One night, the ghost of Molly Dufresne, came to Laurel's bedroom and lead her to her drowned body in the family swimming pool. Laurel Hawthorne and her husband, David, live with their daughter, Shelby, in the closed-gate community of Victorianna.
Molly is a neighbor and one of Shelby friends. But Molly wasn't supposed to be over because Bet Clemmons, a relative of Laurel's from the poverty stricken, mining town of DeLop, is spending two weeks with her.
The police suspect Shelby or Bet, but Laurel thinks it might be their strange bachelor neighbor who she knows she caught a glimpse of in the crowd that gathered outside their home that evening. She suspects him because he doesn't live near them and she believes he would only be there if he'd caused the girl to drown.
The police rule Molly's death an accident, but Laurel doesn't believe it is. She enlists the help of her estranged sister, Thalia, an actress married to a gay man. She has to mend the breach between herself and her sister to get her help and goes against her husband's wishes to bring Thalia to their home to help.
Together they unravel the mystery of how Molly came to drown in the Hawthorne's swimming pool and how things are never what they seem.
There are all sorts of little mysteries in this story.
Laurel is from poverty stricken DeLop and she does not allow her daughter to go to DeLop â even for the annual trip to take holiday gifts and food to the relatives there. Shelby really wishes to go on these trips, but Laurel's only acquiescence on this is to allow her to develop a relationship with Bet. Laurel's unwillingness to embrace her connection to DeLop leads to the drowning.
The gated community of Victorianna also leads to the drowning. Most people in the neighborhood are not aware that Molly's family is falling apart. Her mother is drunk most of the time and her parents constantly fight, In fact, just before she drowns, her father has filed for divorce.
And there's the strange bachelor who's moved into the home of his mother after her death. He doesn't have a job and takes regular jogs through the neighbor wearing skimpy shorts and no shirt. Laurel is sure that he is some sort of predator and has warned her daughter away from ever going into his home.
Her sister, Thalia, is certain that her marriage to David is a farce and that Laurel cannot possibly be truly happy with her life. She agrees to help her sister resolve the drowning mystery, but at the same time she also wants to prove to Laurel that she has a miserable life with David. She even takes Laurel to a fancy restaurant where David is having lunch with a work colleague who obviously sees more to the relationship than just work. But does David see their relationship the same way?
Laurel is certain that she's been doing everything she can to protect and raise her daughter and be a good wife, but has she been? Should she listen to Thalia â a woman with a fake marriage (afterall her husband is gay) â or should she do like her mother â ignore her DeLop roots and do her best to disconnect except for the supposed works of charity at Christmas?
I really enjoyed this book. It has some good plot twists and the ending was a bit of surprise.
Molly is a neighbor and one of Shelby friends. But Molly wasn't supposed to be over because Bet Clemmons, a relative of Laurel's from the poverty stricken, mining town of DeLop, is spending two weeks with her.
The police suspect Shelby or Bet, but Laurel thinks it might be their strange bachelor neighbor who she knows she caught a glimpse of in the crowd that gathered outside their home that evening. She suspects him because he doesn't live near them and she believes he would only be there if he'd caused the girl to drown.
The police rule Molly's death an accident, but Laurel doesn't believe it is. She enlists the help of her estranged sister, Thalia, an actress married to a gay man. She has to mend the breach between herself and her sister to get her help and goes against her husband's wishes to bring Thalia to their home to help.
Together they unravel the mystery of how Molly came to drown in the Hawthorne's swimming pool and how things are never what they seem.
There are all sorts of little mysteries in this story.
Laurel is from poverty stricken DeLop and she does not allow her daughter to go to DeLop â even for the annual trip to take holiday gifts and food to the relatives there. Shelby really wishes to go on these trips, but Laurel's only acquiescence on this is to allow her to develop a relationship with Bet. Laurel's unwillingness to embrace her connection to DeLop leads to the drowning.
The gated community of Victorianna also leads to the drowning. Most people in the neighborhood are not aware that Molly's family is falling apart. Her mother is drunk most of the time and her parents constantly fight, In fact, just before she drowns, her father has filed for divorce.
And there's the strange bachelor who's moved into the home of his mother after her death. He doesn't have a job and takes regular jogs through the neighbor wearing skimpy shorts and no shirt. Laurel is sure that he is some sort of predator and has warned her daughter away from ever going into his home.
Her sister, Thalia, is certain that her marriage to David is a farce and that Laurel cannot possibly be truly happy with her life. She agrees to help her sister resolve the drowning mystery, but at the same time she also wants to prove to Laurel that she has a miserable life with David. She even takes Laurel to a fancy restaurant where David is having lunch with a work colleague who obviously sees more to the relationship than just work. But does David see their relationship the same way?
Laurel is certain that she's been doing everything she can to protect and raise her daughter and be a good wife, but has she been? Should she listen to Thalia â a woman with a fake marriage (afterall her husband is gay) â or should she do like her mother â ignore her DeLop roots and do her best to disconnect except for the supposed works of charity at Christmas?
I really enjoyed this book. It has some good plot twists and the ending was a bit of surprise.
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