Checking out my library books this week, I noticed someone returning The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty. You might recognise Moriarty’s name as the author of the novel behind the TV series Big Little Lies. Although it’s been a while since I last read any of her books, I remember enjoying The Husband’s Secret and Truly, Madly Guilty, both of which I previously reviewed on this blog.
The Last Anniversary is about a group of women whose lives, one way or another, are connected to the ‘Munro Baby Mystery’ — an incident that took place 70 years previously on Scribbly Gum island.
Two sisters, Rose and Connie Doughty, found an abandoned baby, whose parents, Alice and Jack Munro were renting a house on the island up to the day they disappeared, leaving a marble cake on the table and a half-finished crossword behind them.
Connie and Rose named the baby Enigma and decided to raise her as their own, subsequently developing a tourism business around the Munro baby mystery. Enigma, her daughter Margie, and grand-daughter Grace all join them in the venture, hosting tours of the Munro mystery house and organising an annual festival to mark the anniversary of the scandal.
Family relationships and secrets are at the heart of this novel which has likeable characters, a decent story line and some good twists, particularly towards the end. Perfect for an easy summer read.