First published 2012
Adam Blaine travels to Martha's Vineyard for his estranged father's funeral. Ben Blaine was a celebrated writer, patriarch of his family, and lover of sailboats, fine wine, and women who weren't his wife. Adam discovers that Ben fell from a cliff under mysterious circumstances. He also learns that his father disinherited his mother, uncle, and brother, leaving everything to Carla Pacelli, a beautiful television actress with a troubled past who was Ben's mistress. Adam suspects his father's death was murder. Drawing on his CIA training, Adam works to hide evidence that points to family members while fighting to overturn the will that favors the enigmatic Carla. As he navigates this dangerous path, Adam risks his freedom and his life. He uncovers disturbing family secrets that force him to question everything he believed about his mother, uncle, brother, and Carla. Most troubling of all, these revelations make him doubt his understanding of his own life.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller, family-drama
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Martha's Vineyard
Period: Contemporary
278 pages · Hardcover · Scribner
Content warnings: death