After returning to her hometown with a college degree and a wedding looming, Ashley Quinn is thrust back into the chaotic orbit of her newly-released, drug-addicted older brother Daniel and must decide if the stable new life she built for herself is truly what she wants.

 When Ashley comes home from school to find her brother Daniel and his friend using drugs, the friend assaults her. Daniel, misinterpreting her call to the police—which she placed to save Daniel from a perceived overdose—attacks her brutally. Brought to the ER along with her brother, Ashley hides both assaults, and the spotlight is put on Daniel who masterfully hides the drug use.

Years later, Ashley graduates college and returns to Phoenix engaged to a stable man. But a guilt-tripping mother and Daniel’s sudden release from rehab drag her right back into the family’s destructive wake. At a tense reunion dinner, Daniel sees right through Ashley's carefully curated life, planting the first seeds of doubt about her upcoming marriage.

As Ashley searches for answers at a support group, Daniel spirals back into the drug world, attempting to start dealing for his old friend to escape his parents. Desperate and unraveling, Ashley makes an alcohol-fueled decision to confront her past head-on—unwittingly stepping into a trap where her rapist, her brother, and her buried trauma collide. When her presence is tragically misinterpreted, Ashley is forced to choose between the stable future she curated and the toxic family ties that threaten to drown them both.

"Thicker Than Water" (88,000 words) will appeal to readers who appreciate the dynamics of siblinghood and addiction present in Long Bright River (Liz Moore) or felt moved by the reality of addiction and its effect on families in Beautiful Boy (David Sheff).