Praise for OFF THE EAST END "Kozatch's debut novel has the same intriguing elements that made Big Little Lies a propulsive page-turner and compulsively watchable miniseries-a glamorous setting, a dead body, and the deliberately paced reveal about how it got that way. As one character notes..., it's 'the best kind of mystery.'" - Kirkus Reviews
"OFF THE EAST END explores the timely and significant issues the author raises more effectively than journalism. The subjects of special interest to the East End enriches the novel and shines a light on an un-Hampton way of life in The Hamptons. Most impressive, he's mastered the slang and syntax of teenage kids... and has engaged the (mystery) genre." - Sag Harbor Express
Description
When the body of a beautiful young woman is found washed up against a jetty by an early morning surfer, and then promptly disappears after a photo of her goes viral, former New York City journalist Paul Sandis stumbles into a career-making story. The double mystery-her death and subsequent disappearance-upends the interconnected lives of the Hamptons' community.
OFF THE EAST END immerses readers in a side of the Hamptons rarely seen, with its close portrayal of the area's long time locals, real estate rich, city transplants, and new immigrants, exposing the dark side of this elite playground with cutting humor and suspense.
Investigating the scene where the body was found, Paul meets Merika, a Shinnecock Indian whose family has lived in the nearby reservation among privileged white locals for generations. Paul, who left a journalism career in the city for his (now ex)-wife and son, finds himself embroiled in a mystery that unravels parts of the Hamptons most don't get to see: the racial tensions between the white inhabitants led by a Trump-like local attorney, the Natives and the emerging Latino population; and the underground drug scene in which Paul's own son may or may not be implicated.
With its main action taking place over five event-filled days in June, the novel explores the promise of escape and reinvention that is characteristic of the Hamptons. Yet through Paul's search for love and truth and his community's struggle to make sense of the tragedy, OFF THE EAST END also tells a uniquely American story about our perceptions and prejudices of beauty, tribal ties, and the desperate need to be found.
The debut novel from David Kozatch, OFF THE EAST END, will appeal to readers who enjoy the social satire and character-driven stories of Tom Perrotta (The Leftovers), Nick Hornby (A Long Way Down), and Jonathan Tropper (This is Where I Leave You), and the complex murder mysteries of Tana French (In the Woods), Joseph O'Neill (Netherland), and Mark Mills (Amagansett).
