Book Review: "Beneath the Surface" by Kaira Rouda

Rich people behaving badly and family dysfunction are always signs of an entertaining read. When I saw that a second book in this series was recently published, I figured I’d pick up the first.

Richard is the billionaire CEO of his family company. As he has been getting older, both of his sons are wondering what Richard’s plans are for the company’s future. So when each gets an invitation to join Richard and his fifth wife, Serena, on his new yacht for a weekend trip to Catalina Island, each thinks that Richard is ready to name them his successor.

When both Ted and John arrive at the yacht with their wives, they’re less than pleased to discover that the other has been invited. So now the challenge is for each brother to outmaneuver the other and prove to their father that they’re worthy to run the company.

No one can count on the tricks and surprises Richard has up his sleeve, or just how rough the water is during the trip. And when his estranged daughter Sibley arrives, she wreaks havoc in different ways.

This is one of those books where everyone has secrets, everyone has grudges against others, and even the wives want a piece of the pie. Who will walk away with what they want? And what does Richard have in store for his family?

There isn’t a likable character in the bunch, so I wasn’t rooting for anyone. The twists come fast and furious—some were surprising and some were predictable—but it was a quick and entertaining read, and I’ll be interested to see what Rouda does in the sequel.