Mean Low Water

 

A myterious disappearance. A psychic secret. A transformative friendship. 

Psychic Charleston divorce attorney LeeLee Moretz's seemingly perfect life is upended by the reemergence of her first love...the recovering addict who may be responsible for her best friend's mysterious disappearance. 

2024 Pencraft Book Awards First Place Winner, Southern Fiction
2024 BookFest Award First Place Winner, Women's Fiction-Mystery
2024 BookFest Award First Place Winner, Supernatural Fiction-Paranormal & Psychic Phenomenon

Stephanie's new novel, MEAN LOW WATER (Red Adept Publishing), is now available in print and ebook on all major book retailers (with audio coming soon)!  Order MEAN LOW WATER here!

Like the Tipsy Collins Series, MEAN LOW WATER is a genre-bending work of Southern women's fiction that combines speculative elements (in this case, LeeLee and Ginny's shared prophetic and telepathic powers) with a driving mystery plot. MEAN LOW WATER touches on themes of friendship, smalltown life, romantic entanglements, marital challenges, and the power of nostalgia. Like many works of Southern literature, it leans into symbolism, humor, and a strong sense of place. MEAN LOW WATER is a great choice for a weekend reading binge or a book club discussion!

Early feedback is in, and readers and reviewers are loving MEAN LOW WATER!

"5 Stars...[with] a cast of profound characters...Alexander...nudges us to reach unexpected and eye-opening conclusions...a nail-biting mystery keeps us guessing about LeeLee's life-changing decision." -Readers' Favorite

"Alexander’s characters are well developed and feel authentic throughout...A strong sense of place [invests] readers not only in the story, but also in the welfare of the community the characters inhabit. The complex, fluid relationships of the main players ebb and flow over time, which reflects reality in a striking way.” -Kirkus Reviews

"Mean Low Water has all the best parts of its component genres, from rich characterization to an intriguing plot to a vibrant setting...highly recommend this book for people who want somethign literary without pretension or grounded with a fantastical touch." -Manhattan Book Review

"Emotive...striking a balance between whimsy and tension on topics including maturation, interpersonal struggles, and moving on from one’s past, this intricate novel toggles between points of view, events, and time periods well." -Foreward Clarion Reviews

"Stephanie Alexander thoroughly defines each character, utilizing a specific timeline from the perspective of Ginny and LeeLee to fully describe the individual emotions evolving from the two personalities. Furthermore Alexander does a remarkable job describing the lowcountry landscape. While 'Mean Low Water' is destined to be a female book club favorite, sensitive and smart readers will find Alexander's narrative equaling compelling. Sit on the back deck, or better still place a chair on the dock, pour a glass of wine and fully immerse yourself in 'Mean Low Water'. Just be mindful of the pluff mud." -Charleston.com

"Reading MEAN LOW WATER is like driving through the South in the month of May with your hair blowing in the wind and the scent of honeysuckle ticking your nose, until day turns to night and all hell breaks loose." -Barbara Conrey, USA Today bestselling author of Nowhere Near Goodybye

"With clairvoyance, a missing person, and more dark secrets than a Low Country swamp, Mean Low Water will keep you guessing until its shocking conclusion. Stephanie Alexander’s gifted storytelling pulls you in and doesn’t let go." -Jennifer Klepper, USA Today bestselling author of Unbroken Threads and The Last Road Trip

"Steeped in mystery and clairvoyance, this masterful southern suspernatural page-turner is a tale of friendships forged in youth and lost to time until someone goes missing...I couldn't put it down!" -Kristen Ness, author of At Loggerheads

Charleston City Paper is helping spread the word about MEAN LOW WATER! Read all about it here!

What's MEAN LOW WATER all about? Read on to find out!

Two small-town besties once shared everything. By age thirty-five, one woman is living a seemingly perfect life. The other may be dead.

Charleston divorce attorney Lisa “LeeLee” Moretz has a successful career, a beautiful family, and a coveted South of Broad address. But beneath the tranquil surface, her own marriage is crumbling. When her first love, Peace Smith, appears at her office with alarming news about her old friend Ginny Blankenship, LeeLee is catapulted into a missing-person case. She also realizes she's never truly gotten over Peace, who left town with Ginny a decade ago.

In high school, carefree daredevil Ginny makes no secret of her prophetic powers, but dark addictions are budding under her chaotic charm. When Ginny meets cautious new girl LeeLee, she’s surprised to discover they share the ability to see into the future and the past. Ginny embraces LeeLee and draws her into a tight-knit circle of friends, including Peace, Ginny’s charismatic but troubled boyfriend.

Now Peace has returned to the Lowcountry, but he’s a prime suspect in Ginny’s disappearance. LeeLee must uncover the truth about Ginny, and her own future hinges on Peace’s innocence. Through LeeLee and Ginny’s divergent life trajectories and complicated bond, Mean Low Water explores the power of lifelong relationships.