FICTION

The Fifth of July

by Kelly Simmons
Sourcebooks Landmark. Aug. 2017. 288p. ISBN 9781492651796. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9781492651802. F
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The Warners have summered at their cottage on Nantucket for decades, savoring traditions, salt air, and longtime friendships. But this year is different. The house is showing its age and so is Tripp, the family patriarch. He's just not the dad the family remembers, and everyone is worried. Suddenly, tragedy strikes, and Tripp dies. Was it an accident? Was he killed? Did someone sabotage the old house? Family members appear to be harboring secrets, and everyone's problems seem to be surfacing at once. It's a small island, and everyone seems to have a piece of the puzzle.
VERDICT Simmons's (One More Day) cleverly dark family whodunit, narrated from multiple points of view, is just the perfect read for a day at the beach. The wonderful, salty Nantucket atmosphere and a cast of entertainingly questionable characters populate a fast-moving and spare plot.
Reviewed by Susan Clifford Braun, Bainbridge Island, WA , Aug 18, 2017
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