New York Times bestselling author Pamela Redmond returns with a propulsive family drama about a woman of a certain age whose picture-perfect California life gets turned upside down.

Sixty-something Helena Drummond rules the roost at her Santa Barbara compound. Clad in her go-to black cashmere sweaters and wide linen pants, she keeps close tabs on her three grown sons, the property, and her massively successful skincare company, which she wishes hadn't gotten quite so big. When she was a single mother, trying to find a place to live, and stumbling onto the cottage with her young son, Oscar, she had such an idealistic vision for the products. Speaking of which, where was Oscar?

Helena's well-orchestrated world cracks open at the seams when Oscar doesn't show up at her A-list relaunch party. His wife and kids are there, yes (and almost on time), and his brothers. So where could he be?

What happens next uproots Helena's life in every way: her relationships, her control, her love, her friendships, her legacy, and her business. In a breathless narrative that mixes a police investigation with an eccentric cast of characters-a long-lost love reappearing late in life, a minimalist millionaire, cherished children, an Irish nanny, a former movie star, the local real estate celebrity, and even the security guards at the iron gate-The Matriarch will draw you in and leave you wanting more. Just like Helena would want it.