Maribelle’s Shadow by Susannah Marren | Book blogger

Book review:

This is a book about money - lots of it -, power and how family secrets can affect lives and keep a family divided.

Maribelle, Caroline and Raleigh Barrows are sisters. Maribelle is the eldest and Raleigh the youngest by ten years. She is the most sensitive and Caroline is the most driven. Maribelle is the Editor of the “PB Confidential”, a magazine she has made more successful, and her husband Samuel Walker was CFO of the family business. Maribelle and Samuel were sweethearts when they lived in Kesgrave, located in the panhandle of Florida, on the Gulf Coast. 

The Barrow sisters and their mother are all well known in Palm Beach Society. They always dress to impress and support philanthropic causes that are popular. The three sisters appear to be close friends but are really in competition with each other. 

Maribelle is the oldest sister. As the novel begins, her beloved husband, Samuel, has just died in a boating accident. Even though she knew that he was unfaithful, she accepted it so that they could keep their place as the IT couple in local society. When their mother uncovers the fact that there was money missing from the family company, all fingers point to Samuel.

Caroline is married to Samuel's best friend and they both work at the family business. She knows that her husband knows more about Samuel and the missing money but won't share information with her.

Raleigh is the youngest sister. She appears to have a good marriage but she is actually having an affair and is being very deceptive to her husband. She and her husband are struggling artists and her husband has never really been accepted by her mother like Maribelle and Caroline's husbands.

Now Maribelle wondered who his last mistress was and what happened to the millions of dollars that were missing from the family business? Would she be responsible for his debts? Who knew what he had been doing? Was it his best friend Travis who knew his secrets? Who was the real Samuel Walker, and what were his secrets? 

This author has undressed Palm Beach and its residents so that their warts and foibles are visible, and the underbelly of the landscape of Palm Beach is exposed, with all of its weaknesses and strengths laid bare. She has used the fictional Barrows family as the vehicle to define the entitled and their lives.

Overall, This is fast-paced, multi-layered, yet easy to follow storyline,  narrated by each of the three sisters and told from their individual perspectives, in short, well-signposted chapters. I would recommend this to those who love to read books about high society and drama filled families. People who love reality shows or soap operas, this book is for you!

Purchase : https://amzn.to/3YQzeNu