Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata and Bonnie have been friends for quite a while. It is almost miraculous, as they’ve shared a major trauma that might have split the group. But when Madeline, the outspoken, if slightly distracted, leader of their group plans a splashy bash for her own fiftieth birthday, they are all there to support her. Little does she know what surprises lay ahead of her during and after this party. And how it will all tie into the mysterious package their kids’ high school principal has received.
This sequel to Big Little Lies was one of the hardest novels for me to summarize – and I know I did not do it justice. There are so many intertwined stories, with threads winding not only around the friends but also around their teenage children – and every one of them ties in with another. To further complicate the plot, there is the underlying mystery that their children, students at the local high school, become embroiled in. It is all an ingenious tangle of threads, each captivating in its own right, and each intertwined with each other. And while the twists are not shocking, they are still written with such warmth and humor – and a bit of horror – that they keep you wanting more throughout this delightful narrative.
Moriarty absolutely has a gift for storytelling – and it is on full display here. I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t go on, but do yourself a favor and read this one! I promise you will enjoy it!
