The Last Mrs. Parrish Summary and Key Themes
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine is a psychological thriller that delves into the world of wealth, privilege, and deceit among East Coast elites. It’s the debut novel of sisters Lynn and Valerie Constantine, writing under the pen name Liv Constantine.
The story follows Amber Patterson, a woman determined to insert herself into the life of the glamorous Daphne Parrish and her wealthy husband, Jackson, through manipulation and lies. As Amber schemes to replace Daphne, she uncovers dark secrets about the couple’s relationship. With twists and turns, the novel explores themes of power, control, and revenge.
Summary
Amber Patterson craves wealth and status, and she has her sights set on Jackson Parrish, the charming and incredibly rich husband of Daphne Parrish, a high-society woman living in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor.
To worm her way into their privileged world, Amber invents a tragic backstory, claiming to have lost a sister to cystic fibrosis. This personal connection draws Daphne in, as she runs a charitable foundation focused on the disease.
Amber begins volunteering with the foundation, growing closer to Daphne and her family, including their two daughters, Tallulah and Bella, as well as the seemingly perfect Jackson.
Amber’s ultimate goal is to seduce Jackson and become the new Mrs. Parrish, so she carefully lays the groundwork.
She manipulates situations at every turn, going as far as drugging Jackson’s assistant to take over her position at his company. Her diligence and attention to detail impress Jackson, and soon Amber has secured a permanent role in his life. She grows bolder in her pursuit of him, eventually beginning an affair.
When she becomes pregnant, she demands that Jackson divorce Daphne, thinking she’s won the life she’s always wanted.
At this point, the novel shifts to Daphne’s perspective, revealing the chilling truth about her marriage. Though Jackson once seemed like the ideal partner, their relationship turned into a nightmare after the birth of their first daughter. Jackson’s controlling behavior escalated into emotional and physical abuse.
He humiliated Daphne, enforced strict rules about her weight, and even went so far as to institutionalize her when she tried to escape his control. Over the years, Daphne endured horrific abuse while Jackson kept up his image as the perfect husband through expensive gifts and public displays of affection.
Unbeknownst to Amber, Daphne has been planning her own escape. She went back to school to study psychology, secretly saved money, and made a plan to protect her daughters from Jackson’s cruelty.
When Amber enters the picture, Daphne realizes her intentions early on and uses her as a pawn in her own scheme to break free.
She allows Amber to seduce Jackson and feeds her information to keep the affair going, knowing it will ultimately help her achieve her own freedom.
When Amber finally gets her wish, Jackson divorces Daphne and marries her. But things quickly go wrong for Amber, as Jackson begins to treat her with the same viciousness he once directed at Daphne.
Meanwhile, Daphne strikes the final blow—she reveals Jackson’s criminal activities and manipulates him into signing away his parental rights in exchange for her silence. Jackson is soon arrested for tax evasion and money laundering, leaving both him and Amber to face the consequences of their actions.
Daphne, now free, moves with her daughters to California, finally escaping the horrors of her past and finding peace at last.
Characters
Amber Patterson
Amber is the central antagonist of the novel, a scheming and manipulative woman who sets her sights on infiltrating the Parrish family for personal gain. She comes from a modest background and is consumed by envy of the wealthy, elite lifestyle of the Parrishes.
Amber’s character is defined by her calculating nature, as she uses deception and manipulation to achieve her goals. She fabricates a tragic backstory, claiming to have had a sister who died from cystic fibrosis, to garner Daphne’s sympathy.
Her ambition knows no bounds, and she is willing to destroy lives to achieve her goal of seducing Jackson and replacing Daphne as Mrs. Parrish. Throughout the novel, Amber’s ruthlessness is evident in her actions, such as drugging Jackson’s assistant and seducing Jackson while Daphne is vulnerable.
Amber is portrayed as detached from genuine human emotion, only concerned with climbing the social ladder. However, her downfall comes from underestimating Daphne and being blinded by her own hubris, assuming that she can outsmart everyone.
By the end, Amber is trapped in the same abusive marriage Daphne had endured, which serves as poetic justice for her manipulation and selfishness.
Daphne Parrish
Daphne is initially portrayed as the perfect, wealthy socialite—beautiful, charitable, and married to a handsome and successful man. However, as the novel progresses, her character is revealed to be much more complex.
Daphne’s life, while seemingly idyllic, is marred by her toxic and abusive marriage to Jackson. Behind the façade of wealth and privilege, Daphne has suffered immense emotional and physical abuse.
Jackson’s controlling behavior and cruelty, which includes sexual assault and manipulating her body and mind, have left her trapped in a gilded cage. Despite her suffering, Daphne’s intelligence and resilience become apparent as the story unfolds.
She has quietly planned her escape from Jackson for years, studying psychology and saving money in secret. Daphne’s friendship with Amber initially seems genuine, as she is unaware of Amber’s ulterior motives.
Once Daphne learns of Amber’s true intentions, she uses her knowledge to orchestrate her own liberation. In the end, Daphne emerges victorious—not only freeing herself from Jackson but also ensuring her daughters are safe from his influence.
Her final confrontation with Amber and Jackson showcases her strength and cleverness, as she manipulates the situation to her advantage.
Jackson Parrish
Jackson is the charming but deeply sinister figure at the heart of the novel. On the surface, he is the epitome of success—a wealthy, handsome businessman who appears to have it all.
However, Jackson’s public persona hides his darker side as an abuser and manipulator. His relationship with Daphne quickly shifts from passionate romance to control and abuse.
Jackson’s cruelty is multifaceted: he controls Daphne’s appearance, manipulates her psychologically, and subjects her to physical and sexual violence. His desire to dominate extends to his daughters, whom he views as tools to fulfill his ego, especially in his obsession with having a son.
Jackson’s abuse of power is not limited to his marriage. His professional dealings are equally corrupt, as he is ultimately arrested for tax evasion and money laundering, exposing the moral rot beneath his polished exterior.
His affair with Amber, which he initially sees as a way to exert control over both women, ends up being his downfall. Jackson’s character serves as a critique of male entitlement and the abuse of power, and his eventual arrest feels like a fitting end to his reign of terror.
Tallulah and Bella Parrish
Tallulah and Bella are the daughters of Daphne and Jackson. Though their roles are smaller, they are essential to understanding the dynamics of the Parrish family.
Tallulah, the elder daughter, is described as serious and perhaps more perceptive than Bella. She becomes a reflection of the damage caused by Jackson’s controlling and abusive behavior, particularly as Jackson begins to turn his cruelty toward her.
Tallulah’s quiet nature and emotional maturity suggest that she has been deeply affected by witnessing her father’s treatment of her mother and later herself. Bella, the younger daughter, contrasts with Tallulah in her bluntness and innocence.
While she is not as heavily affected by the family dynamics as her sister, Bella’s presence in the story represents a potential future that Daphne fears for her children if they remain under Jackson’s control. Daphne’s ultimate decision to leave Jackson is driven in large part by her desire to protect her daughters from their father’s abuse, and the love she has for them motivates her escape plan.
Themes
The Illusion of Identity and the Fragility of Self-Construction in Social Hierarchies
The theme of identity is central to The Last Mrs. Parrish, examining the malleability of self-presentation in high society and the inherent vulnerability of identities built on lies and deception. Amber Patterson’s carefully constructed persona is emblematic of this fragility.
She enters the elite world of Bishops Harbor through manipulation and falsehood, masking her true intentions behind an outward appearance of empathy and friendship. By feigning a personal connection to Daphne through the fabricated story of a sister who died of cystic fibrosis, Amber symbolizes how the upper class often operates within a network of performative relationships, where identities can be bought, sold, or faked.
Daphne’s seemingly perfect life, on the other hand, reveals another side of this theme: even within a position of privilege, one’s sense of self can be fragmented and controlled. While Amber is actively manipulating her surroundings to create a new identity, Daphne’s identity is being systematically erased by her husband, Jackson.
Through coercion, abuse, and manipulation, Jackson reduces Daphne to a vessel for his desires, undermining her autonomy and warping her sense of self. This duality between Amber’s active identity construction and Daphne’s forced erasure underscores how fragile selfhood becomes within rigid social hierarchies where power dynamics dominate every aspect of life.
The Disintegration of Morality Under the Weight of Material Obsession and Socioeconomic Aspirations
The Last Mrs. Parrish illustrates how morality disintegrates when characters are consumed by material obsession and the desire for upward mobility. Amber’s ruthless ambition to climb the social ladder is rooted in an insatiable greed, leading her to disregard any sense of ethics or compassion.
Her willingness to manipulate, deceive, and destroy the lives of others exposes the corrosive impact of unrestrained desire for wealth and status. This material obsession isn’t confined to Amber alone; Jackson Parrish’s moral compass is equally warped, as his wealth fuels his delusions of superiority and entitlement.
His ability to manipulate others through his money—whether by controlling Daphne or wooing Amber—reveals the way in which wealth becomes a tool of moral corruption in the novel. The novel suggests that the pursuit of material gain can obliterate empathy and humanity, reducing relationships to mere transactions.
Amber’s fixation on acquiring the life that Daphne leads blinds her to the moral compromises she makes along the way. The disintegration of her ethical boundaries reflects a broader societal commentary on the moral bankruptcy that often accompanies the ruthless quest for socioeconomic advancement, a critique not just of individuals but of the systems that reward such behavior.
The Commodification of Female Bodies and the Intersection of Power, Gender, and Abuse
A major theme in The Last Mrs. Parrish is the commodification of women’s bodies within a patriarchal framework, where female autonomy is systematically stripped away and reduced to a tool for male power. Jackson Parrish’s treatment of Daphne reflects the darkest elements of patriarchal control.
Her body is not only objectified but also weaponized against her. His sexual assaults, the control of her reproductive choices, and his obsession with producing a male heir point to the toxic blend of misogyny and entitlement that defines his sense of ownership over her.
Daphne is expected to fulfill the roles of both sexual object and perfect mother, an impossibly contradictory position that dehumanizes her at every turn. Amber’s experience, while initially different in its dynamics, eventually converges with Daphne’s.
Jackson’s abuse of Amber after their marriage reveals that all women in his life are subjected to the same oppressive system. The novel emphasizes how women in affluent environments are vulnerable to systemic abuses, despite their social status.
The Performance of Happiness and the Silent Desperation Beneath Domestic Facades
One of the novel’s more subtle yet pervasive themes is the exploration of how outward performances of happiness conceal deep layers of internal misery and discontent. Daphne Parrish’s life is presented to the outside world as a model of perfection—an enviable existence marked by luxury, beauty, and familial stability.
Yet, behind this façade lies a prison of emotional, psychological, and physical abuse that erodes her sense of self. The public image of the Parrish family is carefully cultivated, hiding the disturbing realities beneath the surface.
This performance of happiness speaks to the pressures that high society places on women like Daphne to present an impeccable image, no matter the personal cost. Amber, on the other hand, covets the outward trappings of this life, unaware of the darkness hidden behind the pristine exterior.
She believes that acquiring the wealth, status, and family will bring her happiness, only to find herself in the same miserable position as Daphne. The novel exposes the fallacy of equating material wealth with emotional fulfillment.
Both Amber and Daphne are ultimately trapped by societal expectations that demand they maintain these appearances. It is only through rejecting these performances that Daphne can truly free herself.
The Strategic Use of Psychological Manipulation as a Mechanism of Survival in Toxic Relationships
Throughout The Last Mrs. Parrish, characters employ psychological manipulation not only as a tool of deception but also as a mechanism for survival. Amber’s entire strategy revolves around manipulating those around her, using psychological tactics to ingratiate herself with Daphne, gain Jackson’s trust, and ultimately steal the life she desires.
Amber’s manipulation is calculated and predatory, reflecting a deeper understanding of how to exploit the weaknesses of others to achieve her goals. In contrast, Daphne’s use of psychological manipulation emerges as a defense mechanism against the oppressive forces controlling her life.
While initially a victim of Jackson’s psychological abuse, she gradually learns to weaponize manipulation for her own survival. Daphne’s psychological battle with Amber and Jackson becomes her path to reclaiming agency over her life, showing how manipulation, while morally dubious, can serve as a tool for self-preservation in toxic and abusive environments.