Spoil yourself for this book before you read it. The number one complaint I read in the reviews for it were that people got frustrated trying to figure out what happened at the barbeque, and since that’s the least important thing about the book, they were underwhelmed when it finally did happen. So yes, spoil yourself, and then go in and read Truly Madly Guilty, Moriarty’s book about friendship, trauma, and how trauma shapes our lives.
Non-spoilery summary as follows. Three couples have a barbeque one day, and a terrible accident happens that abruptly ends their evening. Erika and Oliver a quiet, nerdy couple, Vid and Tiffany the outrageous next door neighbors, and Clementine and Sam the parent’s of two little girls who just need some distraction. Erika and Clementine have been friends since childhood, and their friendship is fraught with love, guilt, and resentment. Erika and Oliver both had difficult childhood’s and for Erika Clementine and her family were a lifeline. The book is told in two different timelines; the day leading up to the barbeque and the accident and then one day a few weeks after the day of the barbeque.
I enjoyed the book quite a bit, but that’s mostly because I did spoil myself for what actually happened at the barbeque and so I enjoyed the book for what it was, rather than expecting something huge to happen. I think Moriarty did the book a disservice by using her plotting trick of two timelines intersecting at a crucial moment but not revealing what that moment is until much later in the book. The ‘shocking’ event isn’t the point of this book at all nor is it the center of the various plots that lead up to it and happen after it. By framing it as the center of the two timelines, the event is given an artificial importance that sets the reader up for disappointment. The focus of this book is more how the characters react to the event, and the repercussions of the event, and that’s not how the book is set up. Much like M. Knight Shyamalan has gotten stuck with his shocking plot twist ending, I think Moriarty may have gotten stuck with her plot twisty tricks.
Do I recommend the book? Yes, with a caveat. It’s a decent addition to Moriarty’s catalogue, though definitely not her best, but definitely spoil yourself for the plot. You’ll enjoy the book more.