Editorial Content for Thicker Than Water

THICKER THAN WATER, Megan Collins’ latest novel, is unusual in that the most important relationship in the story is between two women --- Sienna and Julia. They first became friends when Julia married Sienna's brother, Jason. Although they hadn't been dating long, Julia was pregnant, and Jason was eager to "do the right thing." Julia was so enamored with Sienna and their budding friendship that she agreed.

Now, almost 15 years later, while Sienna and Julia's relationship is as solid as ever, Julia's marriage is teetering. Sienna and Julia have started a business together, and their individual strengths and weaknesses work well for them as a team. Sienna's volatile nature is tempered by Julia's calm demeanor. And Julia's inability to be forceful when needed is compensated by Sienna's ability to deal with angry customers.

"This touching and twisty story is about finding the truth, dealing with one's own weaknesses, and being able to forgive others."

But as we learn more about these women from their own words, we see how each of them is keeping a secret from the other. Julia is reluctant to tell Sienna that Jason took $10,000 from their vacation fund. He claims it was on a business investment that went bad, and he can't get it back. Julia is hurt and angry that he did it behind her back and didn't tell her about it. She found out on her own and had to confront him. Confiding in Sienna doesn’t seem to be a viable option for Julia, who fears that Sienna will just stick up for her brother, whom she idolizes.

Sienna likewise is hiding something from Julia. She had broken up with her boyfriend, Wyatt, when he blacked out during a drunken stag party for a friend and ended up sleeping with someone. He didn’t even know this person, and by the time morning came, she was gone. But to Sienna, that betrayal --- even though he doesn't remember it --- meant she could never trust him again. Still, she can't seem to stay away from him, and she visits him for brief sexual encounters that she convinces herself mean nothing. At the same time, she tells Julia that she doesn't speak to Wyatt and never wants to talk about him.

These omissions, these small betrayals, are repeated throughout the novel with Julia and Jason, Sienna and Jason, and even Julia's son, Aiden. We see suppressed emotions and false memories. And at the center of it all is Jason. At the start of the book, we learn that Jason’s boss was killed: stabbed and suffocated, and his lips sewn together. A few nights later, Jason is driving and in a horrible accident that leaves him in a medically induced coma. During that time, the police become suspicious of him and investigate him for his boss’s murder.

Sienna and Julia are determined to clear Jason's name. The Jason they know and love could not have committed such a heinous act. But the more they investigate, the more questions they have. Julia starts thinking about his past actions in a different light, and she begins to doubt him and his innocence.

Jason, his sister and his wife make for a fascinating threesome. The story revolves as much around the two women and their love for each other as it does around their relationship with Jason. By the end, Jason is stripped of pretense, and Sienna and Julia see him with all his faults and weaknesses. But is that such a terrible thing? Don't Sienna and Julia show, via their own actions, that they are not perfect?

This touching and twisty story is about finding the truth, dealing with one's own weaknesses, and being able to forgive others. It's about friendship, trust and honesty, and we really feel fulfilled by the end when we see how both women have changed for the better as a result of their trials.