The Barnes family are in trouble. Until recently they ran the biggest business in town, now they’re teetering on the brink of bankruptcy – and that’s just the start of their problems. Dickie and Imelda’s marriage is hanging by a thread; straight-A student Cass is careening off the rails; PJ is hopelessly in debt to the school bully. Meanwhile the ghosts of old mistakes are rising out of the past to meet them, but everyone’s too wrapped up in the present to see the danger looming…

this family is really unfortunate, and it's because they started on the wrong foot. imelda should never have married dickie because she didn't actually love him. dickie is a closeted homosexual and imelda is haunted by the suicide/murder of her fiancé and dickie's brother!! how did we think that was going to be a good idea, getting dickie and imelda together?

i liked how each of the family member's parts was written in their own style - it gave readers a deeper and more intimate glimpse into each character.

i don't agree with some reviews that this is a sadder book than "a little life", i don't think anything can top that novel.

the ending is still up in the air for me, but my book club and i agree that dickie shot his wife and kids out of confusion when they were all running in the forest on a dark, rainy night. the perfect ending to such a messed up family.