The Long Weekend

Ruth, Jayne, and Emily, the protagonists of this well-crafted thriller from bestseller MacMillan (To Tell You the Truth), arrive one Friday at Dark Fell Barn, a guesthouse in the north of England, without their husbands, tight-knit school friends who were delayed at the last minute. Not joining the group is another friend, recently widowed Edie, who leaves a note at the barn informing the three women she has killed one of their husbands. With no cell service and a powerful storm trapping them, the three vacillate between panic and assuring themselves it’s a mean prank from the manipulative Edie while hiding secrets of their own: physician Ruth has slid into alcoholism since giving birth, former military intelligence analyst Jayne has PTSD, and much younger Emily grapples with her traumatic childhood. Ruth’s disappearance early the next morning and one of their husband’s showing up alone raises more questions. The revelation of the real killer’s identity, after many red herrings, sets up a suspenseful, prolonged but never bloated race to safety. Macmillan effectively shifts perspectives in this twisty, complicated puzzle. Readers will enjoy putting together all the pieces. Agent: Helen Heller, Helen Heller Agency. (Mar.)