The large black front door with its colorful stained-glass windows and shiny brass letter box was as grand as any Regency house could boast, as was the Doric columned portico with its ornamental box hedges in tall granite pots. Slender black railings edged the steps down to the pavement, where they turned at right angles to each side to provide a barrier between passersby and the void above the basement flats.

Maxi’s was adjacent, with a handful of bistro tables spilling out of the wide-open bifold doors, its palm-strewn interior with plush leather banquets and slouchy sofas cooled by the gentle spring breeze. In spite of it not yet being nine on a weekend morning, the place was already buzzing.

After collecting her order—free for the birthday girl, Maxi insisted—and bowing her thanks to the Greek regulars whom Maxi encouraged to join in a chorus of charoumena genethlia, Vivi ran back up to the flat accompanied by the musical sound of many text messages arriving.

Five so far. As she read them, still catching her breath after the sprint, she sipped her coffee and blinked away a spell of dizziness. Remembering she hadn’t eaten since yesterday lunchtime, she tucked into her Danish and turned on the radio. Though she probably wouldn’t listen to the news, it was second nature to have it on in the background, and when she’d had enough of it she’d do her usual thing of planting her phone in the speakers and scrolling to some favorite tunes.

More texts piled in, mostly from the GaLs: Trudy, Shaz Saavi, Sachi, and Becky, all saying they couldn’t wait to see her later. In came a surprise message from Michael (FAberlin’s CEO), and then up popped one from Greg.

Have a great day. Can you do dinner with Carla and Seamus on Wednesday? Sushi?

She thought there might be a conflict, so making a mental note to check before getting back to him, she finished up her Danish and began a quick sort of the mail that had come through the door while she was in New York.

Work hard, play hard, that was her motto, and lately she’d been doing far too much of the former. Boy, was she ready to party today!

Praise for Susan Lewis and Her Books

“A compelling, timely mystery.”

—Lisa Ballantyne, Edgar Award–nominated author of The Guilty One, on My Lies, Your Lies

“Full of drama and intrigue, and with so many twists and turns, I promise you’ll be surprised and captivated right to the end.”

—Carmel Harrington, Irish Times bestselling author of A Thousand Roads Home, on My Lies, Your Lies

“Rich, seamless, and masterful storytelling with so many ‘oh my god’ twisty moments. . . . Absolute genius. I was total gripped.”

—Rebecca Thornton, author of The Fallout, on My Lies, Your Lies

“Susan Lewis writes with the most brilliant sense of place that I was there imagining each location vividly.”