For Your Own Good

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INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER

“Witty and macabre.”—Caroline Kepnes

“Slick and chilling.”—Megan Miranda

“A perfect summer book.”—NPR

USA Today bestselling author Samantha Downing is back with her latest sneaky thriller set at a prestigious private school—complete with interfering parents, overeager students, and one teacher who just wants to teach them all a lesson…

Teddy Crutcher has won Teacher of the Year at the elite Belmont Academy, home to the best and brightest.
 
He says his wife couldn’t be more proud—though no one has seen her in a while.
 
Teddy really can’t be bothered with a few mysterious deaths on campus that are looking more and more like murder, or with the student digging a little too deep into Teddy’s personal life. His main focus is pushing these kids to their full academic potential.  
 
All he wants is for his colleagues—and the endlessly meddlesome parents—to stay out of his way. If not, well, they’ll get what they deserve.
 
It’s really too bad that sometimes excellence comes at such a high cost.SOON TO BE A TELEVISION SERIES ON HBO MAX

“No one writes a twisted character quite like Samantha Downing.”
—HelloGiggles

“Once I sat down to read For Your Own Good—a clever, twisty thriller—it was difficult to stop reading. It’s the perfect read to get lost in this summer.”
—Buzzfeed

“Just finished reading this wonderfully dark, twisty and compelling thriller set in a prestigious private school. I raced through it, desperate to know how it would end.”
—B.A. Paris, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors

“Samantha Downing delivers a slick and chilling thriller, leading readers on a dark, sinuous journey through the halls of Belmont Academy—the type of place where you’re never sure who to trust, or who to fear. Suspenseful, surprising, and completely original.”
—Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of The Last House Guest

“Dark, sly and delicious…totally original—and totally compelling.”
—JP Delaney, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Before

“I’m a huge fan of Samantha Downing, who is masterful at creating diabolical characters and deliciously chilling plots. An absolutely terrific book!”
—Sarah Pekkanen, New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Between Us

“Samantha Downing is totally the real deal. Wry and dark and witty and clever. I didn’t think she could outdo My Lovely Wife but I think this one tops it.”
—Sarah Pinborough, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes

“Samantha Downing has achieved something so special in For Your Own Good. A story that is dark as night, sinister as hell, clever, twisting and downright fun.”
—Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End

“Samantha Downing serves up another cast of deliciously mendacious characters in an exclusive private school setting, where the deadly action drives a brilliantly tense, taut and twisty plot. I may never look at my coffee in the same way again.”
—Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of What She Knew

“All the dark fun of Election, but with Downing’s signature, diabolical spin. For Your Own Good is so utterly unputdownable, I look forward to reading it again. I think even the novel’s own trickiest private school teacher, Teddy Crutcher, would have to give it an A+.”
—Chandler Baker, New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network

“With excellent pacing and smooth, well timed movement between the different characters in the story, she keeps the reader fully engaged and fascinated, waiting for the next twist this story will take. Samantha Downing has made For Your Own Good almost impossible to put down!”
—The Nerd Daily

“[A] perfect summer read.”
—BookReporter

“For thriller fans, Samantha Downing is a household name.”
—SheReads

“Holy revenge, Batman! This is a delicious page-turner with so many layers of revenge, you won’t soon forget. I absolutely loved watching how this unfolded starting with a jerk teacher at a prep school who thinks it’s his job to punish others into being better… I’m super excited about this one so mark your calendars for July 20th.”
—BookRiot

“[A] pitch black satirical thriller.”
—PopSugar

“A slyly plotted page-turner.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Macabre, thrilling, and unputdownable, this novel makes you want to skip ahead to the final page. Tempting as it is, stay the course.”
—Press & Guide

“This is a devilishly entertaining read.”
—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“[A] sly, smart thriller.”
—StarTribune

“Downing’s spare prose packs a wallop as she deftly ratchets up the suspense with every hairpin turn of this lean, mean, surprising, and utterly propulsive thriller.”
—Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of The Stranger Insider

“So dark and twisted, so deliciously evil, it’ll not only make you frantically turn those pages to find out who’s targeting whom, but the wry sense of humor will have you laughing out loud, too. Another phenomenal wild-ride of a read from one of the crime-writing community’s most talented authors. Bet you’ll never look at high-school the same way again.”
—Hannah Mary McKinnon, bestselling author of Sister Dear

“I raced through this, and loved every twist and turn. Brilliant characterisation and ingenious plotting make it an absolute winner.”
—Jill Mansell, bestselling author of It Started with a Secret

“An irresistibly dark tale of parents, pupils and poison: the American dream turned suburban nightmare.”
—TM Logan, author of The Vacation
Samantha Downing currently lives in New Orleans, where she is furiously typing away at her next thrilling novel.Part

One

1

Entitlement has a particular stench. Pungent, bitter. Almost brutal.

Teddy smells it coming.

The stench blows in the door with James Ward. It oozes out of his pores, infecting his suit, his polished shoes, his ridiculously white teeth.

“I apologize for being late,” James says, offering his hand.

“It’s fine,” Teddy says. “Not all of us can be punctual.”

The smile on James’s face disappears. “Sometimes, it can’t be helped.”

“Of course.”

James sits at one of the student desks. Normally, Teddy would sit right next to a parent, but this time he sits at his own desk in the front of the class. His chair is angled slightly, giving James a clear view of the award hanging on the wall. Teddy’s Teacher of the Year plaque came in last week.

“You said you wanted to talk about Zach,” Teddy says.

“I want to discuss his midterm paper.”

Zach’s paper sits on Teddy’s desk—­“Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby: Was She Worth It?”—­along with Teddy’s rubric assessment. He glances up at James, whose expression doesn’t change. “An interesting topic.”

“You gave him a B-plus.”

“Yes, I did.”

James smiles just enough. “Teddy.” Not Mr. Crutcher, as everyone else calls him, and not Theodore. Just Teddy, like they are friends. “You know how important junior year grades are for college.”

“I do.”

“Zach is a straight-­A student.”

“I understand that.”

“I’ve read his paper,” James says, leaning back a little in his chair. Settling in for the long argument. “I thought it was well written, and it showed a great deal of creativity. Zach worked very hard to come up with a topic that hadn’t been done before. He really wanted a different perspective on a book that’s been written about ad infinitum.”

Ad infinitum. The words hang in the air, swinging like a pendulum.

“All true,” Teddy says.

“But you still gave him a B-plus.”

“Zach wrote a good paper, and good papers get a B. Exceptional papers get an A.” Teddy picks up the rubric and holds it out toward James. “You can see the breakdown for yourself. Grammar, structure, mechanics . . . it’s all here.”

James has to get up to retrieve the paper, which makes Teddy smile inside. He folds his hands and watches.

As James starts to read, his phone buzzes. He takes it out and holds up a finger, telling Teddy to wait, then gets up and walks out of the classroom to take the call.

Teddy is left alone to think about his time, which is being wasted.

James asked for this meeting. James specified that it had to be after hours, in the evening. This is what Teddy has to deal with from parents, and he deals with it ad infinitum.

He stares at his own phone, counting the minutes as they pass. Wondering what James would do if he just got up, walked right past him, and left.

It’s unfortunate that he can’t.

If Teddy walks out, James will call the headmaster and complain. The headmaster will then call Teddy and remind him that parents pay the bills, including his own paycheck. Belmont isn’t a public school.

Not that he would get fired. Just six months ago, he was named Teacher of the Year, for God’s sake. But it would be a headache, and he doesn’t need that. Not now.

So he stays, counting the minutes. Staring at the walls.

The room is orderly. Sparse. Teddy’s desk is clear of everything except Zach’s paper, a pen, and a laptop. No inspirational posters on the wall, no calendars. Nothing but Teddy’s recent award.

Belmont Academy is an old school, with dark paneling, solid doors, and the original wood floors. The only modern addition is the stack of cubbyholes near the door. That’s where students have to leave their phones during class, an idea Teddy fought for until the board approved it. Now, the other teachers thank him for it.

Before the cubbies were installed, kids used their phone throughout class. Once, several years ago, Teddy broke a student’s phone. That was an expensive lesson.

Five minutes have passed since James walked out. Teddy starts to pick at his cuticles. It’s a habit he developed back in high school, though over the years he got rid of it. Last summer, he started doing it again. He hates himself for it but can’t seem to stop.

Time continues to pass.

If Teddy had a dollar for every minute he was kept waiting by James and every other parent, he wouldn’t be teaching. He wouldn’t have to do anything at all.

Eleven minutes go by before James walks back into the room.

“I apologize. I was waiting for that call.”

“It’s fine,” Teddy says. “Some people just can’t disconnect.”

“Sometimes, it’s not possible.”

“Of course.”

James takes his seat at the desk and says, “Let me just ask you straight out. Is there anything we can do about Zach’s paper?”

“When you say do, Mr. Ward, are you asking me if I’ll change his grade?”

“Well, I thought it was an A paper. A-minus, maybe, but still an A.”

“I understand that. And I understand your concern for Zach and his future,” Teddy says. “However, can you imagine what would happen if I changed his grade? Can you appreciate how unfair that would be, not only to the other students, but also to the school? If we start basing our grades on what parents think they should be, instead of teachers, how can we possibly know if we are doing our job? We couldn’t possibly know if our students were learning the material and progressing with their education. And that, Mr. Ward, is the very foundation of Belmont.” Teddy pauses, taking great joy at the dismayed look on James’s face. Not so arrogant now. “So, no, I will not change your son’s grade and threaten the integrity of this school.”

The silence in the room is broken only by the clock. The minute hand jumps forward with a loud click.

James clears his throat. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to suggest anything like that.”

“Apology accepted.”

But James isn’t done yet. They never are.

“Perhaps there is some extra work Zach can do. Even if he has to read a second book and write another paper?”

Teddy thinks about this while staring down at his hands. The cuticle on his index finger already looks ragged, and it’s only the middle of the term.

“Perhaps,” he finally says. “Let me give it some thought.”

“That’s all I ask. I appreciate it. So does Zach.”

Zach is a smug little bastard who has no appreciation for anything or anyone except himself. That’s why he didn’t get an A.

His paper was good. Damn good, in fact. If Zach were a better person, he would’ve received a better grade.

2

Teddy’s old Saab is the only car left in the parking lot. Everyone else has cleared out, including the sports teams and the other teachers. Tonight, he’s the last one. He unlocks the door with his key—­ no electronic gizmos on this car—­and sets his briefcase in the back seat.

“Mr. Crutcher?”

The voice makes Teddy jump. A second ago, the lot was empty, and now there’s a woman standing behind him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” she says.

She is tall and curvy, with dark hair, cut at the chin, and plum-­colored lips. She wears a simple blue dress, high heels, and what looks like an expensive handbag. He’s seen enough of them to know.

“Yes?” Teddy says.

“I’m Pamela Ward. Zach’s mother.”

“Oh, hello.” Teddy stands up a little straighter. “I don’t think we’ve met before.”

“No, we haven’t.” She steps forward to offer her hand, and Teddy gets a whiff of her. Gardenias.

“I’m afraid you missed your husband,” he says, shaking her hand. “He left about twenty minutes ago.”

“I know. He told me.”

“Yes, we—­”

“I’m sorry I missed the meeting. I just wanted to stop by and make sure everything has been taken care of.” She looks him straight in the eye. No fear. Not of him or of being alone in a parking lot at night.

“Taken care of?” he says.

“That you’ll do what’s best for Zach.” It’s not a question.

“Absolutely. I always want the best for my students.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that,” she says. “Have a good evening.”

“And you as well. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

With a nod, she turns and walks away.

Now, he sees her car. It’s across the lot. A black crossover, which almost disappears in the night. So does she.

Teddy gets into his car and watches in the rearview mirror as she drives away.

Before this evening, he had never met James or Pamela Ward. Unusual, considering Zach is a junior. Teddy makes a point of attending every orientation, parents’ night, and fundraiser, as well as every sporting event. The big games, anyway. People know Teddy Crutcher, and most have also met his wife, Allison.

He was surprised when James emailed and said he wanted to meet. Teddy looked him up online and learned he worked in finance. Not surprising—­half the Belmont parents work in finance. It made James a little less interesting, a little more pedestrian. A little more manageable.

Now, Teddy knows even more about James, and about his wife. Not that it matters. Not unless he can use it to his advantage.

From the front, Teddy’s house looks like it could be abandoned. Broken slats on the fence, overgrown garden, sagging porch. He and his wife had bought it as a fixer-­upper and started with the electricity, the plumbing, and the roof. Everything had cost more than expected and took longer than it was supposed to. He still isn’t sure which one ran out first, the money or the desire, but they’d stopped renovating years ago.

The inside is a little better. The rooms were painted and the floors refinished before they moved in.

He almost calls out for his wife, Allison, but stops himself.

No reason to do that.

The good thing about having such a large house is having more than enough space for Teddy and his wife to have their own offices. Hers faces the back and was supposed to have a view of the garden and a pond. That never happened.

His office is in the front corner of the house. He had envisioned staring out at his lawn and a freshly painted fence around it. Instead, he keeps the drapes shut.

His inbox is filled with messages from students asking about assignments. They want extensions, clarifications, more explicit instructions. Always something. Students today can’t just do as they’re told. They always need more. Half of Teddy’s job has become explaining things a second, third, or even fourth time.

Tonight, he ignores the emails and pours himself a tall glass of milk. He doesn’t drink it often—­dairy has always been an issue—­but he likes it. This evening, it’s a treat. Something to help him think about what to do with Zach.US

Additional information

Dimensions	1.0800 × 5.4600 × 8.2000 in
Imprint	Berkley
ISBN-13	09780593100981
ISBN-10	0593100980
Author	Samantha Downing
Audience	General / adult
BISAC	FIC031010, FIC030000
Subjects	crime books, good girl, my lovely wife, good books, psychological thrillers best sellers, crime thriller books, psychological thrillers books, psychological thrillers, psychological thriller books, good books for women, crime novels, mystery and thriller, books fiction, mysteries and thrillers, fiction books, mystery thriller suspense, crime, suspense thrillers, suspense thriller books, suspense books, thriller books, betrayal, thrillers, crime fiction, psychological thriller, novels, murder, suspense, FIC030000, FIC031010, fiction, thriller