First published 2009
A successful memoirist comes back to Baltimore hunting for material for her next book. She learns that a former grade school classmate faces accusations of a terrible crime. The writer decides to weave this tragedy together with memories from her childhood years. Her old friends turn against her project. They seem driven by anger and jealousy as they work to undermine her research. The writer must continue her investigation without their help. She digs deeper into what happened to her classmate and discovers that her own life story may be built on false assumptions. Her father, her past, and her own identity come under scrutiny. The pursuit of truth in this contemporary case forces her to confront uncomfortable realities about herself. The stories we construct about our lives may not belong to us alone.
Genres: fiction, suspense, mystery, crime, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: Baltimore
Period: 21st-century
352 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow