by Nina Simon
First published 2023
Lana Rubicon built a real estate empire in Los Angeles through sharp intelligence and perfect taste. Now she sits in a quiet coastal town three hundred miles north, recovering from cancer treatment alongside her adult daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack. Lana counts otters instead of square footage and wonders if boredom might finish her before the disease does. Then Jack discovers a dead body during a kayaking trip. The police consider the fierce, small teenager a suspect in the murder case. The three Rubicon women face sudden chaos. Beth wants her mother to concentrate on getting well. Lana chooses a different path. She puts on her wig and decides to find the real killer, shield her family, and show she still holds power. The trio digs into the town's secrets and uncovers family grudges, property fights, and deception hiding beneath the surface. Wealthy ranchers and environmental activists both harbor dark motives. As their investigation moves into dangerous ground, the stubborn Rubicon women must master something they have always avoided. They need to rely on each other.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, investigative-journalism
Setting: Los Angeles, United States
Period: 21st-century
357 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: death, murder