The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

From Barnes & Noble

Their Nantucket neighbors thought of the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers as a friendly, self-contained, self-sustaining community. Often seen together, these close-knit friends cherished their group strolls in the sand and outdoor barbecues. All that changes when Greg and Tess MacAvoy drown in a late-spring boating accident. Like the rest of the islanders, their six closest friends mourn them, but their grief is soon complicated by strange revelations about a couple they thought they knew so well. A leisurely vacation read about a summer seaside community.

From the Publisher

Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy's closest friends for what will be revealed.

Once again, Hilderbrand masterfully weaves an intense tale of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of endless summer island life.

The Washington Post - Kristi Lanier

Despite all the melodrama, The Castaways is a sensitive portrayal of the complexities of friendship. Hilderbrand's characters illustrate the alliances, insecurities and joys that color adult relationships. But it's also a cautionary tale about hanging out with the same people all the time. This group excels at narcissism, bickering and drinking themselves silly. Still, when it's done well, as it is here, reading about other people's problems is ever so satisfying.

Publishers Weekly

In the close-knit group of four successful Nantucket couples who call themselves the Castaways, Greg and Tess MacAvoy "had what everybody wanted." Or so it seems to Delilah Drake, the voluptuous bon vivant Castaway married to staid farmer Jeffrey. But when Greg and Tess sail to Martha's Vineyard to celebrate their anniversary and mysteriously drown, their deaths stir up more secrets than there are tourists on the island's golden beaches. Hilderbrand (Barefoot) goes deep into each of the surviving Castaways' hearts, revealing old affairs and new entanglements. Was Greg involved with someone else? Was Tess going to leave Greg for Addison Wheeler, the rich Castaway married to the pill-popping Phoebe? Hilderbrand will reveal all, as well as plenty of other tidbits that aren't as interesting-including how long Delilah was in labor with her first son, the titles of songs that come on the radio at important moments and the lengths Addison went to get a stoned Phoebe to sleep with him. Readers of women's fiction who don't mind digressions should be satisfied with this tale of knotty relationships set against the lovely Nantucket backdrop. (July)

Kirkus Reviews

Nantucket in summer, four chummy couples, romantic intrigue and a possible murder, in the latest from Hilderbrand (A Summer Affair, 2008, etc.). The book opens with the death of Greg and Tess MacAvoy. Sailing from Nantucket to Martha's Vineyard for their 12th anniversary, the beloved couple is found drowned, trapped under their boat. Ed Kapenash, Nantucket Chief of Police and one of Greg's best friends, has to break the news to his wife Andrea, Tess's cousin. They are joined in mourning by rich, cultured Addison Wheeler; his wife Phoebe, a pill-popping zombie since her twin's death on 9/11; wild Delilah Drake (in love with Greg); and her stoic husband Jeff. Inseparable for years, the four couples loved and respected each other, vacationed together, watched each other's children; in fact, they seemed to have an idyllic life of friendship on the island-until the death of Greg and Tess uncovers all their dirty secrets. The toxicology report finds heroin in the bloodstream of sweet, overcautious Tess, a kindergarten teacher and doting mother of twins. Ed also finds five phone calls on Tess's phone from Addison the morning of the sail. Were the MavAvoys' deaths an accident or a murder plot gone wrong? Much of the mystery hinges on what happened between Greg, a music teacher at the local high school, and April Peck, a student who several months earlier accused him of sexual misconduct. With a few strings pulled by Ed, Greg's career was saved, but the strain of the scandal has unforeseen consequences on the surviving friends. In mourning, each feels somehow culpable; slowly they confront together the sordid underbelly of their seemingly respectable lives. If the plot becomes a bit stretched atthe end, never mind: Hilderbrand has a master's touch at characterization, making the novel's players seem so familiar that the revelation of their secrets is irresistible. Great fun, and with a few poignant moments too. Agent: Michael Carlisle/Inkwell Management

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