'In the summer in Shaker Heights, all they talked about was that Isabel, the youngest Richardson, had finally gone crazy and burned down the house...

In Shaker Heights, a quiet and respectable town, everything is carefully planned - from the street turns and flower beds near the houses to the successful lives of its inhabitants. And no one personifies the spirit of the town more than Mrs. Richardson, the ideal mother and wife. But one day, artist Mia Warren appears in this kingdom of ordered life. Mrs. Richardson has a luxurious house, Mia's home is a small 'Volkswagen Rabbit'. One has everything, but she lives in a cage of rules. The other has nothing, but she is free as the wind. And at the same time, are they so far from each other? Both have teenage children, in whom fires are smoldering for the time being, and one day the flames will break out with a roar and try engulf everything around. The clash of two worlds—order and chaos—will prove devastating for both and at the same time offer new hope.
The new novel is a gripping story of two families, with many layers, no black and white, no division into heroes and antiheroes. The book weaves a complex web of moral principles, feelings, ambitions, and past mistakes. Celeste Ng constantly changes the perspective, presenting the story from the perspective of all participants in the drama, and this creates a feeling of complete immersion in the world she has created, and the detective's unpredictability and thriller pace will make your head spin.