New York Times bestselling author Ruta Sepetys invites readers into 1920s Detroit in A FORTUNE OF SAND, her outstanding adult fiction debut.

Sprung from the entrepreneurial genius of their grandfather, Cormac, the Lennox family has ascended the ranks of Detroit royalty with the success of their automobile glass business. For years, they have benefited from their proximity to the likes of Chevrolet, Cadillac and Dodge. But by 1927, Cormac’s adult son, Duncan, is starting to butt heads with the patriarch, and Duncan’s quarrelsome, dysfunctional family has begun making waves in the media. Between drunk, greedy Duncan and his four children --- golden girl Cecile, morose Charlotte (Chet), feckless Graham and dreamy Marjorie --- the Lennox family name has suffered some serious injuries. And with Duncan and Cormac now warring over the decision to build a new factory, the stakes are higher than ever.

In the background, rumors of a notorious crime ring known as the Purple Gang have everyone on high alert as a jewel heist dominates the city’s headlines. But none of this interests sweet, outspoken 20-year-old Marjorie, who has something else entirely on her mind: an artist’s residency for women.

Funded and overseen by the infamous Charles Bonafante --- a powerful bachelor known for his movie-star looks and intensely private nature --- the four-week immersive residency program is just what Marjorie needs to prove to her family that her dreams of becoming a fashion designer are real. With the aid of Chet and Graham, she is whisked away to downtown Detroit, a world of glamour and grit. 

"Authentic, gripping, and rare for its focus on an under-discussed region and era, A FORTUNE OF SAND is Ruta Sepetys at her best: probing, compassionate and dedicated to the preservation of history."

Marjorie is told that she cannot depart before the four weeks are over or speak about the residency to anyone. Though Bonafante is the program’s benefactor, the house is overseen by a man named Dock, who resides in the basement and arranges the delivery of materials for all the artists. He also is tasked with handing out daily schedules and delivering demerits. It’s not exactly the bohemia Marjorie pictured, but it is a sort of freedom. Besides, she has an ulterior motive. Despite rumors that Bonafante is rarely seen and never speaks to anyone, she enjoyed a flirtatious conversation with him years ago and has longed to see him again.

Desperate to impress Bonafante, Marjorie dives into her work, creating fabulous gowns for her fellow artists, even as she discovers that the rumors of hauntings and missing girls may be hiding something far more sinister. From the strange knocking she hears at night to the terrifying scratches on her room’s mirror, everything about the residency is just off.

Back in Grosse Pointe, a different mystery is unfolding. Rumors that Duncan is involved with the Purple Gang begin to reach the ears of Chet and Graham. At the same time, and despite the fact that the family name is at risk, Duncan begins to obsessively focus on a housewarming party for Cecile and her husband. When Chet and Graham learn that a reporter is digging around for information on their family, Bonafante and a series of mysterious deaths, it becomes clear that something devious is afoot. Their sister may not be safe in downtown Detroit…and not just because of the gangsters. But Chet and Graham (and even their grandfather) have many secrets of their own.

A FORTUNE OF SAND has a little something for people of all backgrounds to enjoy. Ruta Septeys, known for her immersive, meticulously researched works of historical fiction, effortlessly invites readers into the world of Detroit’s Golden Age and all that comes with it: automotive factories, Prohibition, wealth and corruption. Historical fiction readers will delight in her world-building here, as we are taken from Detroit’s lavish suburbs to its gritty inner city, bolstered by vivid details and wholly realized settings.

But what makes the book truly shine is the eerie, gothic, almost noir vibe with which Sepetys infuses Marjorie’s narrative. Locked in her gilded artist’s residency, away from her outlandish family, Marjorie begins to lose her sense of self, as well as her grip on what is real and what isn’t. Her fracturing mentality becomes as much of a setting as the city itself, and with Sepetys masterfully dishing out twists and shocking reveals, her story exposes a darker one about what happens to women who do not fit society’s mold.

I hesitate to say more here for fear of spoiling the book’s fantastic plot, but I will say that the Author’s Note is almost as fascinating as the story itself. Sepetys, a Michigan native, has done tremendous justice to the historic city of Detroit, painting it in all its contradictions and idiosyncrasies, but also to the women who attempted to seize power despite its patriarchal, capitalist structure.

Authentic, gripping, and rare for its focus on an under-discussed region and era, A FORTUNE OF SAND is Ruta Sepetys at her best: probing, compassionate and dedicated to the preservation of history. Readers of Marie Benedict, as well as Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White, will adore this one, and teens who devoured her young adult works will be delighted to reunite with their favorite author in a new, grittier way.