This book mashes together mystery-thriller, ancient philosophy, divorce and parenting, romance, and #metoo. It’s a lot. I enjoyed it, but it won’t be a favorite because there were just a few too many twists and turns for my taste. Readers shouldn’t expect Where’d You Go, Bernadette, but they will see Semple’s clever writing and unusual characters.
Adora Hazzard is a woman “of a certain age”. The divorced parent of a teenage daughter, she lives in a historic Manhattan building (think “Only Murders in the Building”) and works for an extremely wealthy family tutoring their sons in philosophy. She’s an expert in the ancient philosophy of Stoicism, which she’s applied to her own life. This works great until she falls for a mysterious man and gets caught up in secrets, crime, and possibly terrorism. With her world in sudden chaos, she’s forced to reconsider the traumas of her past.
This story starts slow and becomes a roller coaster ride. I enjoyed seeing Adora’s character develop. She goes from a woman who carefully plans her life (from wearing the same outfit every day to sharing cars and theater subscriptions with her friends), to a woman having a reckless fling with a stranger. I enjoyed the clever dialog and I especially liked her relationship with her daughter. I also learned a lot about philosophy, which isn’t my favorite subject but Semple made it interesting.
“Acceptance isn’t passive. It’s active. Acceptance is an act of courage. It’s not the end. It’s the beginning.”
On the downside, this book has a lot of WTF moments. If the word “zany” appeals to you, dive right in. I found all the sudden switches hard to absorb. Though in fairness, so does Adora, so I could relate to her. I also didn’t find the romantic storyline very convincing but I don’t want to say more about it.
This is a book to enjoy but not take too seriously. It’s nice to see a woman going through a crazy mid-life adventure, and it combines passion and humor with introspection and trauma. I didn’t always love it, but I did enjoy the ride.
Note: I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley and publisher G.P. Putnam’s Sons. This book published April 14, 2026.