Edgy, contained and brilliant!

Liar's Beach by Katie Cotugno  

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Michael Linden practised fitting into the preppy school he was enrolled at on a sports scholarship. He’s as far away from this rich, entitled crowd as Earth is to Mars, and then some.

An invitation to his “buddy” Jasper Kendrick’s summer place at Martha’s Vineyard might be fun. After all he’s trying to be one of the crowd. That is, until someone’s found at the bottom of the pool after a party. Someone the family had reason to dislike.

Jasper’s twin sister Eliza is very attractive but somewhat unpredictable. Of course some of the guys from Bartley are on the island. It all one big elitist club. Jasper’s parents seem to spend time at the country club and out to dinner, leaving the group alone. Jasper’s father had been sued over some financial issues. He was sent to jail. The father of a family who’d been close friends and had originally hooked Mr. Kendrick up with his financial advisor had received community service in exchange for giving evidence. No love lost! There’s a strange frisson that runs beneath this family. Hard to grasp hold of. 

Surprisingly Michael meets up with his childhood friend, Holiday Proctor. Holiday’s parents are academics, somewhat bohemian, egalitarian and kind. He and Holiday had spent their formative years together when Michael’s mom kept house for them.

Holiday is a different type to Jasper and his group. She’s somewhat of a goth, an individual and independent. Holiday decides they should investigate. After all, what if this wasn’t an accident?

The finding of truths can be releasing, dangerous and very complicated. One things for sure money and position doesn’t necessarily make for happiness. Mind you survival might not be a problem.

A summer holiday turns into a nightmare of mystery. Friendships are sometimes only temporary, other times much more.

An incisive, intriguing mystery!

A Delacorte ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.