WHERE SECRETS LIE

A wealthy old family in a small Kentucky town begins to unravel in the wake of a girl’s disappearance.

Every summer, talented artist Amy spends three months with her grandparents in rural River Run, Kentucky, far away from her controlling, constantly striving mother. She’s always been happiest exploring the river and woods on the family estate with her cousin, Benny, and best friend, Teddy. But River Run, with its long-established families and histories, isn’t as idyllic for those without family wealth to fall back on—like Teddy, who does grueling landscaping work for Amy and Benny’s grandparents to support his mother’s meager income. When Teddy’s younger sister goes missing, the distinctions between the trio’s lives are thrown into even sharper relief. Amy’s narration builds tension through alternating timelines—the dreamy, romantic anticipation of summer 2018 and the guarded intensity of summer 2019—as the three main characters navigate a passionate falling-out, a reunion under devastating circumstances, a clandestine romance, and a desperate investigation that reveals two equally disturbing truths. Refreshingly incisive, this is a poignant, accessible exploration of intergenerational trauma, chosen family, and class privilege with gripping suspense at its center. All major characters are cued as White.

A richly layered coming-of-age novel built upon a foundation of conscience.