Tread Lightly: A Novel

A stay-at-home mom with a past navigates a murder in Silicon Valley...

When a lifeguard's body is found at the local pool where Tierney lap swims daily, she is pulled back into the life she thought she had left behind when she was a member of the Crisis Intervention Squad in Dublin, Ireland. A former hostage negotiator turned stay-at-home mom, her move to Silicon Valley for her husband's job offered the contrast of a calm, domestic life. But this murder investigation disrupts all that, connecting to an event in her past, and threatening to overwhelm her.

On the domestic front, the cliques at her kindergartener's new private school aren't making it easy for her to fit in either. This 'fish out of water' story is a domestic thriller set amid a backdrop of the tech industry's 2007 stock-option backdating scandal.

As Tierney struggles with survivor's guilt from her previous employment and wrestles with the motherhood/career balancing act, there's still a murder to be solved. And in helping solve it, Tierney discovers the assumptions we make about people can be completely incorrect—even when those people are ourselves.

About the Author

Elizabeth Kemp was born and raised in California, and lives in Silicon Valley with her high school sweetheart husband. She studied public relations at the University of Southern California, earned an MBA from Santa Clara University, and led a successful career in high-tech marketing communications before becoming a stay-at-home mom. That decision helped rekindle her love of reading for fun and enabled her to pursue writing full-time. When away from her laptop, Elizabeth enjoys lap swimming, hiking, pickleball, and golf. Tread Lightly is her first novel.

Praise for Tread Lightly

“With a pulse-pounding opening, Tread Lightly is a gripping tale of resilience, trauma, and belonging. Elizabeth Kemp is an evocative storyteller with a knack for blending genres, combining high-octane thriller with nuanced, introspective commentary.” —Rhodi Hawk, author of The Wolf of Cinnamon Falls

“Part thriller, part soul-searching journey, this story gripped me from page one. Tierney’s voice is so vivid and real, I felt like I was swimming laps beside her.” —Ann Huchingson, screenwriter

“Tensions seethe deliciously beneath the glossy surface of suburbia in Elizabeth Kemp's novel, Tread Lightly. Former hostage negotiator turned stay-at-home-mom, Tierney Gillespie may have been able to handle hardened criminals in her past job, but a death in the 'burbs tests her skills and PTSD in ways she didn't see coming. A tense and compelling story of surprise attacks, from both past and present.” —Jordan Rosenfeld, author of Fallout and Women in Red

“A compelling debut, chock full of suspense.” —Robin Somers, author of Eleven Stolen Horses & Beet Fields

“Tread Lightly introduces an iconic new heroine: Tierney Gillespie . . . [whose] personal and professional struggles ignite an unforgettable and deeply satisfying climax. Fans of Laura Dave and Liane Moriarty will love this debut thriller.” —Diane Schaffer, author of Mortal Zin