First published 2004
Ray and Ivy find themselves deposited at the Noland estate after their parents get sentenced for embezzlement. Their new guardians, Marietta Noland and her elderly husband Lionel, provide luxury but little warmth. The siblings quickly discover that their temporary home harbors strange secrets. A mysterious covered portrait dominates one room. A spider lives inside an old wedding cake that nobody throws away. Marietta wields a peculiar tool to behead her breakfast eggs with startling violence. When Ray starts wetting the bed, Marietta's patience evaporates and the situation deteriorates rapidly. Ivy realizes they cannot rely on adult protection. The children begin investigating their surroundings like detectives, gathering intelligence about the household's routines and vulnerabilities. Their reconnaissance mission transforms into an elaborate scheme to outwit Marietta at her own game.
Genres: suspense, mystery, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Noland Estate
224 pages · Hardcover · Front Street, Incorporated
Content warnings: abuse, child-abuse, emotional-abuse