One Little Secret

At the outset of this solidly plotted novel from Holahan (The Widower’s Wife), three racially diverse, upper-middle-class couples converge on a Hamptons beach house they are renting. Ben Hansen and Rachel Klein, Jenny and Louis Murray, Susan and Nadal Ahmadi—two lawyers, a doctor, a TV sports commentator who was once an orthopedist, and two stay-at-home parents—are neighbors whose backyards back home touch but who barely know each other. The weekend starts well with drinks and tasty food, but ends with the murder of one of the wives. Gabby Watkins, the sole black detective on the local police force, investigates. The action remains strong as it touches on infidelity, betrayal, abuse, bad business dealings, and underhanded lawsuits. But most of the characters are unfocused until halfway through the story. Only Gabby is consistently well developed as she deals with racism and sexism in the department and in town. Still, Holahan does a fine job portraying fraying marriages and artificial friendships. Agent: Paula Munier, Talcott Notch Literary. (July)