Elliot Chase is friends with the famous ex-movie star Lana Farrar and along with some other close friends and Lana’s family, he’s invited to Lana’s private Greek island Aura (one of the Cyclades) for Easter. Elliot is a fabrication – he’s named himself after a character in a Nël Coward play.
As the story unfolds we learn that Lana’s husband and best friend Kate are having an affair – but in Kate’s defense, she was dating Jason before Lana stole him away from her. Lana found out because her housekeeper was given an earring by the drycleaner – he’d found it on Jason’s jacket. Lana and Elliot have devised a cunning plan to have Jason and Kate own up to their affair while they are on Aura.
Then Lana is killed and because there’s a storm that prevents one from leaving or getting to the little island, the killer is one of them. The people on the island are: Agathi (the Greek housekeeper and a friend of Lana’s), Elliot (the narrator of the story), Jason (Lana’s husband), Kate (Lana’s best friend), Leo (Lana’s son) and Nikos (the Greek caretaker who is in love with Lana). Elliot tries to steer Kate towards suspecting Jason for Lana was wearing Kate’s shawl and surely he must have mistaken the two women…
However, nothing is what it seems. I will not tell you more about the book by giving away the rest of the plot – in case you want to read the book. Like Michaelides’ other books this one has a twist – not totally unexpected. I did enjoy reading this book, the characters were interesting – though I didn’t care very much for the narrator Elliot.
Read for the ShelfReflection Reading Challenge 2025
Prompt 12: A book from Jimmy Fallon’s Book Club nominees
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
