Such a lovely family

The Calhoun family is picture-perfect, posing together before a big party in matching gingham, surround by the blossoming cherry trees of the wealthy Washington, DC suburbs. Not long into the party however, family patriarch Thom is found dead near his wife, Ginny, who has also been shot and is hanging on for her life. The question of who would want to murder the couple becomes clear--at least in Thom's case--(it's everyone), as this whodunit slowly unravels the complicated motives of the love-to-hate members of the Calhoun clan. Sister Ellie Grace is tired of being looked over, while oldest brother Trey has learned his parents have been lying to him for years. The only person without a motive is Danit, the sweet and slightly unsophisticated fiancée of youngest brother Nate, who she suspects has secrets of his own. Will Danit be able to figure out the mystery before she becomes the next victim? This is a fun, twisty story for readers looking to delve into the dysfunction of a well-to-do family.

In this enticing domestic thriller, Thompson (All the Dirty Secrets) zeroes in on the wealthy Calhoun family, who live in the exclusive Somerwood neighborhood of Chevy Chase, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C. It's springtime, and Ginny and Thom Calhoun are hosting their annual cherry blossom party with their three grown children on hand: Trey, who works for Thom's real estate development business; Nate, a marine biologist who lives in California; and lifestyle influencer Ellie Grace. When someone's murdered during the party, it first appears to be the result of a robbery gone wrong, but Montgomery County police detective Jacqui Washington suspects there's more to the case than meets the eye. News of the murder quickly spreads on social media, and the combination of legal and public scrutiny starts to form cracks in the Calhouns' carefully constructed facade, causing old resentments and long-held secrets to come tumbling out. Thompson gives each of her vivid characters plausible motives and overlapping secrets, effectively laying the groundwork for a cascade of plot twists, each more jolting than the last. The end result is a decadent, stay-up-all-night page-turner. (Mar.)