THAT NIGHT

Three siblings will do anything to save each other—even lie about what happened one night in Verona, Italy.

The Plant siblings—Cathy, Joe, and Frannie—live next door to each other, work together, and own a joint vacation property. So it’s only fitting that when Frannie calls the other two in a panic because she’s hit someone with a car while they’re all in Verona, they run to her rescue. There are a few discrepancies in her story that make them wonder, like why she waited 30 minutes to call them, but it doesn’t matter—for the Plants, it’s one for all and all for one. Cathy and Joe bury the body while Frannie takes care of cleaning up the blood. They knew the man only slightly; it turns out he’s not only an English expatriate, but also a police officer, and had been carrying a warrant that seems to have Joe’s name on it. Immediate doubt sets in, but at this point, it’s too late, and the siblings must stay loyal to each other and to their cover story when the police come calling, even as it drives Joe’s wife away, even as it begins to splinter their own close relationships. McAllister uses the popular thriller format of “then” and “now” to tell the story across two different timelines: one that begins with the death, and one that begins much later at a trial. As in her other novels, McAllister’s greatest strength lies in her ability to write truly human characters, characters who make mistakes and struggle and regret and fall apart, all in the name of love for family. While the soft reveal in the end undoes much of the intensity McAllister has built, it’s clear that even as guilt eats the Plants alive, they would never choose to do anything other than protect each other.

Another poignant exploration of family, love, and loyalty.