November 11, 2024
A divorce leads to murder and puts the victim’s Florida in-laws in the spotlight in the vivid latest from Mirvis (The Book of Separation). In a prologue, Mirvis reveals that during Hailey Marcus Gelman and Jonah Gelman’s protracted and ugly divorce proceedings, Jonah will be fatally shot in his home, and Hailey will become the prime suspect. Much of the novel serves as prelude to the crime, beginning with Hailey visiting her parents in West Palm Beach, Fla. Sherry, the formidable Marcus matriarch, is shocked to learn Jonah is leaving Hailey. Her older brother Nate, who works at the family’s dermatology practice and expects to take over for their aging father, is less surprised by the news. In fact, Nate gave Hailey a “divorce account” in lieu of a wedding present. When Hailey attempts to gain custody of her and Jonah’s daughter, Maya, so she can bring the girl back with her to West Palm, Jonah grows increasingly enraged and punitive. Meanwhile, Nate begins an illicit romance with the office manager whose lowlife boyfriend, together with Sherry, winds up launching a macabre scheme. Mirvis skillfully transforms what could have been a standard whodunit into a penetrating study of a family whose all-consuming love for each other turns sinister. Readers won’t be able to look away. Agent: Julie Barer, Book Group.