|
[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
In this ingeniously plotted thriller, six friends (and two teenage children) gather to celebrate a 40th birthday for Alice Stone. As they celebrate, they speculate on the recent murder of Laurel Thibodeau, who owned a popular bistro in town with her husband. While many of the residents of Monreith, Massachusetts, suspect Laurel's husband, the police have not arrested him. He had motive, but also an airtight alibi.
Could the killer be one of the six gathered at the party? They all have secrets and at least a few of them seem capable of murder—and all of them seem capable of deception. In addition to Alice, there's her husband Damian, a documentary filmmaker who is following a story about a possible serial killer; police chief Max Barbosa; Unitarian minister Georgia Fitzhugh; and Georgia's soon-to-be-ex, Richard Macomber, who is now a couple with local therapist Farley Drake.
Later that night, after the little party is over, one of the six is found dead outside the Stones' home in yet another brutal murder.
We learn what has occurred in the days before and after that party through each of these characters, including Georgia and Richard's 13-year-old daughter, Chloe, who holds a crucial clue. But, with all the secrets they are keeping, we aren't quite sure who is reliable and trustworthy.
While it's interesting to get the different points of view of each character, there is a downside to this plot device. At times, the story feels repetitive because we've already heard about certain plot points or character histories. I found myself speed-reading through some pages. Despite this, the story will keep you guessing until the final reveal, told through one unique voice.
§ Lourdes Venard is an editor for an education nonprofit and a copy editing instructor with the University of California, San Diego. She lives in Washington State.
Reviewed by Lourdes Venard, February 2024
[ Top ]
QUICK SEARCH:
Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]
| 
