by Emma Dhesi
A Psychological Suspense Novel Set in Scotland
A dark and gripping psychological suspense novel set in Scotland about trauma, truth, and what happens when the person you trust most is not who you believe them to be.
Book Overview
The Medicine is a psychological suspense novel set in Scotland that explores trauma, memory, and coercive control. It follows a woman who turns to alternative healing in a desperate attempt to move on from a violent past — only to uncover a far more disturbing truth about her present.
This is the second in A Scottish Suspense Series, for readers who enjoy emotionally driven psychological suspense with domestic tension and moral complexity.
Book Description
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 a psychologically 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
Genre: Psychological Suspense
Sub-genres: Women’s Fiction, Domestic Drama
Setting: Scotland (with sections set in Peru)
Themes: Trauma, memory, coercive control, truth, survival
Tropes: Unreliable memory, hidden abuse, alternative healing, marriage secrets
Protagonist: Ashley Graham
Tone: Dark, tense, emotionally charged
Audience: Adult readers of women’s fiction and psychological suspense
Publication status: Forthcoming February 2026
Publisher: Rowanbrae Press
ISBN: 9781068420184 (paperback), 9781068420191 (ebook)
Who This Book Is For
This book is for readers who:
- Enjoy psychological suspense and women’s fiction set in Scotland
- Are drawn to stories about trauma and recovery
- Appreciate slow-burn domestic suspense
- Like novels that explore gaslighting and coercive control
- Prefer character-driven thrillers over procedural crime
Book Reviews
About the Author & This Book
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.
Where to Buy
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/gVaFlXe
Amazon US: https://a.co/d/6OfqAap
Other retailers: To Follow
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Medicine part of a series?
Yes, it’s the second book in the 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.
Buying Options
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/gVaFlXe
Amazon US: https://a.co/d/6OfqAap
Other retailers: To Follow
If You Loved This, Try…
👉 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.
