In 1964, four remarkable young women at a prestigious university became the subjects of parapsychology experiments by a visionary scientist. On the cusp of a historic breakthrough, the women mysteriously vanished and the program was erased from history. Decades later, newly divorced Riley Bell accepts a caretaker job for an elderly widow named Betty, stepping into a home frozen in time: no microwave, no television, no cell phones. As the story unfolds across two timelines, old secrets rise to the surface and the only way to survive is to confront a mystery that has lingered for sixty years.

I really wanted to love this one. I normally find Pekkanen’s books to be edge-of-your-seat reads with solid twists and genuine surprises, but The Women in White just didn’t meet my expectations. Which is frustrating because the ingredients were all there. The concept is fascinating, the dual timelines between present day and 1963/64 worked well, and I loved the added touch of actual articles and research clips about parapsychology woven throughout, that historical layer was one of the strongest parts of the book for me.

I also genuinely loved the sisterhood between the women. Their bond was the heart of the story and the moments between them were some of my favorites. But I’ll be honest, I kind of loathed reading parts of this book, and that’s largely because of Dr. Whatever His Name Was, who is THE ABSOLUTE WORST. Being a woman in 2026 and being dropped back into the 1960s with fifty fewer years of women’s rights and society’s complete lack of regard for anything remotely feminine was infuriating. The concept of “what a good wife is” made my blood boil, and while I know it’s historically accurate for the time period, I just hated it. So props to Pekkanen for making my rage feel very real throughout so much of the story, she clearly did her job on that front.

My bigger issue is that the book didn’t actually feel like a mystery or thriller until the last 30% or so. There are some subtle vibes earlier on, but for most of the read the pacing felt flat and it lacked that bingeable quality I’ve come to expect from her work. Honestly, I think I would have preferred a straight historical fiction novel based on the parapsychology research over what we got. The final revelations felt slightly haphazard and left me questioning too many elements rather than feeling satisfied. I walked away feeling like the story had so much potential that never fully landed.

This wasn’t a bad book. The concept is genuinely interesting, the sisterhood is lovely, and the historical details are well done. It just wasn’t the thriller I was hoping for. If you go in expecting more historical fiction with light mystery elements rather than a classic Pekkanen page-turner, you might enjoy it more than I did.

Sarah Pekkanen Reviews

AMAZON | GOODREADS | BOOKSHOP | ★★★

The Women in White comes out August 4, 2026. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copies in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.