Behind These Four Walls

Yasmin Angoe

Thomas & Mercer

January 2026

Behind These Four Walls by Yasmin Angoe explores revenge, morality, corruption, and wealth. Although the story started out slightly ambiguous after the first few chapters, readers will not want to put the book down. 

The main character, Isla Thorne, was orphaned at an early age.  She makes friends with Eden Galloway and her mother, Elise, who were more like family to Isla.  But after Elise dies, Isla and Eden decide to run away to Los Angeles, making a stop in Virginia, where Eden was determined to confront the family that had driven her mother out. Eden disappears and is never heard from again.  

Fast forward to the present, ten years later. Isla is now posing as an aspiring journalist hired by Victor, the patriarch of the powerful Corrigan family, for a personal piece. Desperate for answers and to keep her identity hidden, Isla wades deeper into this power-hungry family’s secrets and lies, finding herself in the crosshairs of a bloodline that’s more lethal than loyal.

This is a riveting thriller that is a page turner. Readers will take the dangerous journey with Isla as she discovers what happened to Eden while confronting the powerful and wealthy family.

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Yasmin Angoe:  It came to me in bits and pieces. For me, the location comes first. The setting has one lane roads in the mountains. I thought how a car could fall down a mountain. Then I thought of this rich family, their dynamics, and how a friend, Isla, investigates her friend’s, Eden, disappearance.  It’s a David versus Goliath story where she must infiltrate the family with the money, power, and unlimited resources. 

EC: Why make the family wealthy?

YA: Because they had all these connections they thought they could get away with everything. How does Isla get into the family to deliver her own form of justice in the form of exposure?  She wants to get them where it hurts: their prestige, name, and power. People see these wealthy families and think their life must be amazing.

EC: How would you describe Isla?

YA: She feels inadequate, protective, quick witted, determined, and goes undercover because she is obsessed with finding answers. She had a traumatic experience with her father that has caused her to be tenacious and unafraid. She works with others to find information on people but seems to have a sense of justice and morality. When she sees something is wrong, she tries to rectify the issues that Isla feels she was a part of her. 

EC: What was the role of Eden’s disappearance?

YA: She was Isla’s best friend, sister-like, and disappeared when Isla was a teenager.  She never went to the police and lived her life for the ten years since Eden’s disappearance.  Isla improved her life yet never forgot her friend. She showed her loyalty after becoming inspired when something turned up about the family, the Corrigans, who had last seen Eden. 

EC: How would you define Eden?

YA: She feels betrayed by her family. Bennett is competitive with her.  She is sensitive, compassionate, caring, and nice. 

EC: How would you describe Myles Corrigan, the oldest?

YA: Intense, decisive, stiff, cold, and reserved. He also feels guilt over Eden’s disappearance. 

EC: What about Holland who was close to Eden?

YA: Sweet, easy going, sheltered, trustworthy, sensitive, big hearted, and genuine.

EC: Holland and Isla’s relationship?

YA: Holland is more child-like than a 19-year-old.  She is desperate for a friend and finds it with Isla. She admires her like an older sister. Isla feels guilty overusing Holland to gain access to the Corrigans. Once she realizes how sheltered Holland is Isla feels protective, seeing Holland as the one out in the family of vipers.

EC: How would you describe Victor Corrigan, the father?

YA: Likes to intimidate people, vulnerable, impatient, and loves his family, especially his daughters. He has a dual personality.  As a businessman he can be cutthroat, ruthless, cold, and callous. With his daughters he is caring and is sad that Eden has disappeared with a quest to protect her. 

EC: How would you describe the Corrigans, Bennett, the youngest son and Brooke, the second wife?

YA: They like to humiliate people. They consider themselves powerful, and are pretentious, privileged, and distant with the others. They are all out for themselves. Brooke is a snob, elitist, malicious, an evil step-mother, and icy. She believes in the haves and the have nots. Bennett is flirty, can be charming, a playboy, entitled, but is hateful and jealous of his siblings.

EC: There always seems to be a confrontation of Isla versus Brooke?

YA: They try to confront each other. Brooke tries to make Isla feel uncomfortable, needling her, nasty to her, shames her, and insults her. They are in a pissing match together. Brooke sees Isla as her competition. 

EC: Next book?

YA: It is another thriller, taking place in Carolina.  The plot deals with a serial killer. The new protagonist has an interesting story. 

THANK YOU!!

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