In this riveting debut novel, Alexis Schaitkin delves into the ripple effects of a tragedy on two individuals from seemingly polar-opposite walks of life. Claire Thomas is seven when her 18-year-old sister, Alison, goes missing during a family trip to the Caribbean island of Saint X. After Alison's body is discovered, an investigation results in the arrest of two resort employees with whom she was last seen: Edwin Hastie and Clive Richardson. But with only circumstantial evidence, the men are soon released, and Alison's death goes unsolved.
Claire's and Clive Richardson's paths cross 20 years later when she steps into his New York City taxi. When she sees his license and name displayed on the cab's partition, she becomes obsessed with learning the truth about what happened that fateful night on Saint X.
Schaitkin vividly paints the emotional struggle Claire experiences after leaving the island. Her identity, her relationship with her parents, the expectations of friends are all defined by her sister's death. The author weaves Clive's story into Claire's. The contrast in their lives is stark--Claire lives a privileged life, while Clive is lucky to scrape by--but they are both haunted by the death of Alison. Clive loses his home and his family because of the fallout from the investigation. The differing points of view remind readers that both are unreliable narrators; readers must parse for themselves what the truth is, if it actually can be found. While Saint X on its surface presents a mystery, this is an engrossing tale of human relationships. --Jen Forbus