Told in four narrative voices, The Bee Sting is a story about a family that is falling apart. Dickie Barnes, the father, took over the family car dealership and is running it into the ground. Imelda, the mother, was born poor, had an abusive father and marries Dickie because she must. Cass, the daughter, is in love with her best friend and is an alcoholic. PJ, the brother, is smart but naive, unwisely communicating with strangers over the internet. The Barnes family is in trouble and full of secrets.

Although my description of The Bee Sting makes it sound like a soap opera, it truly isn’t. It is a terrific “can’t stop reading” novel. Paul Murray deftly creates characters and situations that has the reader empathizing, yet disliking these family members at the same time.