“Page-turner” definitely describes this book, but not in a thrilling, seat-of-your-pants way. Rather, it was unwinding tension that slowly crept up, making me wonder if anyone was telling anyone else the truth.
Although it wasn’t twisty like the characters were pathological liars. It was an astute and highly accurate portrayal of the lies that people tell each other (and themselves) to simply maintain some kind of normalcy or relative calm in their lives.
The author starts with the murder of a young woman and spirals the story out from that point. Each character has a connection to the woman and some of those are more obvious than others. As the investigation into her death proceeds, the reader learns just how many secrets there are in the small town.
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The story is told in alternating points of view between the three female characters, Caroline, Evvy, and Daisy. I thought that the character development was extremely well-done. I could sense their changes in perspective as they came to realizations about their lives. This was especially true of Daisy. I think she was my favorite
Although Caroline and Evvy had their own growth, I got the sense that they were held back by their own feelings of being too old – choosing (for the most part) to accept what life was handing them.
For example, Caroline never really wanted to stay on the island; she thought it would be temporary. After decades of marriage and raising a family, it is what it is (to her). But, when something happens late in the book, and she has the opportunity to finally leave, she realizes that she has built a home and leaving might not be as easy as she thought.
Daisy, however, shows real growth and maturity as she struggles between loyalty to helping her mom and embracing opportunities to better herself and her situation. I really enjoyed her chapters, as I felt her to be the most sympathetic.
Once the case is solved, all that’s left is for the characters to pick up the pieces. I did figure out who the killer was, but I think many people will be surprised. I would definitely recommend this family drama story for taut storytelling and sharp commentary on the lies we all tell – whether we realize it or not.
Twitter: @admin@emilymcavanagh
Author Bio:
A teacher as well as a writer, Emily Cavanagh lives with her husband, two daughters, and an Australian Shepherd on Martha’s Vineyard Island. Her work has been published in Red Rock Review, Grain Magazine, Transfer, and Martha’s Vineyard Arts and Ideas. Read more about Emily’s work and life at www.emilycavanaghauthor.com.
