Early on we learn that there has been a death at a grade school trivia night fundraiser. The police are investigating it as a murder. Then the story shifts back in time six months to when Jane, a young single mother new to the area meets Madeline, a mother of a teenager and two grade school children, and Celeste, the quiet, elegant mother of twins, married to an extremely rich man. The parents of the school's children become divided over an incident during the kindergarten orientation, in which a child, Ziggy, is accused of hurting the daughter of a rich, influential parent. Madeline and Celeste side with Jane (Ziggy's mother) while the other side starts a petition to oust Ziggy from the school. Ziggy is a sweet child, but he refuses to talk about the incident, which has his mother wondering about whether he might indeed be responsible.Meanwhile, all sorts of other things are happening: Madeline's teenage daughter is keeping Madeline's emotions all over the place. We learn about how Jane became pregnant and why Ziggy's father is not in his life. Most prominently is a deep look into the abusive relationship between Celeste and her husband as they continue to outwardly portray the perfect couple.
As I read, I couldn't help but obsess about the murder, with so many unknowns. The points of view from several different people who attended the trivia night are inserted at the end of many of the chapters, reminding me of the interview style used in the TV show The Office. By seeing their statements, we have clues‒but not nearly enough‒about who didn't die. But who DID die?! Very fast-paced book, entertaining even though it deals with serious subjects. I can see why this book was chosen for the HBO miniseries with its likable characters (as well as unlikable ones), mystery and intrigues.
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