Three couples are gathered for a barbecue when a tragedy happens in a second. Everyone is left spiraling outwards, marriages in turmoil, mental health ragged, family relationships impaired. A single moment is all that’s needed to change lives.

I was wary going into this book. While I loved Big Little Lies, I really disliked The Husband’s Secret and I didn’t know which of the two categories this one would fall into. Turns out, it’s the former (thankfully). I sped through this book and…well, I can’t say enjoy is the right word. This book is depressing in many ways. But I was engaged, at least, and I connected with the characters, and I loved the way the book wound everything together. I appreciated this book.

Moriarty’s books discuss a lot in terms of suburban, privileged lives. In this one, we’re exposed to the psychology of a person who grew up with a hoarder parent, the complicated friendship that grows between two people forced to be friends by a parent, the various ways marriages are tested by tragedy, impostor syndrome in many forms, and the subtle changes in children’s behavior that may or may not indicate a deeper problem. There’s a heaviness to all this burden, but also hope, and I like the balance that Moriarty achieves.