First published 2021
Letty Carnahan finds her sister Tanya dead in a New York townhouse. She knows Tanya's ex-boyfriend Evan Wingfield killed her. Before dying, Tanya made Letty promise to take four-year-old Maya and run if anything happened. Letty grabs Tanya's Mercedes, cash, and diamond ring, then drives to Florida with her wailing niece. They end up at The Murmuring Surf Motel on Treasure Island, the only clue Tanya left behind. The motel houses suspicious retirees who distrust newcomers. Letty moves into a former storage room and tries to comfort Maya while piecing together Tanya's mysterious past. The motel owner's son Joe complicates everything. He attracts Letty but works as a local police detective. Letty must uncover the truth about her sister's secrets while avoiding detection. She faces a choice between safety and romance as danger closes in around them.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: danger-close, fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Florida, New York, Treasure Island
Period: Contemporary
448 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Press
Content warnings: death, murder