A Map to Paradise

By Susan Meissner

Book Overview

1956, Malibu, California: Something is not right on Paradise Circle.

With her name on the Hollywood blacklist and her life on hold, starlet Melanie Cole has little choice in company. There is her next-door neighbor, Elwood, but the screenwriter's agoraphobia allows for just short chats through open windows. He's her sole confidante, though, as she and her housekeeper, Eva, an immigrant from war-torn Europe, rarely make conversation.

Then one early morning Melanie and Eva spot Elwood's sister-in-law and caretaker, June, digging in his beloved rose garden. After that they don't see Elwood at all anymore. Where could a man who never leaves the house possibly have gone?

As they try to find out if something has happened to him, unexpected secrets are revealed among all three women, leading to an alliance that seems the only way for any of them to hold on to what they can still call their own. But it's a fragile pact and one little spark could send it all up in smoke...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593332865
• ISBN13: 9780593332863
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Poignant

“Living in truth, even if it is difficult, had to be better than living in fear.” This is my first Susan Meissner book and it was quite enjoyable. The author's writing style plays out like a movie and the three women - Melanie, Eva, and June - were unique and memorable. I didn't know much about the fire of 1956 that swept through southern California and The Cold War era in Hollywood so it was interesting to be immersed in this time period. I didn't love Melanie; she was too self-absorbed until about halfway through the book. She did a lot of growing up and maturing from that point on and proved herself to be loyal and steadfast. Eva had a lot of hurt and grief which came out in bits and pieces throughout the book; her history was a bit dark and complex, which was a given for a displaced person during WWII. June had some surprising twists and turns in her part of the tale and I enjoyed the friendship that she and Eva formed relatively quickly. One after another, their secrets were revealed but these tragic secrets ended up bringing the women together. All three women had to face their fears and overcome them to move forward, past the things that held them stagnant at a standstill. It is a general fiction book without any faith thread and did contain a tiny bit of swearing. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Berkley Publishing via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.