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Swan Song
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Original price was: $30.00.$17.21Current price is: $17.21.
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The beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author brings her Nantucket novels to a brilliant finish: when rich strangers move to the island, social mayhem—and a possible murder follow. Can Nantucket’s best locals save the day, and their way of life?
Chief of Police Ed Kapenash is about to retire. Blond Sharon is going through a divorce. But when a 22-million-dollar summer home is purchased by the mysterious Richardsons—how did they make their money, exactly?—Ed, Sharon, and everyone in the community are swept up in high drama. The Richardsons throw lavish parties, flirt with multiple locals, flaunt their wealth with not one but two yachts, and raise impossible hopes of everyone they meet. When their house burns to the ground and their most essential employee goes missing, the entire island is up in arms.
The last of Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling Nantucket novels, Swan Song is a propulsive medley of glittering gatherings, sun-soaked drama, wisdom and heart, featuring the return of some of her most beloved characters, including, most importantly, the beautiful and timeless island of Nantucket itself.
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Product name:
Swan Song
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Original price was: $30.00.$17.21Current price is: $17.21.
readerrunnermom –
I love Elin’s books. The only one I DNF was Blue Bayou, only because it had too many detailed descriptions of food. It got boring and kind of gross actually. Anyway, Swan Song is highly captivating and smart, with a juicy plot and well-developed characters. The plot is well thought out and layered. The characters stand out, and Elin does a masterful job of describing them in emotional and physical detail. Her character descriptions were one of my favorite things about this book. The only part I didn’t like was the chapter titles. Some were dates, and some were words. At times I had difficulty figuring out how that chapter fit with the timeline. I am not sure why authors do this. It was confusing and completely unnecessary. Nevertheless, the book was highly enjoyable and I will probably re-read it. It is a lengthy book and held my interest until I finished. Swan Song is a brilliant final book for this author.
Printfingers –
I have loved every one of Elin’s books I have read.
Can’t wait to see them make it onto our screens, small and large. Thanks for all the fun, I will be rereading everything!
a reader –
Strangers come to town* and throw ostentatious parties. We’re told everything about the parties – the theme, guest list (who’s in/out), decor, attire, food, cocktails, cocktails, cocktails, playlists, shenanigans, & clean up – all in typical EH detail. There’s not much of a plot between the partying except that guests fall off the invitation list. The subplot is the narrator’s sober view of what’s going on while she makes a friend, finds a boyfriend, & gathers material for her writing career. The mystery is really just where is someone who can’t be accounted for after a party. It’s Nantucket in the summer & all the usual spots are mentioned, but Nantucket doesn’t seem exclusive or glamorous in this final book.
This is presumably EH’s last Nantucket book so every character, location, & shop noted in her previous books gets a mention or sighting. There’s an ick factor that many of these 50-something characters are naked at the parties. Not sure why this particular book is called #4 in “The Nantucket Series” when every book she’s published (except the St. John series) is set on Nantucket. EH stans will recognize them. I haven’t read EVERY book (especially when they weren’t novels but a collection of bullet points, recipes, & diary entries that she couldn’t be bothered to write in full sentences). Looking back on some of the characters, I was reminded of just how boring or offensive they & their stories were w/a lot of local name-dropping as filler & she relies extensively on playlists to be current. She’s not done – she announces in the acknowledgements that her books are becoming films.
A few of EH’s books were good beach reads – The Beach Club, Silver Girl, The Identicals, and The Castaways. Some of them were clunkers or offensive (still haven’t gotten over the 3 BFFs one of whom is pregnant by the teen son of another). All of them had GREAT covers so kudos to the publisher. I’m kinda glad there won’t be another Nantucket Beach Read to decide whether it’s worth a try. I generally judge her books against each other so 3 stars is meh – not her best, not her worst.
*A stranger comes to town is 1 of 2 plots that Blonde Sharon’s writing instructor claims exists.
Zarla –
I first came across an Elin Hilderbrand novel about 15 years ago in the library of Angaga Island in the Maldives. Holidaymakers of all nationalities had left behind books and one of the American guests had shelved their copy of A Summer Affair. I read it on my sun lounger in between long swims in the translucent turquoise ocean. The sea temperature was a gloriously warm 30c.
I absolutely loved the novel and when I got home I went on Amazon and ordered all Elin’s back catalogue to be sent to me in London from the US, mainly in used paperbacks. My absolute favourite is The Blue Bistro. It is so realistic and well written that I genuinely felt as if I was working in that steamy little restaurant!
Soon I was up to date and reading every novel as soon as it was published. The one after A Summer Affair was available in the UK, as was every subsequent one. All of them except Elin’s St John trilogy are set on Nantucket, an island I grew to love and feel I know even though I’ve not yet visited.
And so to Swan Song, Elin’s final novel. Another well written and carefully crafted read with many familiar faces.
Eddie Pancik (The Rumor) is out of prison, and trying to flog gigantic $20m houses again. The Richardsons buy Triple 8 off him and commence to host the best parties on the island. In just two sybaritic months, they manage to fastrack their way into all the most sought after establishments, and the majority of the Castaways are seduced by them too.
The jamboree is cut short when the Richardsons’ young assistant, Coco, goes missing off their yacht on the same night as the Richardsons’ lavish new mansion burns down.
Ed Kabanash, a wonderful recurring character who is the Chief of Police on Nantucket, decides he will investigate Coco’s disappearance, even though it means postponing his retirement.
Coco is a genuinely loveable character and I spent the whole book praying that Elin wouldn’t kill her or Ed off as she did my other favourites Mallory in 28 Summers, Dabney in The Matchmaker and Merritt in The Perfect Couple (not to mention Tess in the Castaways who dies before the novel begins).
Losing a favourite author is always upsetting. Anita Shreve and Helen Dunmore are long gone, and now Elin has retired. I still live in hope this is not her last novel and that she’ll re-emerge as the queen of an entirely different literary genre – maybe historical? A novel set on Nantucket during the whaling era? She even hints at this in the afternotes, stressing that this is her last ‘Nantucket summer novel.’
Tish –
One of my favourite authors.
Lovely beach read.
Last of her books based in Nantucket.
Addictive author..
Many previous books. I recommend them all.
You don’t have to read them in order.
reading adept –
And interesting cast of characters will described and defined. An interesting storyline with twists and turns that are not always expected.
This is well written book that you will enjoy reading, and will finish in no time flat
Patti Heaton –
This was a very well written by Elin Hilderbrand. All of her books are very interesting beach reads. Great story lines and interesting characters.
Womanoftheweald –
What goes on off island majorly affects those who live on island, particularly Elin Hilderbrand’s Nantucket – there’s a backstory to every Steamship ferry passenger out of Woods Hole and you’re going to love them all! It’s a poignant tale of luxe living: Pol Roget and Pickle Ball, widows walks and wauwinet! It’s an insider view of life on Island as though some Nantucket insta influencer is telling the story from her hydrangea filled garden! Favourite read of the summer, to be enjoyed with a glass of rosé and a smile!
NZLisaM –
It’s the start of the summer and the arrival of the elite, cultured, seductive Richardsons – husband and wife Bull and Leslee – has Nantucket locals in an excited frenzy.
Everybody who is anybody is dying to be invited to one of the extravagant, exclusive parties at their newly-purchased, twenty-two-million-dollar, seaside mansion – 888 Pocomo Road – but only a select few will be deemed worthy to glide its halls.
Fast forward to August and the Richardsons are persona non grata. What happened?
Then on the evening of August 22nd a double tragedy strikes the Richardsons. While partying out to sea aboard their yacht (with some non-locals) they receive a call from the Fire Chief to say their house is ablaze. And when their boat docks, they are one person short – a young woman is missing presumed to have gone overboard. Did she fall? Did she purposefully jump? Or was she pushed? It’s time for the Richardsons to face the music.
Swan Song was an indulgence. I relished all the juicy interpersonal melodrama, scandalous behaviour, betrayals, sweet romances, emotional highs and lows, side of mystery, and immense wealth and privilege. It was hard for me not to daydream over what it would be like to be one of these characters living the dream in a lap of luxury on Nantucket (lobster rolls, yes please). The descriptions of 888 Pocomo Road and everything within its walls (clothes, food, etc) were hilariously insane – fascinating yes, but such an over-the-top waste of money. There were a good mix of spoilt unlikeable characters coupled with more down-to-earth ones to keep me happy and entertained.
It’s the fourth in a series but can be enjoyed by itself. I’ve only read #3 The Perfect Couple (5 stars), meaning some of the characters were familiar to me, but most were new to Swan Song and specific to this story. And any that were regulars were introduced with all the relevant information from the previous instalments.
I’m sorry to report that after thirty fictional books set on Nantucket, Elin Hilderbrand is retiring so sadly Swan Song is her last release. I wish her the best, and luckily for me I still have a lot of her backlist to read including the first two in this series.
I devoured the audiobook, and Laurence Bouvard was sensational. I see she has also narrated some of this author’s previous books which makes me so happy. Elin Hilderbrand read the final chapter which left me misty-eyed.
A poignant and touching send off!
Sweetsu –
Swan Song does not disappoint with a typical cast of fascinating characters, where even the bad ones have saving graces. But as always the stand out hero is Nantucket and as always I finish the book and then check flights and hotels on the island. I’ve yet to make it there so will continue to live vicariously through Elin’s books.