Jodi Picoult's extraordinary tale of love, friendship and family dares to explore the terrifying secrets that lurk in the hearts of the people we think we know inside and out. Emily Gold and Chris Harte are soul mates. They have lived next door since they were born, sharing everything from chicken pox to Chinese food, and in high school their friendship blossoms into something more. Then a midnight call from the hospital changes everything: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris took from his father's cabinet - a bullet Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a detective has doubts about the suicide pact theory and slowly Chris's and Emily's closely guarded secrets are revealed as the real truth about the lead up to that night unfolds. The Pact is a compelling story of friendship and family, betrayal and anguish, and the unforeseen consequences of love.