Truly Madly Guilty

June 27, 2016
In bestseller Moriarty's (Big Little Lies) latest, one small decisionâgoing to a barbecueâreverberates through the lives of the six adults. Childhood friends Erika and Clementine couldn't be more different. Obsessive-compulsive Erika is married to Oliver; both are accountants, and they have no children. Clementine is a disorganized classical cellist with a husband, Sam, and two small children, Holly and Ruby. These two families are unexpectedly invited to a barbecue at the opulent home of Erika's neighbors: wealthy and vivacious Vid; his "smoking hot" wife, Tiffany; and their 10-year-old daughter, Dakota. During what is supposed to be an ordinary afternoon of food, drink, and lively conversation among people just beginning to become friends, a harrowing event deeply affects all these characters, forcing them to closely examine their choices, not only of that day but of their entire lives, and the effects of those choices. The novel holds back the meat of the story until the reader is about to burst with curiosity, but this technique strangely doesn't feel like torture; it gives readers a chance to consider the endless possibilities of every moment.

May 15, 2016
Relying less on comedy or edginess than in previous novels (Big Little Lies, 2014, etc.), Moriarty explores the social and psychological repercussions of a barbecue in Sydney gone terribly awry. What happened emerges slowly through glimpses of characters coping--or not coping--weeks after the event intercut with an unfolding chronicle of the actual barbecue day. Both past and present are seen through the eyes of those remembering, who have been affected very differently by the events. Leading up to the barbecue, Erika and her husband, Oliver, accountants whose buttoned-up personalities compensate for miserable upbringings (in Erika's case by a hoarder and in Oliver's by alcoholics), have invited Erika's childhood friend Clementine, a cellist preparing for an important audition, her husband, Sam, and two small children, 2-year-old Ruby and 5-year-old Holly, for afternoon tea and are nervously planning to ask Clementine to donate eggs to help them have a baby. Oliver is understandably upset when Erika accepts a spur-of-the-moment invitation from their wealthy, very sociable neighbor, Vid, to bring everyone over to his backyard for a barbecue. But Clementine, who was instinctively dreading Erika's tea, jumps at the chance for a lively afternoon with Vid, his sexy wife, Tiffany, and their brainy 10-year-old daughter, Dakota. While Dakota watches the smaller girls, the adults proceed to get mildly sloshed. Then Erika, drunk for the first time in her life, screams, and a child ends up in a life-threatening situation. The suspicion and guilt the adults and even children secretly feel in the aftermath cause rifts and secrets to surface within the three marriages and within Erika and Clementine's friendship. The setup here is reminiscent of fellow Australian novelist Christos Tsiokas' The Slap (2008), but while Tsiokas uses a minor incident to propel his corrosive examination of middle-class lives, Moriarty's characters resolve their issues too neatly and with too much comforting ease. Not one of Moriarty's best outings.

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Starred review from July 1, 2016

Three couples, one ordinary day, one barbecue. Clementine and Sam have a rock-solid marriage and are parents to two beautiful little girls. Clementine's best friend Erika and her husband, Oliver, enjoy their child-free lifestyle. Friends since their youth, Clementine and Erika have a complicated relationship. Tiffany and Vid enjoy entertaining in their mansion with the sprawling backyard, but they have their secrets. They all come together when Vid invites Erika and Oliver to their house for a cookout at the last minute, and she in turn, invites Clementine, Sam, and their girls. What starts out as an ordinary afternoon quickly takes a turn for the worse. Moriarty's fans will rejoice at her latest title (after Big Little Lies), as she tackles marriage, parenthood, friendship, and sex, in this provocative and gripping read. Alternating between present day and the day of the barbecue, the author builds suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats wondering what happened to cause such fallout among the couples. VERDICT This novel sheds light on the truths that we all fear as parents, spouses, and friends. It's perfect for those long summer days, but readers will have to pace themselves to not devour it in one sitting. [See Prepub Alert, 2/21/16.]--Erin Holt, Williamson Cty. P.L., Franklin, TN

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