HE STARTED IT

A road trip to scatter their grandfather’s ashes—and claim their inheritance—takes a strange turn for three adult siblings in Downing’s (My Lovely Wife, 2019) sharp psychological thriller.

It’s been a few years since the Morgan siblings—narrator Beth, Eddie, and Portia—have all been in the same place at the same time. Now, they’ve been forced to re-create a nightmarish road trip from 20 years ago to satisfy their grandfather’s demands and collect their share of an estate worth millions. Beth isn’t thrilled by the presence of her husband, Felix, and Eddie’s wife, Krista, and all she really wants to do is put the pedal to the metal and collect her money. Unfortunately, they’re required to revisit every kitschy, and creepy, tourist trap from Alabama to Nevada. They’re not about to take any chances, especially since someone might be tracking them. As the road unfurls ahead of the sibs and their spouses, Beth gradually reveals what really happened on that road trip so long ago, inspiring readers to become as invested in the past as they surely will be in the present. When the family notices a strange black pickup following them, Beth can’t help but wonder if someone from their past has returned to haunt them. After all, they all have secrets, some more dangerous than others. Downing subtly ratchets up the tension while perfectly capturing the complex dynamics between the siblings, including all the little betrayals and slights and plenty of old wounds left to fester over the years. The droll, slyly funny Beth is a captivating (unreliable?) narrator, and the parallels that she draws between the past and present make for compelling reading, as do their visits to out-of-the way tourist traps, all of which take on a sort of dark meaning. Will everyone make it to the end? Readers will be turning the pages to find out.

Buckle up and settle in for one diabolically fun road trip.