Still Waters

March 18, 2024
In this brisk and enjoyable mystery from bestseller Goldman (A Good Family), estranged siblings reunite to solve their brother’s murder. Liv and Gabe Ahlstrom, now in their late 30s, have seldom spoken since they left northern Minnesota 20 years ago. Liv has a husband, a high-paying job, and a townhouse in New York City’s West Village; Gabe is an L.A. bartender whose relationships rarely last a year. The two reconnect when they learn that their older brother, Mack, has died of a stroke in Chicago. Though Mack was only in his 50s, little about his death seems to indicate foul play. Then Liv and Gabe receive an automated message from Mack’s email account: “If you’re reading this email, I am dead. I know this will sound strange, but someone is trying to kill me.” Shocked, the siblings return to the Minnesota lake resort their late parents used to run to organize Mack’s memorial, and hope the homecoming might provide some clarity about his death. There, Liv and Gabe face a disgruntled cousin who wants to flatten the resort and put up a wind farm, a shady businesswoman who wants to add it to her own portfolio, and persistent rumors about their own heritage that might shed light on Mack’s demise. Three-dimensional characters and authentic dialogue elevate the familiar premise. Goldman’s fans will eat this up.