Literature & Fiction
![Karen M. McManus - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_karen_m_mcmanus.jpg)
The Cousins
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying comes your next obsession. You'll never feel the same about family again.
Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised . . . and curious.
Their parents are all clear on one point--not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious--and dark--their family's past is.
The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over--and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.
Fans of the hit thriller that started it all can watch the secrets of the Bayview Four be revealed in the One of Us is Lying TV series now streaming on NBC's Peacock!
Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised . . . and curious.
Their parents are all clear on one point--not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious--and dark--their family's past is.
The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over--and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.
Fans of the hit thriller that started it all can watch the secrets of the Bayview Four be revealed in the One of Us is Lying TV series now streaming on NBC's Peacock!
Editorial Reviews
"Every twist is gasp-inducing…. Another McManus novel worth pulling an all-nighter for." -Kirkus Reviews
"The twists come fast and furious." -SLJ
"McManus (One of Us Is Lying) once again crafts a taut, multilayered mystery.... [She] weaves past and present to take readers on a well-paced, twisty ride that will hold readers rapt till the last page." -Publishers Weekly
"Masterfully plotted and packed with her trademark twists, fans will be utterly hooked." -The Bookseller
"A slow-burn, uneasy beginning ultimately makes way for a frantically paced end peppered with twists that genre fans will happily take in stride. . . . Fans of McManus's previous offerings and of mysteries steeped in family dramatics will be eager for this." -Booklist
"The twists come fast and furious." -SLJ
"McManus (One of Us Is Lying) once again crafts a taut, multilayered mystery.... [She] weaves past and present to take readers on a well-paced, twisty ride that will hold readers rapt till the last page." -Publishers Weekly
"Masterfully plotted and packed with her trademark twists, fans will be utterly hooked." -The Bookseller
"A slow-burn, uneasy beginning ultimately makes way for a frantically paced end peppered with twists that genre fans will happily take in stride. . . . Fans of McManus's previous offerings and of mysteries steeped in family dramatics will be eager for this." -Booklist
Readers Top Reviews
Jamie and Heather
So many things happened in this book that I totally didn't expect. It was completely unpredictable. The three points of view were very distinct so it was easy to tell who was narrating each chapter. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries with all the twists and turns.
TemikaJamie and H
My daughter loves this writer. She's has been reading every book.
Older but WiserTe
New author to me and it was a great read. Interesting story line and wonderful characters. I'll have to check or more books from this author!
MiniOlder but Wis
Story is a big name in Massachusetts. They are a big-name family, replete with wealth and affluence. They live on a remote island on the coast, near Martha’s Vineyard. You can say that they’re like the Kennedys, minus the political careers. But, like the Kennedys, they're full of mystery and scandal. The reason? The Story family is estranged from their matriarch, Mildred Story, since the nineties. Mildred abruptly cut all of her children off in the nineties, leaving them to fend for themselves. But why did she do it? Was she so heartbroken from her husband’s passing that she couldn’t bear to be around their children? Or does she know the terrible things they did one summer? No one knows. But the third generation Storys — now almost eighteen — want to know. So when Mildred invites her grandchildren to enroll on a summer job program on her island, Milly, Aubrey and Jonah cannot refuse. They’re curious about their parents’ past and, more important, want to meet and connect with their wayward grandmother. Milly has always wanted to belong to the Storys; Aubrey longs for the love that’s clearly absent from her aloof father; and as for Jonah — he’s got issues that have nothing to do with the Storys. When these cousins get together for the first time in their entire lives, they open a can of worms that they won’t be able to close again, no matter how hard they try. THE COUSINS is a fascinating mystery about a dysfunctional WASP family and the ties that bind. Love the Massachusetts setting. I am originally from MA, and this paints an accurate portrayal of affluent figures from Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and the upper crust areas in the Cape. You can practically smell the blue blood in those parts. The story is well written, the red herrings are well thought-out, and the surprises are many. Too many sometimes. I don’t know how I feel about a big reveal or two (almost) per chapter, but that’s what we get here. That’s what sets YA apart from most adult mysteries — the need for faster pacing. You will enjoy this though. The main characters are sympathetic and well developed, and there’s a romance subplot as well. Downsides? I would’ve liked more interaction between the Story family from the nineties, and it would’ve been nice to see more dysfunction between the current children and their parents, and how the parents’ past actions affect them in their current lives. Other than that, I enjoyed THE COUSINS. This book is a cross between WE WERE LIARS and LITTLE MONSTERS. Four out of five mango and coconut smoothies, with oats and almond milk mixed in for that creamy consistency!
G HendrenMiniOlde
This book was very fun reading trying to figure everything out. I never even came close. Anyone who likes mysteries will like it.
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter One
Milly
I'm late for dinner again, but this time it's not my fault. There's a mansplainer in my way.
"Mildred? That's a grandmother's name. But not even a cool grandmother." He says it like he thinks he's being clever. Like in all my seventeen years, no one else has ever noticed that my name isn't the fashionable kind of classic. It took a Wall Street investment banker with slicked-back hair and a pinkie ring to render that particular bit of social commentary.
I sip the dregs of my seltzer. "I was, in fact, named after my grandmother," I say.
I'm at a steak house in midtown at six o'clock on a rainy April evening, doing my best to blend with the happy hour crowd. It's a game my friends and I play sometimes; we go to restaurant bars so we don't have to worry about getting carded at the door. We wear our simplest dresses and extra makeup. We order seltzer water with lime--"in a small glass, please, I'm not that thirsty"--and gulp it down until there's almost nothing left. Then we wait to see if anyone offers to buy us a drink.
Somebody always does.
Pinkie Ring smiles, his teeth almost fluorescent in the dim light. He must take his whitening regimen very seriously. "I like it. Quite a contrast for such a beautiful young woman." He edges closer, and I catch a headache-inducing whiff of strong cologne. "You have a very interesting look. Where are you from?"
Ugh. That's marginally better than the What are you? question I get sometimes, but still gross. "New York," I say pointedly. "You?"
"I mean originally," he clarifies, and that's it. I'm done.
"New York," I repeat, and stand up from my stool. It's just as well he didn't talk to me until I was about to leave, because a cocktail before dinner wasn't one of my better ideas. I catch my friend Chloe's eye across the room and wave good-bye, but before I can extract myself, Pinkie Ring tips his glass toward mine. "Can I get you another of whatever that is?"
"No thank you. I'm meeting someone."
He pulls back, brow furrowed. Very furrowed. In a behind-on-his-Botox sort of way. He also has creases lining his cheeks and crinkles around his eyes. He's way too old to be hitting on me, even if I were the college student I occasionally pretend to be. "What are you wasting my time for, then?" he grunts, his gaze already roving over my shoulder.
Chloe likes the happy hour game because, she says, high school boys are immature. Which is true. But sometimes I think we might be better off not knowing how much worse they can get.
I pluck the lime out of my drink and squeeze it. I'm not aiming for his eye, exactly, but I'm still a little disappointed when the juice spatters only his collar. "Sorry," I say sweetly, dropping the lime into the glass and setting it on the bar. "Normally I wouldn't bother. But it's so dark in here. When you first came over, I thought you were my dad."
As if. My dad is way better-looking, and also: not a creep. Pinkie Ring's mouth drops open, but I scoot past him and out the door before he can reply.
The restaurant I'm going to is just across the street, and the hostess smiles when I come through the door. "Can I help you?"
"I'm meeting someone for dinner? Allison?"
Her gaze drops to the book in front of her and a small crease appears between her eyes. "I'm not seeing--"
"Story-Takahashi?" I try. My parents have an unusually amicable divorce, and Exhibit A is that Mom continues to use both last names. "Well, it's still your name," she'd said four years ago when the divorce was finalized. "And I've gotten used to it."
The crease between the hostess's eyes deepens. "I don't see that either."
"Just Story, then?" I try. "Like in a book?"
Her brow clears. "Oh! Yes, there you are. Right this way."
She grabs two menus and winds her way between white-covered tables until we reach a corner booth. The wall bes...
Milly
I'm late for dinner again, but this time it's not my fault. There's a mansplainer in my way.
"Mildred? That's a grandmother's name. But not even a cool grandmother." He says it like he thinks he's being clever. Like in all my seventeen years, no one else has ever noticed that my name isn't the fashionable kind of classic. It took a Wall Street investment banker with slicked-back hair and a pinkie ring to render that particular bit of social commentary.
I sip the dregs of my seltzer. "I was, in fact, named after my grandmother," I say.
I'm at a steak house in midtown at six o'clock on a rainy April evening, doing my best to blend with the happy hour crowd. It's a game my friends and I play sometimes; we go to restaurant bars so we don't have to worry about getting carded at the door. We wear our simplest dresses and extra makeup. We order seltzer water with lime--"in a small glass, please, I'm not that thirsty"--and gulp it down until there's almost nothing left. Then we wait to see if anyone offers to buy us a drink.
Somebody always does.
Pinkie Ring smiles, his teeth almost fluorescent in the dim light. He must take his whitening regimen very seriously. "I like it. Quite a contrast for such a beautiful young woman." He edges closer, and I catch a headache-inducing whiff of strong cologne. "You have a very interesting look. Where are you from?"
Ugh. That's marginally better than the What are you? question I get sometimes, but still gross. "New York," I say pointedly. "You?"
"I mean originally," he clarifies, and that's it. I'm done.
"New York," I repeat, and stand up from my stool. It's just as well he didn't talk to me until I was about to leave, because a cocktail before dinner wasn't one of my better ideas. I catch my friend Chloe's eye across the room and wave good-bye, but before I can extract myself, Pinkie Ring tips his glass toward mine. "Can I get you another of whatever that is?"
"No thank you. I'm meeting someone."
He pulls back, brow furrowed. Very furrowed. In a behind-on-his-Botox sort of way. He also has creases lining his cheeks and crinkles around his eyes. He's way too old to be hitting on me, even if I were the college student I occasionally pretend to be. "What are you wasting my time for, then?" he grunts, his gaze already roving over my shoulder.
Chloe likes the happy hour game because, she says, high school boys are immature. Which is true. But sometimes I think we might be better off not knowing how much worse they can get.
I pluck the lime out of my drink and squeeze it. I'm not aiming for his eye, exactly, but I'm still a little disappointed when the juice spatters only his collar. "Sorry," I say sweetly, dropping the lime into the glass and setting it on the bar. "Normally I wouldn't bother. But it's so dark in here. When you first came over, I thought you were my dad."
As if. My dad is way better-looking, and also: not a creep. Pinkie Ring's mouth drops open, but I scoot past him and out the door before he can reply.
The restaurant I'm going to is just across the street, and the hostess smiles when I come through the door. "Can I help you?"
"I'm meeting someone for dinner? Allison?"
Her gaze drops to the book in front of her and a small crease appears between her eyes. "I'm not seeing--"
"Story-Takahashi?" I try. My parents have an unusually amicable divorce, and Exhibit A is that Mom continues to use both last names. "Well, it's still your name," she'd said four years ago when the divorce was finalized. "And I've gotten used to it."
The crease between the hostess's eyes deepens. "I don't see that either."
"Just Story, then?" I try. "Like in a book?"
Her brow clears. "Oh! Yes, there you are. Right this way."
She grabs two menus and winds her way between white-covered tables until we reach a corner booth. The wall bes...
