Many of us are already familiar with the statistics about domestic violence and have likely heard stories through people we know. But data alone can’t capture what it actually feels like to live inside that reality. In her new book, Madness in Memphis, licensed counselor Patricia Gordon Stevens draws from her own lived experience and years of sitting with survivors to take readers inside the fear, isolation and impossible choices abused women face.
One in four women in the wealthiest nations — including the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom — are living in domestic violence relationships. And while the statistics are staggering, they can’t convey the emotional toll that defines life with a violent partner, so licensed counselor Patricia Gordon Stevens wrote a book that would do just that. Drawing on her lived experience and her work with trauma survivors, in Madness in Memphis Stevens exposes the emotional and psychological realities of domestic violence.
“Statistics and comprehensive data are only part of the story,” Stevens said. “I wanted to create a narrative that would force readers to live through the fear and come away with a better understanding of why a woman cannot simply ‘just leave.’”
In her new book, Madness in Memphis, readers meet Morgan Sage, a devoted mother and successful stockbroker who longs to give her children the stability of a loving home. When she remarries, she believes she’s found that missing piece until her new husband’s charm gives way to cruelty. What begins as emotional manipulation escalates into stalking and physical terror, leaving Morgan trapped in a cycle of fear and self-doubt.
Supported by a small circle of allies — her mother, best friend, her brilliant work colleague and her new, compassionate attorney — Morgan discovers the strength to confront the man who vowed to love her but instead sought to destroy her. The story’s chilling realism reflects the lived experience of many women who endure years of coercion and control before finding a path to safety.
“I want people to know what it’s really like for a woman to live with a stalker and violent abuser — someone who is supposed to love her,” Stevens said. “It’s a dark, relentless world, but it’s not hopeless. There is a way out.”
Part psychological thriller, part survival story, Madness in Memphis blends gripping fiction with emotional truth, offering not only suspense but also understanding. The author’s background in counseling adds depth and authenticity, allowing her to explore trauma and recovery with compassion and insight.
“If a woman surrounds herself with the right support systems and people, she can find a way to flee with her children,” Stevens added. “But it’s nearly impossible to do it alone.”
Madness in Memphis is both a page-turner and a call to awareness — a reminder that behind closed doors, too many women face unseen danger, and that empathy and education remain vital in ending the cycle of abuse.
Midwest Book Review calls it, “An original, crafted psychological thriller that is a simply fascinating read from start to finish.”
