Lime Juice Money

At the outset of Morey’s slow-burn debut, former chef Laelia Wylde leaves the U.K. with her children and boyfriend, Aidrian “Aid” Lynch, to visit her retired botanist father, Ellis, in Belize. On Ellis’s birthday, Laelia introduces him to Aid, and senses immediate tension between the two men. After the gathering, Ellis whispers something to her, but her tinnitus prevents her from understanding it. The same night, Ellis suffers a stroke and falls into a coma, prompting Laelia to move her family into his jungle home while he’s hospitalized. As Laelia and her children grow enchanted by life in the jungle, Aid becomes increasingly jealous and volatile. Things take a dark turn when Laelia, who worries that her tinnitus is distorting her grasp on reality, thinks she hears gunshots in the middle. Along the way, Morey weaves in chapters exploring Ellis’s past, tracing his journey to Belize and his uncovering of dangerous scientific secrets. Though the pace can drag, Morey’s descriptions of the jungle are lush and immersive, and she delivers a chillingly effective payoff. This shows real promise. Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Literary. (Aug.)