Art, ambition and desire collide when a struggling academic becomes entangled in the marriage and creative life of her literary idol. 

By day, Dr Ruth Morgan lectures on ‘AI: the new frontier of storytelling’ at East Toronto University. By night, she toils away at a collection of short stories, fantasising about a writing career to rival that of the internationally renowned Shelby Rayburn, a literary icon widely hailed as the voice of Ruth's generation of women.

When Shelby and her husband, Oscar, make an appearance at an annual faculty party, Ruth can’t believe her luck. The trio instantly hit it off, and an intoxicating intimacy builds between them, underwritten by a simmering sexual tension. 

Everything changes when Shelby makes Ruth an offer she can’t refuse – one she can’t tell anyone about, including Oscar. As boundaries blur and secret alliances form, distrust takes root and threatens to implode it all. Ruth and Shelby need each other, but each has their own agenda when it comes to friendship, love and literary stardom. 

PRAISE FOR THE RAYBURN AFFAIR:

‘Dark, fascinating, and utterly fearless, The Rayburn Affair reminded me of Julia May Jonas’s Vladimir in the best possible way ... I was unsettled, enthralled and completely transfixed. Petrou writes with razor-sharp insight and lyrical power, marking her as one of our most daring contemporary voices’ MARISSA STAPLEY, New York Times bestselling author of Lucky

‘An exceptionally evocative and seductive story about the dangerous allure of intimate connection and slippery security of power ... Raw, real and riveting, The Rayburn Affair should be on everyone's must-read list’ SAMANTHA M BAILEY, internationally bestselling author of Hello, Juliet 

‘A dark, sexy tale of infatuation, envy and creative life set within the cloistered walls of an elite university. The Rayburn Affair has richly drawn characters, simmering tension and a perfect denouement’ ROBYN HARDING, internationally bestselling author of Strangers in the Villa