Mary M. (emeraldfire) - , reviewed on 4/28/2017

Something just doesn't seem right in beautiful Gordonston. It may not be anything particularly noticeable, but something is most definitely peculiar about this charming little community in Savannah. Somewhere beneath the leafy shade of its trees and behind the friendly faces of its residents, not everything is as it appears. Something dark and destructive lurks behind the genteel southern facade.

The friends and fellow members of her afternoon cocktail club gather to reminisce and mourn the passing of Thelma Miller, but not everything is as it seems. As her three remaining friends gather together to reminisce about their memories of Thelma, to walk their dogs, and to gossip about their neighbors no one realizes just how little they actually know about each other. Apparently, it would seem that everyone who is anyone in Gordonston has something to hide. And, as such an intertwined web of lies and deceits insinuates itself into the middle class neighborhood, is anyone really who they seem to be?

When Thelma's closest friends begin vying for the attentions of her widower - local alderman and mayoral candidate, Elliott Miller - petty jealousies surface and a longstanding friendship begins to fray. A kindly elderly lady with an infamous uncle hides a dark secret, and plots revenge for a perceived wrong that was perpetrated against her family over thirty years before. A formerly illustrious children's author with secrets of his own is also haunted by memories of his past. And Kelly Hudd, a vivacious, bubbly newlywed - and aspiring model - has just won herself an all-expense paid trip to the destination of a lifetime.

An extraordinary cast of characters features strongly in this story of intrigue, deception and revenge; and some very intriguing questions come to mind. Questions such as: what exactly does a recently retired accountant have to keep from his lovely new bride? And just why would Carla Zipp - a former showgirl from Las Vegas and an attractive widow of only sixty-two - suddenly feel the need for plastic surgery? However, as long-buried secrets are unearthed and the lessons learned from history - both deeply-rooted and more recent - disintegrate and disappear from the collective psyche; a murderer stalks his next victim.

An enigmatic European gentleman befriends a young businessman in South America; a distinguished Italian count wanders the streets of Paris; and a charismatic, kind-hearted nephew - an altruistically-minded charity organizer based in India - returns to Savannah for a brief visit. As a mysterious organization with tenuous links to organized crime attempts to extend its influence around the globe; a handsome fire fighter who can do no wrong and a trio of widows with deeply hidden agendas round out this complex cast. Amid the thrilling twists and turns of a story that will lead to a stunning sucker punch of an ending, the Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club's primary concern still remains the aesthetics of their neighborhood park - and locating the culprit who refuses to 'scoop' after his dog walking sessions in their treasured park.

I must say that it took me quite some time to finally read this book. It's been on my TBR pile for almost four years and I have only just gotten the chance to read it. To be perfectly honest, I don't know why I waited so long to read the book; I found that the story was very interesting and fast-paced.

I was caught up with the mystery right away and avidly wanted to see what would happen next. I'm curious to find out how the series will develop and give this book a solid A! In my opinion, this was an intriguing start to Mr. Whitehead's series, and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details