BOOK REVIEW - The Tarnished Son by Elizabeth McKenna

 

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  The Tarnished Son by Elizabeth McKenna
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  400 pages
Genre: Domestic Suspense
Publisher: Elizabeth McKenna
Release date:  July 2024
Content Rating: PG-13 +M:  No F-bombs, but mild profanity. Sex scenes are not explicit. Situations include drug use, drinking (underage and legal), gun violence, and adultery.

Book Description:

Grab some popcorn and watch the destruction unfold in this fast-paced and unpredictable family drama!

“This is a nice, quiet town. Things like that don’t happen around here.”

But they do.

In THE TARNISHED SON, a tourist’s death, an alluring young teacher, a father’s carnal desires, and a stepdaughter’s vendetta ultimately destroy a village dynasty.

The respected Clark family has governed Williams Bay since 1837. On a hot August day, seventeen-year-old Liam causes a tragic boating accident. What happens next—infidelity, drugs, theft, and more—deepens long-hidden cracks in the family’s façade, exposing their secrets and tarnishing their golden image.

Meet the family:

• William Sr., the grandfather who rules the family and the village with an iron fist
• Hank, the father who lets temptations lead him on a path of self-destruction
• Liam, the shining son who gets away with everything
• Rose, the stepdaughter who has had enough and pushes the whole house down

ELIZABETH MCKENNA weaves a tense plot with unique characters that lovers of domestic suspense novels won't be able to put down.

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you Elizabeth McKenna and iRead Book Tours. I'm excited to be a part of this tour.

Elizabeth McKenna’s The Tarnished Son is a slow-burning family drama that strips away the glossy veneer of privilege and legacy to expose the messy truths underneath. Set in the seemingly idyllic town of Williams Bay, the novel revolves around the powerful Clark family, who have held sway over the village for nearly two centuries. But when a tragic boating accident involving seventeen-year-old Liam Clark shatters the community’s peace, the family’s carefully cultivated image begins to crack, setting off a chain of betrayals, scandals, and shocking choices that lead to their downfall.

At its heart, this is a story about legacy, temptation, and the consequences of unchecked power. Each member of the Clark family represents a different flaw in the dynasty’s crumbling foundation. William Sr., the domineering patriarch, wields influence with cold authority, prioritizing reputation over truth. Hank, the weak-willed father, falls prey to his own carnal desires and poor choices. Liam, the golden boy, seems untouchable, coasting on charm and family name despite his mistakes. And then there is Rose, the stepdaughter who, tired of being cast aside, seizes her moment to unravel the family’s empire piece by piece.

McKenna’s writing captures the claustrophobic tension of small-town life, where secrets can’t stay buried for long, yet power has a way of silencing uncomfortable truths. The plot unfolds like a soap opera with teeth (infidelity, drugs, theft, and betrayal all play their part) while the storytelling remains grounded in the emotional weight of family dysfunction. Readers are pulled in by the voyeuristic thrill of watching the Clarks’ downfall, but they’ll stay engaged because the characters, flawed as they are, feel disturbingly real.

One of the book’s greatest strengths lies in its unpredictability. Just when you think the Clarks can’t sink any lower, McKenna twists the knife again, showing how privilege can enable self-destruction as much as it shields from accountability. Rose’s arc, in particular, provides a satisfying counterbalance to Liam’s golden-boy immunity, giving the narrative both tension and grit.

That said, the book occasionally leans heavily into melodrama, and some readers may find the characters difficult to sympathize with. The Clarks are not a likable bunch, but that seems to be the point: McKenna isn’t asking us to root for their redemption but to witness their undoing. Still, a bit more nuance in character motivations could have elevated the story from gripping to unforgettable.

Overall, The Tarnished Son earns a solid four stars. It’s a compelling family saga that delivers scandal, betrayal, and destruction with both style and substance. Perfect for readers who enjoy peeling back the layers of small-town power structures and watching what happens when privilege collides with consequence, McKenna’s novel is a popcorn-worthy descent into dysfunction.

Overall Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Meet the author:    

Elizabeth McKenna’s love of books reaches back to her childhood, where her tastes ranged from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Stephen King’s horror stories.

Her novels reflect her mercurial temperament and include romances, mysteries, and suspense. Some are “clean,” and some are “naughty,” so she has a book for your every mood.

Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband and Sidney, the rescue dog from Tennessee. When she isn’t writing, reading, or walking the dog that never tires, she’s sleeping.

Connect with the author:   Website ~  X/Twitter ~  Facebook  ~ Instagram ~ bookbub ~ goodreads