Based on the eponymous book by Elin Hilderbrand, it’s the story of an influential American family dealing with a tragedy during a wedding weekend. Although this unfortunate incident occurs during the busy 4th of July weekend, the backstory stretches back a couple of years, providing an intricate background to what happened.

This is the story of the wealthy, old money family called Garrison Winbury, which is gearing up for the wedding of their second son, Benji, to Amelia Sacks. His parents are reluctant to this match as the bride has nothing in common with their influential and wealthy, colorful lives. Although Tag Winbury is the head of the family,

it is managed (controlled??) by the matriarch, Greer Garrison Winbury. They also have two more sons besides  Benji- Thomas and Will. While Thomas is married to Abby, Will is trying to deal with typical teenage life issues. 

Then, Merritt Monaco, Amelia’s best friend and the Maid of Honor for the upcoming nuptials, enters the picture. She is stereotypically the party girl who is always looking for a good time and enjoys the company of wealthy men. So, it’s unsurprising that she is having her secret affair on the sidelines of Amelia’s engagement and eventual wedding with Benji. However, there are shockwaves across the household when her lover’s identity is revealed through the series of subsequent dramatic events.

The story styling and execution feel slow and recurring for the initial two episodes, but they pick up speed once the police gather steam. As everyone has something or else to gain from Merit’s death, the focus of the investigation keeps on shifting from one character to another like a roaming pendulum. We get shocking and intriguing revelations about prominent family members and their dearest and closest friends, like Isabel Nallet and Shooter Dival.

When a budding friendship, an unexpected heartbreak, an unforeseen love triangle, and another adulterous affair are added to this heady mix, we get a tightly knit storyline packing punches and delivering gobsmacking surprises till the very end. The family finally faces the consequences of their dirty secrets, Amelia’s realization, and finally, the thawing of the ice queen Greer comes as the much-welcomed silver linings to this dysfunctional, dramatic family murder mystery.

Fast-paced sequences packed in a crisp storyline and complicated characters brought to life by accomplished actors make this a highly recommended watch. Do add it to your Netflix list.