Swan Song

by Elin Hilderbrand

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Nothing says summer like an Elin Hilderbrand Nantucket novel. Old friends, new strangers and a possible murder are the beginning of the end… of Hilderbrand's bestselling series.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316258876
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	06/11/2024
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	726
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Elin Hilderbrand is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Iowa Writers Workshop. Swan Song is her twenty-seventh--and final--Nantucket-based novel. Hilderbrand is currently writing the first of two novels with her daughter, Shelby Cunningham, set at a New England boarding school. Hilderbrand is the co-host of the podcast "Books, Beach and Beyond" along with @TimTalksBooks creator, Tim Ehrenberg. She is raising four young adult children and likes to spend her free time at the beach and on her Peloton. She's a grateful ten-year breast cancer survivor.

Editorial Reviews

06/17/2024

Hilderbrand closes out her long run of Nantucket novels (after The Five-Star Weekend) with an engrossing story of three mysterious newcomers. Leslee and Bull Richardson arrive at the multimillion-dollar house they’ve just purchased on Nantucket with Coco, their live-in concierge. Coco, an aspiring writer, hopes to show her screenplay to Bull, a businessman who’s produced a couple of movies, and she landed the gig by lying about how well she knows the island. Larger-than-life Leslee throws lavish parties at the couple’s oceanfront house, but she increasingly rubs people the wrong way—women, especially—by flirting with men who are taken. By the end, as readers will know from a flash-forward opening, the Richardsons will be largely shunned, Coco will go missing, and their house will go up in flames. In chapters exploring Bull’s shady business dealings and Coco’s duplicity, Hilderbrand gradually teases out exactly what happens and why. Strong characterizations and delicious moments of tension make this a worthy note to end on. Readers will be riveted. Agents: David Forrer and Michael Carlisle, InkWell Management. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"Hilderbrand's final Nantucket novel will draw old and new readers out of the woodwork . . . There are plenty of Easter eggs for longtime fans, but even those diving in to her exquisite writing for the first time are in for a treat: a story that feels like it's being told over cocktails at the Oystercatcher, perfectly paced for maximum drama with characters you can't get enough of. This is aspirational escapism at its finest."
 —Susan Maguire, Booklist (starred)

“A stranger comes to town, and a beloved storyteller plays this creative-writing standby for all it’s worth.”—Kirkus (starred)

“Elin Hilderbrand is the doyen of the beach read, the queen of all things sun, fun, and intrigue, one of the best to ever do it, and Swan Song is the cleverly titled final installment of her popular Nantucket series . . . You’ll see all your old favorite characters from the previous Nantucket novels, and this final act is chock-full of all Hilderbrand’s hallmarks, from family drama to romance."—Harper's Bazaar

From the Publisher

05/03/2024

Hilderbrand's (The Five-Star Weekend) many fans will feel bittersweet about her latest: it follows her usual mix of colorful and glittering characters and places on Nantucket Island, but she says it will be her last Nantucket-set novel. Police chief Ed Kapenash is retiring after having a heart attack, but on his last weekend on the job, a house destroyed by fire and a missing friend of his daughter make him defer his retirement. The story returns to the arrival and wild lives of ultra-wealthy and mysterious newcomers, the Robinson family. In a story told from many perspectives, readers learn how the ostentatious Robinsons and their wild parties brought out the best, the worst, and underlying conflicts in many Nantucket islanders. All the characters, especially the Robinsons, have secrets and resentments they want to keep hidden. Fans will be thrilled to revisit characters from Hilderbrand's earlier stories and see how their lives have moved on and continue to change up until the sweetly romantic ending. Readers new to the author may find it difficult keeping track of the many characters and be best served by first reading her earlier books. VERDICT A must-read for Hilderbrand's many enthusiastic followers.—Jan Marry

Library Journal

In Elin Hilderbrand's final Nantucket novel, narrated by Erin Bennett, with a special appearance by Hilderbrand herself, Chief of Police Ed Kapenash's retirement plans are disrupted by a fire that destroys a brand-new $22-million home. At the time of the blaze, the owners, a new couple in town, are hosting a yacht party, from which their assistant, Coco, goes missing. Chief Ed takes on the case connected to Coco, a friend of his daughter. Bennett captures the essence of each character, delivering their emotions with precision and enhancing the novel's drama, mystery, and heart. Her performance brings the characters and setting to life, creating an immersive listening experience. Hilderbrand's first attempt at narrating her work adds a personal touch and an authentic conclusion. F.S.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

JULY 2024 - AudioFile

A story that feels like it’s being told over cocktails at the Oystercatcher, perfectly paced for maximum drama with characters you can’t get enough of. This is aspirational escapism at its finest.”

Booklist (starred review)