The Note

by Alafair Burke

First published 2025

May Hanover built her reputation as the Little Sheriff during childhood. Her first-generation Chinese mother demanded perfection, and May delivered. She followed every rule, earned top grades, and never stepped out of line. But even model daughters harbor secrets about their friendships. Now May reunites with Lauren and Kelsey in the Hamptons after years apart. Their trio formed when May was twelve, surviving tragedy, scandals, and heartbreak together. The getaway promises sun and relaxation until they meet two strangers. Alcohol flows, judgment falters, and what starts as harmless mischief spirals into something far worse. Police arrive asking urgent questions. May finds herself at the center of their investigation, wondering what her friends have done. Lauren and Kelsey seem to be hiding something, forcing May to question loyalties she thought were unbreakable. The bonds that held them together for decades now threaten to tear apart under the weight of whatever happened that night.

Genres: fiction, mystery, contemporary, thriller

Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator

Setting: Hamptons

287 pages · Hardcover · Knopf

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