3.5 stars

A solid (though not stunning) entry in the "not-gratuitously-violent" suspense category.

Several neighbors, each with different backgrounds and income levels, live in houses and apartments which surround a semi-private park in London. The gang of tweens and early teens who live nearby roam around (as kids that age do) until one evening -- the evening of a neighborhood block party -- when a very bad thing happens. Who is the perpetrator? Many have motives (and even more have secrets).

Jewell opens the story at the scene of the crime, then takes us back in time -- slowly peeling back the layers while the reader tries to suss out exactly what happened. It's a well-written story (for the genre) that kept my interest. Most of the characters fit a bit too neatly into standard tropes, but all in all I enjoyed the ride and would certainly be inclined to read more of Jewell's work.

Although I received a galley of this book, I listened to the audio version for my review. The audio is well-done and recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a galley in exchange for an honest review.
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An unusual contemporary mystery with friendship drama.

All the families live close to each other in a community that surrounds a huge park with hidden gardens and paths. The children run free in the green space and in and out of each others' homes with ease. It happens on a warm summer night during the annual Virginia Park Tombola. One of the children, 13-year-old Grace, is found by the rose garden gate in a coma with her clothes in disarray.

This was a slow burner that built up in perfectly paced storytelling that creates tension and suspense as everyone tries to figure out what happened to Grace and who was responsible. The novel is told in alternating points of view between the various characters -- women and children -- who live in apartments and homes around the park. Hints, secrets, lies, lots of domestic situations and concerns kept me guessing. I was hoping to believe the best of all of the friends - both the adults and the teenagers -- and many red herrings dangled to keep me on edge. The characters were multi-faceted and intriguing. I found the climax and conclusion quite satisfying and a bit surprising.

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. I really liked the narrator - she did an excellent job voicing all the characters and her tone and dramatic flair enhanced the experience. I'd recommend this one. ( )

Drama

I enjoyed it while reading it but it was a little less mysterious in the conclusion than most of her books. ( )

Good read but did not like how it ended ( )