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Lydia is understandably stunned after the sudden death of her husband, but, before she can grieve, she needs to solve the mystery of his recent actions and has to ask herself how well she ever really knew him. Julia is a stay at home mum, successfully raising five children and running a busy household; however she has to lay a few ghosts of her own and find the courage to make choices that will benefit both herself and her family. Sonya has built a flourishing business but has not done so well in love; her experiences make her suspicious and cautious of accepting her own happiness. Liz is a free spirit; brilliant, independent and the most successful career-wise, but at what cost? She can upset people by appearing to be so driven or by not confiding her true motives, and revealing her secret will test love and friendship to the limit.
The book starts out as a mystery story with the revelation of some inexplicable financial transactions that threaten Lydia's security and the future of the Sanctuary, and then turns into a girls' road trip as they set out in search of answers to her questions. There are fallings out and makings up along the way as they learn about themselves and each other. Meanwhile the Sanctuary runs like a thread through the story; it is intrinsic to their friendship and later becomes a refuge for one of them.
There are numerous twists and turns in the plot and some very unexpected outcomes; the reader is as much in danger of jumping to conclusions as the characters. The author develops the theme of the value of friendship to include issues like trust and betrayal, and the idea that everyone makes mistakes - what is important is to let go and forgive, for the good of both parties. She highlights the importance of communication, as even the good secrets intended to be a wonderful surprise can be misinterpreted and bring unhappiness; and illustrates the need to work at relationships - be they with marriage partners, friends or family members - to avoid complacency and the risk of taking people (and things) for granted.
The book is set mainly in the author's homeland, the South Carolina Lowcountry, and I enjoyed her descriptions of the scenery, flora and fauna that she knows so well; the information about the Gullah people, their history and customs, that she weaves into the narrative, has prompted me to do some further reading. Food plays a large part in the story and, as a nice touch, there is a selection of recipes (such as hummingbird cake and shrimp and okra pilau) at the end for some of the dishes that are mentioned so that readers can share a taste of a Carolina Kit as well as reading about it.
Most of the time I can sympathise with the main characters - they are quite complex and explored in depth - and they do make some pretty bad mistakes. However the characterisation doesn't always work for me and sometimes they act in a way that I don't find completely credible.
The story is narrated in the third person and is written in an easy to read style. On a few occasions I found the dialogue a bit forced when it was expanded to include some fairly lengthy explanations. I have rated this book three out of four stars. I would recommend it as an exploration of relationships and a celebration of friendship rather than an out and out mystery story.
***
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