by Paul Monette
First published 2014
Mrs. Carroll has died, and vultures are already circling her beautiful Cape Cod estate. She wanted to protect the house from developers who would tear it down, but death came before she could change her will. Now her lover Phidias and houseboy David face an impossible task. They must save the property from lawyers and land grabbers who see only profit in its destruction. David recruits his ex-boyfriend Rick and enlists help from an aging Hollywood actress with questionable taste. Their plan grows increasingly desperate and absurd. To keep the estate safe, they decide to hide Mrs. Carroll's death entirely, going so far as to impersonate the deceased woman when suspicious lawyers come calling. This madcap scheme turns into a full-blown caper as the unlikely conspirators scramble to honor a dead woman's wishes while keeping her body hidden and her secret safe.
Genres: fiction, drama, mystery, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, unlikely-allies
Setting: Cape Cod
Period: 20th-century
Kindle Edition · Open Road Media