I’m slowly working my way
through Elin Hilderbrand’s repertoire, my latest being The Castaways. The setting,
as usual, is the author’s hometown of Nantucket; after reading so many of her
novels, I really need to get there! Part
soap opera, part unsolved mystery, The Castaways
is the perfect mental escape.
Four couples have become
the best of friends since meeting on the island. Some are related (Tess and Andrea), some have
even dated each other in the past (Jeffrey and Andrea), but all have
secrets. After an accused infidelity, Tess and Greg are trying to
repair their marriage by taking a sailing
trip. Unfortunately, they do not come
back alive, causing a sordid web of backstory and grief. Hilderbrand lets each character (except Tess
and Greg) narrate as the huge puzzle they’ve all gotten themselves into slowly
comes together.
While I enjoyed The Castaways and found it difficult to
put down, I was not enthralled with the ending.
You never really know the true story of how Tess and Greg died;
Hilderbrand lets the theories of the other characters influence your conclusions. I’m all for open endings, but in a supposed
mystery, this is ridiculous. How did a
piece of Tess’s hair get ripped out? Why
did Greg have cuts and bruises?
However, the soap opera of
the novel is what truly keeps it going.
Some characters are more likable than others, but all have interesting
stories to tell. This is a great, breezy
read for vacation…just not a sailing trip!
MY RATING - 3
