Not Bad People: A Novel

It’s New Year’s Eve. Three thirty-something women—Aimee, Melinda, and Lou, best friends for decades—release sky lanterns filled with resolutions: for meaning, for freedom, for money. As the glowing paper bags float away, there’s a bright flare in the distance. It could be a sign of luck—or the start of a complete nightmare that will upend their friendships, families, and careers.

The day after their ceremony, the newspapers report a small plane crash—two victims were pulled from the wreckage, one a young boy. Are the three friends responsible? Aimee thinks they are, Melinda won’t accept it, and Lou has problems of her own. It’s a toxic recipe for guilt trips, shame, obsession, blackmail, and power games.

They’re not bad people. But desperate times call for desperate measures.