In 1980s Dublin, Lydia Fitzsimons seems to have the perfect life—wife of Andrew, a respected judge, and mistress of Avalon.
But her husband's murder of Annie Doyle, accidental or not, sets into motion a dark downward spiral.
When Annie threatens blackmail...Andrew Fitzsimons and his wife, Lydia decide to kill her. Lydia orders Andrew to bury the body in their garden and forget it, but then Annie’s family reports her missing and a media circus ensues. Andrew panics, arousing the suspicion of the couple’s 17-year-old son, Laurence ... This tragic tale unfolds over five years from the perspectives of Lydia, Laurence, and Karen ... The result is an exquisitely uncomfortable, utterly captivating reading experience.
22-year-old Annie Doyle's life ends on a Dublin beach at the hands of Lydia and Andrew Fitzsimons...Lydia doesn’t feel at all bad about the deed: 'I like to think I did the girl a kindness, like putting an injured bird out of its misery. She did not deserve such kindness.' ... Lydia's overweight and bullied child Lawerence...soon suspects one or both his parents had a hand in Annie’s death ...This is a whydunit, not a whodunit, and the real meat lies in Nugent’s exploration of motherhood, mental illness, and what could drive a person to murder, told through first-person accounts from Lydia, Karen, and Laurence ... A page-turner chock full of lies and betrayals and a very creepy mother-son relationship.
In the opening pages, readers see Judge Andrew Fitzsimmons and his wife, Lydia, killing a young woman, Annie Doyle, burying the body behind their manor home...the motivations of which, soon become clear ... Lying in wait is one of those novels that keeps readers in a permanent state of imbalance. Just when you think you have things figured out, Nugent throws everything off-kilter again.
