As the story opens, 18-year-old Piper Covington is on a Gainesville, Florida, bus on her way to her off-campus apartment when a stranger approaches her. He hands her an envelope, allegedly from her recently deceased inmate father—a man Piper has never known and whom she believed died before she was born. It turns out that the late Henry Hennessy left her a key to a safety deposit box that contains an apparently sentimental item. However, what Piper really wants to know is if she’s truly a Hennessy. The only family she knows is her mom, who manages a local horse farm, and although she isn’t exactly the warmest of parents, why would she lie about her father’s death? And was he really the abusive “monster” that she made him out to be? Piper takes a closer look at the Hennessys, including their family estate, and tries to make sense of her past. Soon, it’s clear that someone is following her. Masters’ sharply defined cast energizes the story, which thrives on characters’ secrets and dubious intentions. Piper is sympathetic but withdrawn, mostly due to an overbearing mother who pushes her toward a career in veterinary school. Her general sense of distrust is perfectly understandable, as shady people seem to constantly surround her. Although Piper desperately craves a family, the author makes clear that she already has one, including her charismatic childhood friend and roommate, Mia Martínez, and her own fiercely loyal dachshund, Frank; in addition, Mia’s mom’s longtime boyfriend Leo, a dog-training police sergeant, treats Piper like a daughter. Scenes are often exciting, and as a legal dispute seeps into the narrative, they become increasingly dialogue-heavy. Rounding out the tale are dual romantic interests for Piper and a final act that, while largely predictable, is consistently intriguing.
UPSTART
July 1, 2024