Consummate Confidences by Florence Dombey is the sixth
book in The Willow Chronicle and a sweeping saga that examines crime,
deception, and secrets in a seemingly idyllic town in 1957. The story follows
Brittany Alistair Macey, who returns to her small hometown of Port Townsend
after a daring escape to French Polynesia with Willow Benton, Carl Meyers’
daughter. While Bambi tries to rebuild her life with her infant daughter in her
father’s vacant house, the town is shaken by the long-overdue return of Willow,
who vanished from Honolulu months earlier. Meanwhile, a series of murders of
young women in Port Townsend and Seattle threatens to unravel the town’s veneer
of tranquility. As Carl Meyers, a former Baltimore cop tangled in Baltimore’s
crime syndicate, and Mirabelle Rhodes support Bambi, they become entangled in a
web of sexual intrigue and criminal activity linked to the Mafia’s Five
Families. Bambi’s own explorations of her sexual identity, shaped by Polynesian
culture, clash with the conservative societal norms of the era, deepening her
personal conflicts. The narrative culminates in a suspenseful investigation
that exposes the dark secrets lurking beneath the town’s idyllic surface,
revealing how personal secrets can be deadly.
While this is a sixth entry into the series, it can be read
as a standalone novel. Florence Dombey’s ingenious plotting shines through Consummate
Confidences, and characterization is stellar. The characters are
elaborately drawn, and their backstories are skillfully employed to build
suspense and enrich the narrative. Bambi’s grit and authenticity, shaped by her
Polynesian experiences and her daring escape, make her an intriguing character
to follow. Carl Meyers, with his shadowy ties to organized crime, is another
interesting character to follow. Mirabelle Rhodes provides a nuanced friendship
in a world where chaos is shrouded in seemingly normal relationships. The
setting of Port Townsend on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula offers an
atmospheric backdrop—quaint yet fraught with tension—and the the contrast
between the town’s peaceful veneer and the dangerous undercurrents of crime is
deftly explored. The conflict between personal freedom and social constraints,
compounded by the threats of murder and organized crime, creates a layered
narrative that explores themes of trust, secrecy, and empowerment. The gorgeous
prose is punctuated by exciting dialogues in this balanced and emotionally rich
narrative.
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