The Medicine
Psychological suspense set in Scotland.
A dark and gripping novel about trauma, truth, and what happens when the person you trust most is not who you believe them to be. The second in A Scottish Suspense Series, for readers who enjoy emotionally driven suspense with domestic tension and moral complexity.
Ashley Graham has built a life that looks safe from the outside. Living in the Scottish town of Byreburn, she has a husband, a home, and the appearance of stability. But fifteen years after a violent assault changed the course of her life, Ashley is still living in survival mode.
When a murder in the local community echoes the details of her own long-buried trauma, Ashley is forced to confront the possibility that she has never truly healed. Plagued by anxiety, flashbacks, and a growing sense that something isn't right, she becomes increasingly desperate for relief.
In search of answers, Ashley travels to Peru to take part in a controversial plant-medicine retreat, hoping it will finally free her from the past. Instead, the experience unearths memories she was never meant to recover – memories that point not to a stranger, but to someone much closer to home.
Set between Scotland and South America, The Medicine is an intense psychological suspense novel that examines gaslighting, control, and the devastating consequences of not being believed. As Ashley begins to question everything she thought she knew about her marriage, she must decide how much truth she is willing to face – and what it will cost her to survive it.
Key book details
- Readers who enjoy psychological suspense and women's fiction set in Scotland
- Anyone drawn to stories about trauma and recovery
- Readers who appreciate slow-burn domestic suspense
- Those who like novels that explore gaslighting and coercive control
- Readers who prefer character-driven thrillers over procedural crime
In The Medicine, Emma Dhesi explores the long-term psychological impact of trauma and the subtle ways control and manipulation can hide within intimate relationships.
Like her other novels, this story centres female interiority and emotional truth, examining what happens when a woman stops doubting herself and begins to question the narrative she's been given.
Readers familiar with Emma Dhesi's Follow Me will recognise recurring themes of survival, accountability, and the courage it takes to confront uncomfortable truths.
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Is The Medicine part of a series?
Yes, it's the second book in A Scottish Suspense Series. The first book is Follow Me.
Where is The Medicine set?
The novel is primarily set in the fictional town of Byreburn, Scotland, with additional scenes set in Peru.
Is The Medicine a thriller or women's fiction?
It is psychological suspense with strong women's fiction elements.
Does the book deal with trauma and abuse?
Yes. Themes of trauma, coercive control, and gaslighting are central to the story.
Is this book suitable for book clubs?
Yes. The novel raises complex questions about truth, belief, and personal responsibility, making it ideal for discussion.
New to the series? Start with Follow Me
A gripping blend of suspense and deep emotional insight – for readers who want the thrills and intimacy that will keep them on the edge. Book 1 in A Scottish Suspense Series.
Discover Follow Me →