Even the best of dreams must end: SWAN SONG.

Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elin Hilderbrand is such a guilty pleasure of mine, and SWAN SONG is no different. Supposedly Hilderbrand's last Nantucket novel, just like all her others, you can't help but get caught up in the story of the wealthy and entitled island people misbehaving.

Ironically, now that Hilderbrand is retiring, she seems to be finally getting more with the times, mocking the elitism of Nantucket, featuring LGBTQIA+ and POC characters, and mentioning the roles of foreign nationals and poverty/food hunger on Nantucket.

No matter what, you just feel like you're on the island with these characters. Police Chief Ed Kapenash, a familiar face from other books, is finally ready to retire. His daughter, Kacy, is back in Nantucket for the summer, nursing a broken heart. On her way home, she meets a woman named Coco on the ferry who is going to be the "personal concierge" for Leslee and Bull Richardson, a wealthy couple who have just bought a very expensive Nantucket home.

But three days before Ed's long-awaited retirement, the Richardson's new home catches fire--while they happen to be out partying on their giant yacht. Coco, with whom Kacy has made friends, is missing. The story alternates between present-day, after the fire at the Richardson mansion and Coco's disappearance and then dipping back to the beginning of the summer, leading us up to the big event. As with any Hilderbrand book, it first feels like there's too many characters to keep track of and then suddenly, you're a part of all their lives, and completely caught up in the suspense and tension.

The Richardsons make a huge splash on the island, and we hear from reoccurring characters, like Blond Sharon and Fast Eddie, about their desire to befriend the couple. But the couple's desire to fit in may be too much; they may be pushing too hard to get into the local club and make friends with the islanders.

This story is very easy-to-read and flies by, keeping your interest the entire time, and making you feel like you're right there with Nantucket's "rich and famous." It's a fitting end to Hilderbrand's Nantucket tales. 4.25 stars.

View all my reviews