This book was not what I was expecting. It starts with Nick and Helena, cousins who have been living together while their husbands were away at war, and describes how their lives change when one husband comes back and the other does not. What follows is an examination of their relationships told from five different perspectives, including that of Nick, Helena, their children, and Nick's husband. It culminates in a much darker than expected twist that shows just how dysfunctional the family has become.The author does an excellent job of setting up the various relationships, of showing how they change over the course of a number of years when faced with a variety of internal and external dramas. There is a subtly in the way she writes Nick and Helena particularly that was enjoyable to read.What ultimately let the story down for me, however, was the ending. While not usually opposed to an open ending, this felt too caught between being resolved and not. It seemed rushed. Extra plot points were introduced and dropped within the space of a few pages. As a consequence, the ending felt abrupt and not entirely believable. Just when you thought this was something for "summer reading" the story changes. It was billed as being about rich people vacationing on Martha's Vineyard and then family secrets are revealed. I'm thinking infidelities, a gay child, etc. I wasn't thinking serial killer. A really interesting look at 50's culture and how it affected the generation that came next. Thank God we've thrown most of those old ideas off - yes, you can wear white after Labor Day. Sorry, mom.
Do You like book Tigers In Red Weather (2012)?
A readable beach read with a typical "shocking" reveal ending.
—RitaRihani
