(4/22/2024)
Theodosia (Theo) Benton shows up at her brother’s home with two suitcases and an unfinished novel. She isn’t sure how he is going to react because they’ve had a strained relationship since they were kids, but they quickly develop a routine. She starts to frequent a local bar, Bender’s, to sit and try to write. While there one day, she starts talking to another patron, only to find out he’s a famous author. They develop a friendship but when he’s murdered, Theo wants to find the murderer.
Theo’s brother, Gus, is a successful lawyer on the partner track at his law firm. He brings his friend, Mac, an investigator, in to look into the murder. Mac’s family are doomsday preppers and the few interchanges with them in the book provided a bit of comic relief.
Interspersed with the story of Theo, Gus and Mac are interchanges between conspiracy theorists who are not only looking for Primus but also trying to figure out who it is. “Caleb” is a part of this. We find out who Caleb is mid-way through the book.
When Gus ends up in the hospital, Theo goes into hiding but Gus and Mac never stop looking for her. One day, they finally get a clue to her location and try to track her down.
Interesting story. Moved quickly. Towards the end, the storyline jumped in time…like months and then years in time. That was unexpected. Overall, very well written. As it is an ARC, there were a few typos within the text which I’m sure (?) will be fixed prior to publication (rounded down from 4 stars to 3.5 for this).