees and, when he returns home, abuses Amber the same way he abused Daphne. Daphne reconciles with her mother, then buys a house in California to live in with her mother and daughters. She returns to New York one last time to watch FBI agents arrest Jackson for tax evasion and money laundering. She visits Amber to confront her about her secrets, shares her participation in the divorce plot, and tells her about Jackson’s crime. Daphne leaves Connecticut, writes a letter to her sister, and finally feels at peace.