Based on a true story : a novel / Sarah Vaughan.
"A lavish seventieth birthday party. A body found on a storm-lashed beach. And a secret that someone is dying to tell... Famed children's author Dame Eleanor Kingman has summoned her family and friends to her exquisite manor house on the cliffs. They're celebrating her birthday--and her latest number one bestseller in her series of books about a child detective. But the night before the party, Eleanor receives an email that threatens to expose the lie she's kept for over half a century. Someone knows her secret. Is it her estranged literary agent? Is it her ex-husband, to whom she no longer speaks? Is it the au pair, who always did have a knack for storytelling, that Eleanor fired all those years ago? Or is it one of her three daughters, all of whom have a stake in the publishing empire she had built? With a television crew arriving to film a documentary of her life, Eleanor needs to find out who sent the email--and preserve her legacy and multi-million-pound career. But when push comes to shove, and it's time to tell the truth, will anyone actually believe her?"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780063457713
- ISBN: 0063457717
- Physical Description: 407 pages : illustration ; 24 cm
- Edition: First US edition.
- Publisher: New York : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2026.
- Copyright: ©2026
Content descriptions
- General Note:
- "Originally published in the United Kingdom in 2026 by Simon Schuster UK, an imprint of Simon & Schuster UK Ltd."--Title page verso.
Search for related items by subject
- Subject:
- Women authors > Fiction.
Family secrets > Fiction.
Birthday parties > Fiction.
Secrecy > Fiction.
Truth > Fiction.
Older women > Fiction. - Genre:
- Thrillers (Fiction)
Detective and mystery fiction.
Available copies
- 6 of 31 copies available at NC Cardinal.
- 0 of 1 copy available at Madison County Public Library. (Show)
Holds
- 33 current holds with 31 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Main Library | FIC VAU (Text) | 30229101449246 | Adult New Fiction | On holds shelf | - |
| Beaufort Main | F VAUGH (Text) | 34208900291534 | Adult New Fiction | Checked out | 08/15/2026 |
| Black Mountain Library | F VAU (Text) | 0020514181096 | Adult New Fiction | In transit | - |
| Bogue Banks | F VAUGH (Text) | 34208900291559 | Adult New Fiction | Checked out | 08/13/2026 |
| Bordeaux Library | CMB2016871 (Text) | CMB2016871 | Technical Services | In process | - |
| Cumberland Headquarters | CMB2016871 (Text) | CMB2016874 | Technical Services | In process | - |
| East Regional Library | CMB2016871 (Text) | CMB2016872 | Technical Services | In process | - |
| Fletcher Branch | VAU (Text) | 33258010596970 | Adult New Fiction | Checked out | 08/18/2026 |
| G.V. Barbee, Sr. Library | FIC VAU (Text) | 31420621356065 | Adult New Fiction | Checked out | 08/06/2026 |
| Harmony Branch Library | F VAUGHAN (Text) | 33114027681725 | Adult New Fiction | Checked out | 08/18/2026 |
Accessibility Features
Summary:
"A lavish seventieth birthday party. A body found on a storm-lashed beach. And a secret that someone is dying to tell... Famed children's author Dame Eleanor Kingman has summoned her family and friends to her exquisite manor house on the cliffs. They're celebrating her birthday--and her latest number one bestseller in her series of books about a child detective. But the night before the party, Eleanor receives an email that threatens to expose the lie she's kept for over half a century. Someone knows her secret. Is it her estranged literary agent? Is it her ex-husband, to whom she no longer speaks? Is it the au pair, who always did have a knack for storytelling, that Eleanor fired all those years ago? Or is it one of her three daughters, all of whom have a stake in the publishing empire she had built? With a television crew arriving to film a documentary of her life, Eleanor needs to find out who sent the email--and preserve her legacy and multi-million-pound career. But when push comes to shove, and it's time to tell the truth, will anyone actually believe her?"--
