Two Truths and a Lie

Moore (The Arrivals) serves up an uneven tale about a group of privileged mothers and the secrets they keep. Sherri Griffin and her 11-year-old daughter, Katie, move to Newburyport, Mass., where the drinks always flow and the gossip runs rampant. Sherri and Katie are running—but from what? Meanwhile, rising high school senior Alexa can’t wait to leave Newburyport for Los Angeles—but after reading the explosive secrets in Katie’s diary during a babysitting gig, she has drama to spare. Alexa’s mother, Rebecca, is still mourning her late husband when she starts a relationship with Daniel, one of Alexa’s high school teachers, while trying to keep tabs on Alexa and her fifth-grade sister, Morgan, one of Katie’s besties. While the author’s elegant prose shines, the plot meanders, and the frequent shifts in point of view make it difficult to forge a strong connection to any of the characters. A subplot emerges when Alexa finds clues that suggest Sherri and Kate are in the witness protection program, but it never takes off, and the book fades to a whimper. Frequent texts, social media posts, and bursts of first-person-plural narration add to the cacophony. Moore is talented, but this isn’t her best. (May)