A Week at the Shore

March 23, 2020
Delinsky’s latest (after Before and Again) is a moving, intimate tale about the indelible bond between family members. The Aldiss sisters—Mallory, Anne, and Margo—reunite at their family’s Bay Bluff, R.I., beach house 20 years after their father’s role in a scandal divided them and broke up their parents’ marriage. Their father, judge Tom Aldiss, was suspected in the disappearance of neighbor Elizabeth MacKay during a late-night boat ride that was later declared an accidental drowning, though her body was never recovered. After college, Mallory settled in New York City while Anne stayed in Bay Bluff. Delinsky fast-forwards to present day, when Mallory receives an alarming call from Jack Sabathian, her first love and Elizabeth’s son, about Tom’s mental decline. Immediately upon arrival in Bay Bluff, Mallory tries to make peace with Anne, who resents Mallory’s intrusion, while resisting her still-strong attraction to Jack. Furthering the suspense, Margo divulges a secret about a love triangle that transpired before their parents married. As long-buried secrets are revealed, the sisters contend with the extreme circumstances that caused the breach in their relationships with one another. This well-crafted story, buoyed by descriptions of the weathered beach town and nicely drawn characters, will delight Delinsky’s fans.