Ava Sterling

When Ella moves to the bustling city for her final year of college, she's determined to leave behind the small-town whispers and the scars of her past. Then she meets Charlotte - charismatic, magnetic, and effortlessly wealthy. Charlotte is everything Ella has ever wanted to be: confident, daring, and surrounded by a glittering circle of friends who seem untouchable. At first, it's intoxicating. Lavish parties, exclusive clubs, whispered conversations in candlelit rooms - Charlotte opens a door to a world Ella never dreamed she could enter.
But the deeper she steps into Charlotte's circle, the more she begins to sense the darkness lurking beneath the luxury. When lies are exposed and the line between friendship and control begins to blur, Ella finds herself trapped in a game she doesn't understand - with stakes far deadlier than she could ever imagine. The Velvet Trap is a taut psychological thriller about the cost of belonging, the seduction of power, and how one wrong friendship can shatter everything.
Perfect for fans of Paula Hawkins, Sarah Pinborough, and Alice Feeney.