Cameron uses the idyllic New Falls setting to explore inequity, access, and loyalty in modern suburbia, giving a voice to the high-schoolers, the homeowners, and the police officers involved in the investigation. Fans of Tom Perrotta and Matthew Norman will appreciate Cameron’s keen observational eye, while fans of Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere (2017) will welcome the closed-ranks mystery. Cameron’s novel acknowledges the privilege we all enjoy in different ways and the strength it takes to do the right thing.
... riveting ... Cameron does a stellar job at demonstrating how easily stereotyping and wealth can influence outcomes, setting a wide lens on the burgeoning housing crisis by showing how the Jensens are over-leveraged while Dom scoops up foreclosed properties. A seamless plot and believable characters make for an accomplished sophomore effort. Readers are in for a treat.
Familiar character types are granted grace and complexity. Despite some early narrative setup, this is not a legal thriller. It’s a novel about choices and consequences, compassion, and the limits of forgiveness. It’s also a novel of reparation, and as the 2008 financial collapse looms in the background, there seems to be a particularly poignant hindsight offered ... An unflinching look at the dysfunction of a 'nice town'; a resonant morality tale.
