Summary

After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. Beth, the oldest, never left home. She stayed with her mom, caring for her until the very end. Nicole, the middle child, has been kept at arm’s length due to her ongoing battle with a serious drug addiction. Michael, the youngest, lives out of state and hasn’t been back to their small Wisconsin town since their father ran out on them seven years before. 

While going through their parent’s belongings, the siblings stumble upon a collection of home videos and decide to revisit those happier memories. However, the nostalgia is cut short when one of the VHS tapes reveals a night back in 1999 that none of them have any recollection of. On screen, their father appears covered in blood. What follows is a dead body and a pact between parents to get rid of it, before the video abruptly ends. 

Beth, Nicole, and Michael must now decide whether to leave the past in the past or uncover the dark secret their mother took to her grave.

Why I chose to read this book
Honestly, the cover alone would have sold me (the VHS nostalgia!!) but I read many positive reviews on social media so this was an easy pick for me.

Thoughts & Opinions

I really wanted to like this book, I really did. Unfortunately, it was not exactly what I was expecting. I was expecting an exciting page-turning thriller but got a domestic melodrama instead. 

The story unfolds from the POV of siblings Beth, Michael, and Nicole. Their mother’s death unwittingly reunites them to deal with the aftermath. The siblings couldn’t be more different from one another. Their clear differences are tearing them apart and tensions are high. Beth never left their small town and took care of their mother until her last breath. Nicole is an addict, and Michael moved to California to live large.