Magic Hour: A Darkly Witty Hamptons Murder Thriller—NYT Bestseller of Love, Class, and Homicide

Susan Isaacs sets a murder mystery in the Hamptons, exploring the lives of wealthy summer residents and local year-round inhabitants. The story centers on Stephen Brady, a homicide detective and local farm boy, whose fortunes seem about to improve when filmmaker Sy Spencer is murdered. Brady's investigation leads him to a woman connected to both himself and the victim. The novel combines mystery, social satire, and romance. It examines the contrast between the Hamptons' glamorous public image and the reality of the people who live there. Brady, characterized as world-weary and emotionally guarded, finds himself drawn into an unexpected relationship as he pursues the case. The narrative explores themes of class, relationships between men and women, and the consequences of murder within this insular community.