In a seemingly laid-back community of Sycamore Glen, two women-Sloane Thompson and Clara Gartner, tell a story. A story about a teenager called Margaret who is connected to both of them through their children. Margaret works as a part time babysitter for Sloane’s daughter Daisy who is suffering from poor health since childhood and requires special attention despite her age. In the case of Clara, Margaret is dating her son.
Sloane is still settling in this town and finds it difficult to build any real connections with anyone from the local community.
This changes as soon as Harper and Ben Wilson move in as her next-door neighbors. Sloane is drawn to them almost immediately especially towards Harper who seems cold, calculated and eccentric from the outside. But as the story progresses we get to see her chequered past and how those experiences have shaped her relationship with Ben.
On the other side of the town, Clara is busy being a perfect hostess, wife and mother. She has built a solid reputation for herself and her family in the local community. It’s more to do with her influential husband- Evan Gartner and his social status among the upper middle-class people of this town. So, Clara tries to complement him by being socially active with various fundraisers and committees for different benefit projects. Moreover, she is actively involved in her children’s lives to raise them with appropriate values and respect as a devoted mother.
Clara is also acutely aware of her husband- Evan’s secret life and how he has stepped outside the boundaries of their marriage to have one or multiple affairs over the period of their marriage. Still she is shocked to hear about her husband’s transgressions from at least two women in Sycamore Glen, one of them happens to be her close friend. That unnerves her and pushes her towards separation from her husband. But before she could act on it, Margaret’s sudden disappearance puts a break on her plans as Clara’s son becomes a prime suspect.
So, it’s interesting to read how these seemingly parallel narratives come together to form a consistent story and how their realities collide when the truth behind Margaret’s unfortunate disappearance comes to light. By the end of it, both Sloane Thompson and Clara Gartner bond over their shared trauma and consequences resulting from Margaret’s untimely demise.
Although this book is touted as a puzzling murder mystery, you will be able to unravel the truth if you are used to reading such small-town crime thrillers. Even if the mystery part falters in execution, what stands out is author’s style of building characters and giving them depth with solid backstories. For bringing forth difficult topics like domestic abuse and building substantial plot around a complicated subject, we certainly have to admire author’s writing expertise. It makes a worthy addition for a breezy reading experience. So, do check it out!!
*This post is based on the ARC copy provided by NetGalley.