The Sins of Summer Daughters

Patrick’s engrossing latest (after Fast Boys and Pretty Girls) follows 64-year-old Meg Gregory, who reckons with accusations that her granddaughter is a murderer. Meg has wound up back in her hometown of Tuskin, Ga., where her anxious daughter, Nina, and reserved 15-year-old granddaughter, Lucy, live. When Lucy’s boyfriend, Josh, is murdered, Lucy’s traumatized silence and disturbing visit to her ex-boyfriend’s house draw scrutiny from police and neighbors alike. The investigation, led by the methodical Detective Aldridge, soon broadens to include several of Lucy’s peers, but the town’s focus remains firmly on the Gregorys. Meanwhile, tensions simmer between Lucy, Meg, and the image-conscious Nina. Refusing to speak, Lucy communicates her turmoil through haunting sketches that hint at secrets she cannot—or will not—reveal. Meanwhile, Meg has secrets of her own, which she’s been hiding for decades and worries might tie directly to Lucy’s fate. Humid atmosphere (“The ducks had come over a few times for the cereal, but even they were bored from the sun”) and emotional acuity enhance Patrick’s well-honed suspense en route to a quietly powerful conclusion. This delivers the goods. Agent: Alyssa Jennette, Stonesong. (July)