“The Maid” meets “The Last Thing He Told Me” in this fun, fresh, and twisty debut whodunnit about a grandmother-mother-daughter trio who come together as amateur sleuths to solve a murder in their coastal California town. Nothing brings a family together like a murder next door. High-powered businesswoman Lana Rubicon has a lot to be proud of 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 near their bungalow. Jack 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.
This funny, touching character-driven mystery is superbly narrated by Jane Oppenheimer. The story is anchored by three strong female characters: Los Angeles real estate mogul Lana Rubicon; her adult daughter, Beth, with whom Lana has a prickly relationship; and Beth's teenage daughter, Jack. Lana is diagnosed with cancer and moves in with Beth and Jack in their small-town home. Then Jack finds a b
