finished reading

I enjoyed that this is a book with authentically grown-up characters.  The main character, Lucy, doesn't return to the small beach town seeking nostalgia or retribution; instead, she is driven by the need to clarify what happened fifteen years ago.  She seeks the truth, no matter what it might mean.  And the main male character, Ford, isn't a hero throwing his money around to impress Lucy.  He becomes fully engaged in the search for truth.  Their rekindled romance was destined.  And I am all here for it!

The small town vibe is strong--almost a character in itself.  And the mystery kept me interested.  I guessed who did what, but I wanted to know their motives.  Some of the secondary characters seemed unnecessary and flat or even caricatures. Especially Christina.  Meh, whatever. I liked the book as a summer read.

From the publisher:

She returned to prove her father's innocence, but there's no telling what she'll find…

It's been fifteen years since Lucy Sinclair saw her father. Fifteen long years since she sat in a courtroom and watched him sentenced to life in prison. He murdered three victims—all people she knew—which ruined her life at just seventeen. But now she’s back in Virginia to talk to him, wondering if there’s more to the story of what happened that fateful night.

An old flame, Ford Wagner, makes his own return to North Hampton Beach, fleeing a marriage that seems destined for divorce. He’s wary of Lucy and her digging into the past, but the more time they spend together, the closer they get and the more he finds himself reconsidering the truth behind the death of their mutual friend that summer. Problem is, there are plenty of those in this small coastal town who would prefer things stay quiet…