Sabree Warner's biggest mistake wasn't taking the job—it was being born.
But someone doesn't want her digging. A car nearly runs her down on a quiet street and speeds away, and her apartment is vandalized. Undeterred, Sabree probes further and uncovers a twisted game of corporate espionage. The abandoned drugs weren't shelved by accident—they were buried to hide a secret that could destroy the Montague empire.
Then Sabree discovers her connection to the powerful Montague family runs deeper—and deadlier—than she could ever imagine. As a vicious succession battle rages, someone has been watching her every move, someone who has already killed to keep the truth about her identity buried. In this world of ambition and ruthless power games, Sabree is fighting for more than answers.
She's fighting to stay alive.
Because in the Montague family, secrets don't stay hidden, they get eliminated.
Book Details:
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Published by: Indie
Publication Date: October 22, 2025
Number of Pages: 350
ISBN: 979-8-9913219-6-9
GUEST POST:
Why The Forbidden Heiress Needed a STEM Protagonist By Gledé Browne Kabongo
When I set out to write The Forbidden Heiress, I knew one thing with absolute certainty: my protagonist had to be a scientist. Not a journalist. Not a lawyer. Not someone stumbling accidentally into danger. Sabree Warner needed to be a cancer researcher—and that choice shaped everything about this thriller.
Here's why.
The Plot Demanded Scientific Expertise
When we first meet Sabree, she's grieving the loss of her mother April from a rare form of cancer. Off the bat, the irony is glaring. Here was a brilliant cancer researcher who couldn't save her own mother, couldn't even give her the extra days and months she desperately needed. So when Sabree's determined to ensure her work would one day save lives, she can't believe her luck when she lands her dream job at Montague Pharmaceuticals.
Her first assignment at Montague Pharma wasn't the groundbreaking strategy to attack cancer cells that she spent her postdoctoral fellowship refining. It was to figure out why treatments that could save lives were mysteriously shelved. To uncover why these drugs were buried, my protagonist needed the expertise to understand what she was looking at.
A journalist could ask questions. A lawyer could file requests. But only a scientist could read the data, recognize the patterns, and understand the shocking implications of what someone at Montague Pharma had done. Sabree doesn't just suspect something's wrong—she can prove it because she speaks the language of pharmaceutical research.
Her scientific background is the key that unlocks the entire conspiracy. One with a devastating personal connection she didn't see coming.
Corporate Thrillers Need Inside Knowledge
There's a reason corporate thrillers work: they explore spaces where power, money, and expertise intersect. When billions of dollars are at stake and decisions affect whether people live or die, you need a protagonist who belongs in that world.
When Sabree walks into Montague Pharma, she's seen as just a "junior researcher" by those in power until they realize she's dangerous to their ambition. Her understanding of drug development pipelines, clinical trial protocols, and regulatory requirements is the kind of insider perspective that creates a different kind of tension than the "amateur sleuth" trope.
Representation Matters—Especially in Thrillers
Women in STEM deserve to see themselves as thriller protagonists. They deserve stories where scientific expertise is portrayed as powerful, where analytical thinking becomes a survival tool, and where professional competence doesn't conflict with being fully human, vulnerable, and complex.
Scientists Make Compelling Thriller Heroes
There's something inherently compelling about watching a methodical, evidence-based thinker navigate a world of lies and deception.
Sabree approaches the conspiracy the way she'd approach research: form hypotheses, gather data, test theories, adjust based on evidence. Her scientific training becomes both her greatest strength and her vulnerability—she wants proof, but sometimes survival requires acting before all the data is in.
This creates fascinating internal conflict. When does careful analysis become dangerous hesitation? When does seeking truth become suicidal stubbornness? Scientists are trained to question, to dig deeper, to not accept surface explanations, which is exactly what gets Sabree targeted by people who need their secrets to stay buried.
The Story Chose Her
Ultimately, The Forbidden Heiress needed a STEM protagonist because the story demanded it. But Sabree Warner isn't just a scientist—she's a survivor, an investigator, and ultimately, an heir claiming her own story despite a dynasty determined to erase he
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Author Bio:
Gledé Browne Kabongo writes twisty, unputdownable psychological thrillers about resilient women navigating dark secrets, deadly lies, and impossible choices. A multiple award-winning indie author, her books resonate best with readers who enjoy thrillers with complex characters, dark secrets, multiple deceptions and betrayals, unforgettable twists, and intellectual and emotional engagement.
Her novels include: A Game of Malice, Our Wicked Lies, Fool Me Twice, Conspiracy of Silence,Fearless Series.
Readers have described Gledé’s work as "unbelievably addictive," "brilliant," "unputdownable," and "haunting and complex."
Gledé has spoken at multiple industry events including the Boston Book Festival, Sisters in Crime (SinC) New England Crime Bake, and the Women in Publishing Summit. She lives outside Boston with her family.
Catch Up With Gledé Browne Kabongo:
www.GledeKabongo.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @GledBrowneKabongo
Instagram - @authorgledekabongo
Facebook - @gledekabongoauthor
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