TYPORAMA
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When does friendship turn to obsession?
In Robin Merle’s darkly funny novel A Dangerous Friendship the twisting, codependent relationship of two friends who met at a writer’s retreat will take you on a ride full of obsession, exploration, secrets, and betrayal, all in one life-changing summer in the wild 1980s.
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Women’s Fiction
Literary Fiction
Dark Humor
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PRAISE FOR A DANGEROUS FRIENDSHIP:
“A Dangerous Friendship by Robin Merle is a thrilling, twist-filled ride through the adventures—and misadventures—of Tina and Spike, two friends whose bond is as intoxicating as it is unpredictable. As they navigate a world of secrets, betrayals, and unexpected turns, their friendship is both a lifeline and a powder keg waiting to explode. With every chapter, the stakes climb higher, leaving you breathless and eager to know what happens next. And when the final page turns? You’ll wish there was more.”—Michelle Renaldo Ferguson, Author of Women Mentoring Women: Strategies and Stories to Lift As We Rise
"Written in tight and unassuming prose, Robin Merle's A Dangerous Friendship is a psychological dreamscape that expores grief, loss, and obsession. Set against the backdrop of an eccentric artist colony, the reader is left questioning what is real and what is illusion on the quest for connection in an alienating and chaotic world. In a world of fake news and deep fakes, this read couldn't come at a more critical time, as we ponder authentic connections we make to ourselves and others."—Jill Di Donato, author of Beautiful Garbage and Contributor-at-large for HuffPost
“A Dangerous Friendship is a smart and piercing portrayal of Tina’s relationship with Spike, a woman whose magnetic pull drags her into thrilling yet perilous territory.
Their friendship is a collision of ambition, desire, and insecurities. Attracting men who never fit the bill, they become constants in each other’s lives despite their competitive writing aspirations and fragile egos. With biting humor and vivid language, Merle masterfully delves into the intoxicating highs and crushing lows of obsessive friendship.” —Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg, Author of Daughter of a Promise
“This is one wild ass ride full of sex, fun, survival and a bit of madness. I found myself needing a cigarette after reading and I don’t smoke.”—Chef Rossi, Author of The Punk Rock Queen of the Jews and The Raging Skillet
“Can a novel be cozy and corrosive at the same time? In Robin Merle’s addictive new novel, A Dangerous Friendship, two young New York writers, Spike and Whirly, land like Dorothy and Toto in rural upstate New York, where they rent a rundown cabin with the best of intentions, it seems. [...] By the knockout surprise ending, I was ready to have a celebratory beer at the novel’s iconic Starlite bar.”—Ben Neihart, author of Hey, Joe and Rough Amusements
"Robin Merle has written a brave book about ending things and starting things—about the friends we choose and the friends who choose us. Her characters and the choices they make during a sometimes funny and sometimes heart stopping summer escape from New York City will stay with you long after you have read through to the explosive conclusion." —Diane Cohen Schneider, author of Andrea Hoffman Goes All In
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ABOUT A DANGEROUS FRIENDSHIP:
In 1980s New York City, aspiring writers Tina and Spike bond in a complex, all-consuming friendship that will change their lives forever.
Desperate to redefine herself after a failed marriage, twenty-nine-year old Tina embarks on a thrill-seeking journey to feel alive again.
When she meets thirty-five-year-old Spike, a beautiful, seductive, seemingly invulnerable woman, she becomes enthralled by the older woman’s stories of NYC power brokers, sex, wealthy men, and her past.
Tina latches on to Spike as someone who can save her from mediocrity and show her how to be the kind of woman who can have power over men—both in romance and in life.
Chasing adventure and the writing life, Tina and Spike rent a cabin together for the summer in the rural backwoods.
There, they go on a wild, manic, darkly humorous journey involving dive bars, drugs, men, and all-night dancing, becoming increasingly psychologically entangled in each other’s lives along the way.
But eventually Tina realizes just how dangerous Spike is, and is forced to act to save herself.
Filled with New York wit and fast-paced dialogue, this is a story of loss, betrayal, survival, and blurring the line between attraction and peril.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robin Merle is the author of Involuntary Exit: A Woman’s Guide to Thriving After Being Fired.
She has published short fiction in The Chouteau Review, South Carolina Review, Kalliope, and Real Fiction.
She holds a master’s degree from The Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, where she earned a fellowship.
In her other professional life, as a nonprofit executive, she has raised over a half-billion dollars in philanthropic support to improve individuals’ quality of life and access to opportunities. A longtime New Yorker, Robin now lives in Scarborough, Maine with her family.
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