by Will Leitch
First published 2024
Tina Lamm suspects something terrible is happening behind the black door of Lindbergh's Pharmacy in Athens, Georgia. The fourth grade teacher has watched the beloved local institution long enough to know that dark secrets lurk within its walls. On one sweltering evening, her determination to expose the truth sets events in motion that will entangle six people inside the pharmacy. Theo carries the weight of family legacy and hidden shame. Daphne, a nurse and Army veteran, questions everything she once believed. Jason struggles to connect with his brilliant teenage son. Karson faces a career decision that challenges his principles. David fights to maintain his sobriety while isolation tests his resolve. Dorothy slowly rebuilds her life after losing her husband. As Tina's suspicions drive her toward drastic action, these seven lives collide in ways none of them expect. Their encounters reveal how ordinary people navigate moral complexity when circumstances force impossible choices.
Genres: fiction, drama, suspense, mystery, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: ensemble-cast, moral-dilemma, ordinary-people
Setting: Athens, Georgia, Lindbergh's Pharmacy
Period: Sweltering Evening
304 pages · Paperback · Harper Perennial
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, mental-illness