Amy Steadman is the heir to a toy/childrens book empire left to her by her Grandmother(Francis Barbour.) Amy is an artist and wants nothing to do with the business side of the company. However, since Amy's mother Maxi committed suicide when Amy was only 3 Francis was determined that Amy's father could run the company but the ownership would remain Amy's.
The company business has been run for over 30 years by Amy's father. Now, he is talking of retirement and the step-brothers and half-sister that she's grown up with are showing some resentment for the years of knowing that she was the Heir to the vast empire they all had grown up with.
Amy's recent marriage is having problems and it's only adding to the pressure she's under. Amy doesn't like confrontation so after her Grandmother's murder she's offered a large sum of money to sell the southern home her Grandmother inhabited in the later years of her life with her Grandfather in North Carolina.
Amy decides that she wants some answers not only to the death of Francis but of the secrets behind the suicide of her mother years before. It's the perfect excuse for her to escape her problems and hopefully get some of the answers that everyone has made a point of making her forget over these years. Afraid of sending movers to go through boxes of personal items she heads off to clear the house out herself.
She arrives to a family full of secrets and a murderer still out there and now threatening Amy.
Her half-sister Beth runs away from her own problems with the family and shows up on her doorstep with tales of woe of her own. For two sisters who have never been close it's a learning experience and search for a killer.
Around every corner you'll be wondering who could it be and does it tie to her mother's suicide? Just when you think you've figured it out you're wrong. The emotions of Amy, a woman who has wondered for so much of her life how her mother could have killed herself and how her family erased her mother from her memory Leaving Amy with no answers is emotional.
I felt for her and was along for the ride wanting them to tell her what they knew and why no one spoke of Maxi.
This story is wonderfully written. It made me love some of the characters and hate others. I couldn't wait for the next page. I wanted to know what happened but I didn't cheat. It's that kind of book.