Author: Susan Meissner
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 341
Date of Publication: March 18, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
1956, Malibu, Something is not right on Paradise Circle.
With her name on the Hollywood blacklist and her life on hold, starlet Melanie Cole has little choice in company. There is her next-door neighbor, Elwood, but the screenwriter’s agoraphobia allows for just short chats through open windows. He’s her sole confidante, though, as she and her housekeeper, Eva, an immigrant from war-torn Europe, rarely make conversation.
Then one early morning Melanie and Eva spot Elwood’s sister-in-law and caretaker, June, digging in his beloved rose garden. After that they don’t see Elwood at all anymore. Where could a man who never leaves the house possibly have gone?
As they try to find out if something has happened to him, unexpected secrets are revealed among all three women, leading to an alliance that seems the only way for any of them to hold on to what they can still call their own. But it’s a fragile pact and one little spark could send it all up in smoke…
With her name on the Hollywood blacklist and her life on hold, starlet Melanie Cole has little choice in company. There is her next-door neighbor, Elwood, but the screenwriter’s agoraphobia allows for just short chats through open windows. He’s her sole confidante, though, as she and her housekeeper, Eva, an immigrant from war-torn Europe, rarely make conversation.
Then one early morning Melanie and Eva spot Elwood’s sister-in-law and caretaker, June, digging in his beloved rose garden. After that they don’t see Elwood at all anymore. Where could a man who never leaves the house possibly have gone?
As they try to find out if something has happened to him, unexpected secrets are revealed among all three women, leading to an alliance that seems the only way for any of them to hold on to what they can still call their own. But it’s a fragile pact and one little spark could send it all up in smoke…
MY THOUGHTS:
As Melanie Cole has been tied to Communism her life has come to a standstill. The “Red Scare” in Hollywood had affected countless people in the film industry, and this included Melanie. The once busy life of the vivacious Hollywood starlet is no longer. It is 1950s Malibu and Melanie is now blacklisted. This is is no easy existence for her.
Melanie finds it difficult to keep to herself is not easy, and she wouldn’t mind getting to know her neighbor Elwood better. But with him being agoraphobic, just chatting - with occasional shouting - through an open window was the extent of their friendship. What once was frequent chats between Melanie and Elwood have completely stopped, leaving Melanie really concerned about his welfare.
Elwood has a caretaker, his sister-in-law June. Not only will she not answer any of Melanie’s probing questions, Melanie had recently seen her digging in and around Elwood’s beloved rose garden. Determined to discover what has suddenly happened to Elwood, and with what Melanie suspects as June’s suspicious behavior, Melanie puts her own worries aside, determined to find answers.
June has been caring for Elwood since he had been incapacitated due to a bad accident, working as his full-time caretaker. June has been hiding more than one secret for years. Then there is Eva, Melanie’s European housekeeper, an immigrant with a disturbing past. Three women, each with a distinct life path, find their lives intertwined. Through healing, they grow and recover, their journeys becoming intricately woven together.
Elwood’s disappearance is just one intriguing aspect of this well-crafted story. Residents in and around Malibu are in the direct path of a wildfire that could destroy everything in its path. This dramatic element, coupled with the mystery at hand, creates a compelling read by Susan Meissner.
Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
She attended Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego and is a former managing editor of a weekly newspaper. Susan’s expertise as a storyteller and her thoroughly researched topics make her a favorite author of book clubs everywhere. Her engaging and warm speaking style appeal to all manner of women’s groups, literary organizations, libraries and learning institutions, and service clubs.
When she is not working on a new novel, she enjoys teaching workshops on writing and dream-following, spending time with her family, music, reading great books, and traveling.
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