{"product_id":"santa-monica-a-novel-isbn-9780063018440","title":"Santa Monica: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA\u003cbr\u003e debut novel in the vein of Liane Moriarty and Tom Perrotta, about dark\u003cbr\u003e secrets brought to life after the mysterious death of a handsome and\u003cbr\u003e charismatic trainer to the elite women in Santa Monica.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn\u003cbr\u003ethe western edge of Los Angeles is the gorgeous beachside city of Santa Monica,\u003cbr\u003ewhere the sun-kissed, wealthy residents seem to inhabit real-life California\u003cbr\u003edreams. When movie-star-handsome heartthrob fitness coach Zack Doheny, is found\u003cbr\u003edead on the floor of his gym, the tragedy shocks the elite community,\u003cbr\u003eespecially those who’d spent many hours each week exercising with the\u003cbr\u003echarismatic trainer. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs\u003cbr\u003ethe narrative flashes back to the months leading up to Zack’s death, it quickly\u003cbr\u003ebecomes clear that things in this coastal paradise are not as glittering as\u003cbr\u003ethey seem. Lettie – Zack’s secret half-sister and an undocumented housekeeper\u003cbr\u003efor the toned, entitled women of Santa Monica – holds her brother responsible\u003cbr\u003efor a horrific family accident, and desperately needs his money to prevent her\u003cbr\u003edeportation. Regina, type-A exercise addict and entrepreneur, will do anything\u003cbr\u003eto get out of debt and to claim Zack for herself. And Mel – a New York City\u003cbr\u003etransplant who finds herself forty pounds heavier and far more cynical than the\u003cbr\u003elithe women of Santa Monica – discovers an electric attraction to Zack that\u003cbr\u003ethreatens to disrupt his bond with Regina and upend Mel’s own marriage. As\u003cbr\u003ethese residents of Santa Monica begin to crack under the stress of their\u003cbr\u003esecrets, one question hangs above it all: what really happened to Zack\u003cbr\u003eDoheny? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs\u003cbr\u003eaddictively suspenseful as it is sharply observed, hilarious, and\u003cbr\u003ecompassionate, \u003cem\u003eSanta Monica\u003c\/em\u003e is the\u003cbr\u003erare novel that captures readers with propulsive storytelling alongside\u003cbr\u003eemotional urgency, irresistible characters, ambitious themes, and a vivid sense\u003cbr\u003eof place.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Cassidy Lucas has created an engaging, satirical portrait of Santa Monica, where a vibrant cast faces a broad range of California problems—marriage and money troubles, poor body image for the haves, deportation for the have nots.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSteph Cha, author of Your House Will Pay\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Part riveting mystery, part incisive domestic drama, Santa Monica is a sharp look at the superficial lives of the pretending-to-be-perfect in gorgeous seaside California, expertly walking the line between satire, suspense and biting social commentary.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKimberly McCreight New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia and A Good Marriage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Santa Monica\u003c\/em\u003e is one juicy read!  Cassidy Lucas brings a rarified beach town to life with such verve and tenderness, and she isn't afraid to show its dark side, either. Compelling, sassy, and warmhearted, this book is a thrill.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEdan Lepucki, author of New York Times bestseller California\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eSanta Monica\u003c\/em\u003e is a juicy yet profound thriller that seamlessly glides between the sun kissed beaches and the long shadows of seemingly glamorous Southern California. Cassidy Lucas has delivered a deft page turner and a topical mystery that is fully three dimensional in every way. \u003cem\u003eSanta Monica\u003c\/em\u003e is filled with complex characters who may act but never are superficial and at its core is a deft, twisty story that’s both witty and wise about marriage, friendship, aging, and the deadly quest for perfection.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eIvy Pochoda, author of These Women\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Lucas (the pen name of Julia Fierro and Caeli Wolfson Widger) succeeds in satirizing the gilded enclave of Santa Monica while also tugging at readers’ heartstrings\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Oh, how this smart, juicy thriller sucked me in. A perfect escape.”    - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMarcy Dermansky, author of Very Nice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSanta Monica\u003c\/em\u003e is a deep dive into the extremes of human desire and a page-turning exploration of class, love, friendship, and marriage, while simultaneously exploring topical issues of politics and immigration. Cassidy Lucas plunges you into a world of terrifying domestic fantasy while holding her characters accountable for their flaws. A wild thriller you don’t want to miss. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eElizabeth Silver, author of Tincture of Time\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44889327632613,"sku":"NP9780063018440","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780063018440.jpg?v=1730231014","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/santa-monica-a-novel-isbn-9780063018440","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}