THE SULLIVAN'S ISLAND SUPPER CLUB

Local controversies, family secrets, and interpersonal tiffs boil over and cause chaos on an idyllic island in Boyer’s cozy mystery.

The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club was initially the idea of Tallulah Wentworth’s best friend, Eugenia; she thought it would help Tallulah emerge from overwhelming grief over the death of her husband, Henry. However, 10 years later, Eugenia has passed on, and an influx of new residents—including author Sarabeth Boone and her consultant husband, Tucker, not to mention stay-at-home parent Libba Graham and her woodworker spouse, Jake—has caused the club to become the small island’s most sought-after gathering place—a forum for discussing family matters and local politics over lavish catered meals. The club meetings grow tense as controversy swirls over what to do about Sullivan’s Island’s local marine forests: Should they be cut down to preserve seaside views or left intact to prevent erosion? The conflict comes to a head when an initially friendly neighborhood meet-and-greet turns nasty and someone turns up dead in the Boones’ front yard—an event that could change the island forever. Boyer, a prolific author of wholesome fiction set in the American South, delivers another delicious installment of her Carolina Tales series with this multidimensional mystery. Bestselling author Boyer delivers everything one could want from a cozy whodunit: an idyllic setting, ripe for sabotage; a community torn as residents feel nostalgia for the small-town intimacy they once cherished; and hairline fractures in friendships, marriages, and families. She relates the story in flashbacks and alternating third-person points of view in a milieu of complex and relatable characters. Overall, this beach read offers a masterclass in suspense that will keep Boyer’s readers guessing to the end.

A layered, engaging novel powered by likable characters.