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Lauren McClain

The psychotic Lauren McClain

Lauren McClain (Julia Zook) is the hidden main villainess from the 2024 Lifetime film, The Book Club Murders (airdate October 3, 2024),

Backstory[]

Lauren McClain was originally described as a missing teenage girl who was the best friend of co-main protagonist Gwen Johnston. Her backstory revealed that she had been living with the Johnston family until she was kicked out of the house, and the film's events stated that she had been missing and presumed deceased. In actuality, Lauren had been hiding out and enacting a vengeful plot against those she felt wronged her, with her plan beginning with returning to the Johnston house and setting it on fire, with the fire killing Gwen's father (Natalie's husband).

Events[]

Aletheia

Lauren's heel persona after killing Wendy Novak

In the film's events, Lauren continued hiding out and started sending letters to various members of a book club led by Wendy Novak, doing so under the name "Aletheia." The letters contained secrets about each member, and it began with Lauren overhearing her school's counselor, April Brandt, receiving a payment from Anita Taylor to get her daughter, Tori Taylor accepted into college. She later sent letters to not only April and Anita, but also Meredith Evans (regarding her husband Jeff's affair with Wendy), and even Natalie. However, while Lauren relished over knowing the club's dirty secrets, she decided that just tormenting them wasn't enough, and afterwards, the evil Lauren plotted to kill her intended victims.

Her first victim was Anita, who Lauren stabbed to death, and she smothered April with a plastic bag. The villainess later discovered that Wendy had recognized Lauren's handwriting on the note, and afterwards, Lauren returned to the bookstore and strangled Wendy to death. Her plan was to frame Gwen for the murders, and it led to Gwen being taken into custody, but released shortly afterwards. The film's climax saw Gwen and her love interest, Tony Chandler, visit Lauren's grandmother to ask about the day of Lauren's disappearance, only for their investigation to see Gwen notices a deranged shrine belonging to Lauren, who knocked out Tony before attacking Lauren and tying her up in the attic.

Lauren voiced her anger at Gwen following her reveal; blaming Gwen for ignoring her and abandoning her, while also boasting about her evil actions. The madwoman also informed Gwen that she would kill Natalie, who she lured to the house under the threat of killing Gwen, and it was followed by Lauren revealing her entire scheme to Natalie, who she lashed out at for kicking her out of the house. Lauren, while wielding a bat, informed Natalie that she would set her up for all of the murders, which was followed by Natalie attempting to wrestle the bat from Lauren's possession. After knocking down Natalie, Lauren was set on killing Natalie, only to be knocked out from behind by Gwen, after which Lauren was handcuffed and arrested.

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