What Happens in Paradise

What Happens in Paradise is the second book in Hilderbrand’s trio of novels set on St. John in the US Virgin Islands. In the first book in the series, Winter in Paradise, Midwestern magazine editor Irene Steele and her two adult sons, Cash and Baker, receive the cryptic news that Russ, their husband and father, has been killed in a helicopter crash off the coast of St. John in the US Virgin Islands. The three Steeles travel to St. John and take up residence in the lavish, secret villa that Russ owned on the island, and begin investigating his death. As they become more immersed in the tight-knit island community, they slowly unravel the details of Russ’s double life with his mistress, Rosie, and his daughter, Maia. Grappling with unexpected upheaval in their own lives—Baker’s wife’s infidelity and the failure of Cash’s business—Irene’s sons feel an immediate connection with St. John and its residents, particularly Rosie’s grieving best friend, Ayers Wilson. Similarly, Irene finds a romantic spark with Rosie’s stepfather, Huck Powers, who agrees to help her uncover the secrets of Russ and Rosie’s relationship. The novel ends with the Steeles and Huck getting calls from the FBI informing them that the helicopter crash may not have been accidental.