High-powered businesswoman Lana Rubicon has a lot to be proud of, including her keen intelligence, impeccable taste, and the L.A. real estate empire she’s built. But when she finds herself trapped 300 miles north of the city, convalescing in a sleepy coastal town with her adult daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack, Lana is stuck counting otters instead of square footage—and hoping that boredom won’t kill her before the cancer does.
Then Jack—tiny in stature but fiercely independent—happens upon a dead body while kayaking. She quickly becomes a suspect in the homicide investigation, and the Rubicon women are thrown into chaos. Beth thinks Lana should focus on recovery, but Lana has a better idea. She’ll pull on her wig, find the true murderer, protect her family, and prove she still has power. With Jack and Beth’s help, Lana uncovers a web of lies, family vendettas, and land disputes lurking beneath the surface of a community populated by folksy conservationists and wealthy ranchers. But as their amateur snooping advances into ever-more dangerous territory, the headstrong Rubicon women must learn to do the one thing they’ve always resisted: depend on each other.
If you’ve followed my book blog, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t review many books for adults. I mainly read children’s books, middle-grade novels, and the occasional YA novel because they are shorter and not as complicated. I decided I needed to expand my range of books from the usual tween and teen drama I’ve grown accustomed to.
I’ve read many amateur sleuth murder mysteries. They all follow similar plot lines: the protagonist finds a dead body, and they take it upon themselves to solve the case even though the police and everyone else tells them not to, and put themselves in danger. The murder victim is usually a pretty popular girl, so this was a refreshing change of pace.
The narrative hopscotched between Lana (grandmother), Beth (mother), and Jack (granddaughter) so much that it was hard to keep track of whose perspective you were reading. The story is told mainly from Lana’s POV.
Lana Rubicon is a no-nonsense businesswoman. She starts the story stuck-up and demanding initially, judging others unkempt appearances. Lana later explains that being demanding is, “just another way of describing women who have power, women who know their own worth.” As someone with low self-esteem, this sentence hits hard. Lana also said, “You have to love yourself the most. No one else can do that for you.” I think what she’s saying here is that you can’t rely on others to make you feel good about yourself. Lana also told her granddaughter, Jack, “It was always good to give men simple instructions in complicated situations.” This is so true.
While some details of the mystery went over my head, everything was wrapped up nicely in the end. Overall, if you are interested in a lighthearted whodunit mystery that is described as “Gilmore Girls, but with murder,” I recommend giving this book a try.