Bethany Joy Lenz releases debut novel The Betrayal of Cora Wexford

Actress Bethany Joy Lenz has released her debut fiction novel, titled The Betrayal of Cora Wexford, on October 20 from publisher Simon and Schuster. According to Woman's World and The Hollywood Reporter, the book marks a move into fiction for the former One Tree Hill star following her earlier writing work. [1][2]

The Hollywood Reporter reports that the story is set in the 1880s during the Jack the Ripper era. The novel follows Cora, a 38-year-old American who moves to London to work as a postmortem portraiture artist, painting women whose deaths were enabled or caused by an indifferent system. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Lenz drew on her personal experiences with manipulation when writing the thriller. [2]

In an interview with Woman's World, Lenz disclosed that she painted the artwork for the book cover herself, describing the opportunity as a total fluke. In 2024, Lenz published a memoir about her life on a cult television show, titled Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show, which became a bestseller. [1]