Francesca Meadows has inherited her grandparents’ estate, a manor near the town Tome (pronounced as tomb). She and her husband Owen Dacre have transformed the manor into a luxurious resort for rich guests. It’s the opening weekend and no expense has been spared.
Bella Springfield is among the guests. What the others don’t know is that she knew Francesca when they were both teenagers, and Francesca was known as Frankie. But Bella is not the only one with a secret, and a past that has to do with Francesca.
The town of Tome is plagued by The Birds. What or who they are is shrouded in mystery. Even some of the town’s inhabitants, like Eddie, the manor’s teenage bartender, don’t know exactly what they are, but have heard of them…
The book switches between the points of view of Francesca, Bella, Owen, Eddie and DI Walker who has come to investigate a cold case.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I’ve read the previous novels by Lucy Foley, and enjoyed them, but this one is better than the others. I had my suspicions but I really didn’t see one of the twists at the end coming.
Read for The 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2025
Prompt 19: Has Short Chapters
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
