It sounded wonderful.  Kate and her closest friends and their families would spend a week together in a luxurious villa in France.  The women have known each other since college and have stayed friends for twenty years.  They came together with high hopes and expectations for a memorable vacation.  Memorable came into fruition in ways that they never could have imagined.

From the beginning there were problems.  Kate is certain her husband is having an affair with one of her friends.  But which one?  Her teenage daughter is keeping something from her and she can't convince her to confide in her.  The tension builds as Kate tries to determine which of her friends has betrayed her.  Other family dynamics complicate things.  Her friend's teenage sons are creepy and seem to be out of control.  The husbands of her friends seem to have questionable traits.

In this precisely crafted story, the past is superimposed on the present.  Kate asks herself if she deserves to be happy because of the sorrow her past actions have caused.

Mystery and tension are present from the beginning as are unanswered questions.  This is much more than a story about alleged adultery.  The plot is multi-layered and packed with various narrative twists.  The author brings to life a large cast of characters who have varied personalities.  I found Kate to be the most interesting of them all.  An introspective investigator by profession, can she find the truth she is looking for?  And, if she does, what does she do with it?

I found THE VACATION to be well written, riveting, often shocking and memorable.  Highly recommended.