Little One - ten years after escaping from a cult, a woman is confronted by her past and its secrets.

Catharine West lives in New York City and is a successful copywriter. Other than her friend Stella, she keeps most people at a distance, focusing on her work and her health and fitness. No one is aware that she spent her childhood living in a cult led by her father. The family's central Florida tomato farm had attracted people seeking a healthy lifestyle with communal living, impressed by its charismatic leader. It's been ten years since Catharine broke free of the farm, yet she longed for her sister, whom she never saw again. Her quiet life is threatened when she is contacted by a reporter who plans to write a piece on the cult. Speaking with the journalist was certain to reopen old wounds, but his detailed knowledge of the farm's darker side and her father draw Catharine in as she needs to know who his secret source is. 

Little One, Olivia Muenter's second novel, is told in alternating timelines - the present day and Catharine's teen years living on the farm with her sister Linna. It is a dark and unsettling story told through the eyes of an unreliable narrator. Catharine's father's tactics to achieve "wellness" were severe and disturbing. The appeal of the book lies in the unfolding of what truly happened at the farm, showing how people can be manipulated and controlled. Even when uncomfortable, I couldn't stop reading.

Many thanks to Little, Brown and Company for the advance.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars.

Mystery Thriller. 

Publication Date: February 3, 2026.

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