The East End

Product Description A tragic poolside accident threatens to unravel two disparate families in this gripping debut novel of suspense and culture clash set in the Hamptons. The East End follows two families--the wealthy, elite Sheffields and the working-class Halperns--who live in the rarified seaside community of the Hamptons. Corey Halpern, a local high schooler from a troubled home, is desperate to leave the Hamptons and start a new life somewhere else. His last summer before college, he settles for the escapism he finds in breaking into the neighboring mansions. One night just before Memorial Day weekend, he breaks into the wrong home at the wrong time: the Sheffield estate, where he and his mother, Gina, work. Under the cover of darkness, Leo Sheffield--billionaire CEO, patriarch and owner of the vast lakeside manor--arrives unexpectedly with his lover. After a shocking poolside accident, everything depends on Leo burying the truth before his family and friends arrive for the holiday weekend. Unfortunately for him, Corey saw what happened, as did other eyes in the shadows. Told through multiple points of view, The East End highlights the socioeconomic divide in the Hamptons, but also how the basic human need for connection and trust can transcend class. Secrecy, obsession and desperation dictate each character's path. In a race against time, each critical moment holds life in the balance as Corey, Gina and Leo approach a common breaking point. With an ending as explosive as the Memorial Day fireworks on the island, this spectacular debut welcomes a bright new voice in fiction. Review Suspense fans will eagerly turn the pages.-- "Publishers Weekly" Characters bound by family, defined by place, and divided by great fortune converge...with all the friction of envy and deep longing.-- "Devin Murphy, author of Tiny Americans" About the Author Jason Allen grew up in a working-class home in the Hamptons, where he worked a variety of blue-collar jobs for wealthy estate owners. He writes fiction, poetry, and memoir, and is the author of the poetry collection A Meditation on Fire. He has an MFA from Pacific University and a PhD in literature and creative writing from Binghamton University, and currently lives in Atlanta, where he teaches writing. The East End is his first novel. Angelo Di Loreto is a versatile audiobook narrator and voice actor from Buffalo, New York, based in New York City. He has narrated titles for Audible Studios, Tantor Media, and an extensive body of self-produced work for ACX. As an actor, he has worked in various productions with the St. Joseph Academy Theater Company for the past few years and has studied and worked with voice-over and acting coaches such as Marla Kirban and Jayme Mattler. In addition to acting, Angelo is an accomplished pianist and composer, and regularly tours with his various projects.