An incident occurs at a backyard barbecue that has repercussions for all involved. Cellist and mother of two Clementine is feeling the pressure as a big audition looms. Her friend Erika wants to discuss a big decision she has made. With their husbands Sam and Oliver, the friends end up at Erika’s neighbour’s house for a barbecue with the gregarious host, Vid, and his smoking-hot wife, Tiffany. Set amid a record rainy spell in Sydney’s northern suburbs, the story alternates between the present and the day of the barbecue, keeping readers in immense suspense about what happens, who’s involved and who is to blame. In fact, the build-up is so intense and you are so desperate to find out what happens, that you’ll get mad at anyone and anything that stands in your way of reading more. A real test of patience! However, although Moriarty keeps the revelations coming to the end, the story does lose some momentum once the event has passed.
Truly Madly Guilty, by Liane Moriarty, looks at the consequences of a simple neighbourhood get-together. The summary says: "Six responsible adults. Three cute kids. One small dog. It's just a normal weekend. What could possibly go wrong?
Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit, busy life: they have two little girls, Sam has just started a new dream job, and Clementine, a cellist, is busy preparing for the audition of a lifetime. If there's anything they can count on, it's each other.
Clementine and Erika are each other's oldest friends. A single look between them can convey an entire conversation. But theirs is a complicated relationship, so when Erika mentions a last-minute invitation to a barbecue with her neighbours, Tiffany and Vid, Clementine and Sam don't hesitate. Having Tiffany and Vid's larger-than-life personalities there will be a welcome respite.
Two months later, it won't stop raining, and Clementine and Sam can't stop asking themselves the question: What if we hadn't gone?" Truly Madly Guilty is out in July 2016.