On the outskirts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks sits the Paradise, an apartment complex where renters never stay long enough to call the place “home.” It’s ideal for Sara Lennox, who moved there to escape a complicated past and rebuild a new life for herself under the radar. But Sara cannot help but notice the family next door, especially 12-year-old Cassie and five-year-old Boon. She hears rumors and whispers of a recent tragedy slowly tearing them apart. When a raging storm slams the coastal community, Sara makes a quick, bold decision: rescue Cassie and Boon from the storm and their broken home --- without telling a soul. But this seemingly noble act is not without consequences, some of which are lethal.

Natalie Falcone gets a phone call every mother dreads: It’s from a hospital emergency room in the town where her daughter, Arden, attends college. Arden has been in a fire, along with Natalie’s niece, Rory --- her estranged brother-in-law's daughter and Arden’s best friend. Natalie rushes to the hospital and learns that both Arden and Rory lie unconscious, and that another student has died in the blaze. The case unearths a portrait of a complex friendship, a love triangle, a fight, and a girl who was struggling more than anyone realized.

Eve Lattimore’s son has a rare medical condition that makes him fatally sensitive to light, which means he can never leave the house except at night. For Eve, only constant vigilance stands between an increasingly restless teenage son and the dangers of the outside world. But when tragedy strikes, it becomes clear that there are some crises Eve cannot control --- and some secrets that not even love can conceal.

Dana and Julie were bonded by sisterhood and separated by a devastating secret. When Dana returns to Black Bear, Minnesota, some people remember her as a troublemaker while others remember her as the one who got away. Dana comes back for her sister's funeral, but stays to help Peyton, her teenaged niece. What she finds in her old hometown will blow open a Pandora's box of tightly-held secrets, and put everyone she loves in jeopardy.