Summertime, and the living is easy on Long Island's beaches, especially those in the Hamptons and on Fire Island. That is, unless you're one of the characters featured in three novels set in those local vacation hot spots. Deception, drama and disappearances, not to mention bust-ups and breakups — both romantic and platonic — befall the fictional folks inhabiting the Island locales of these books that have beach read written all over them.
Here are three of this summer's most intriguing novels from local authors who found inspiration in their own backyards. The characters in Becky Chalsen's "Serendipity" share a house in Ocean Beach. Credit: Dutton BOOK “Serendipity” by Becky Chalsen (Dutton, 352 pp.
, $17.99) PLOT Struggling Hollywood screenwriter Maggie Monroe returns to her Long Island roots when her ex-BFF invites her to spend part of her summer on Ocean Beach. Maggie hopes to repair relationships with both her friend and her ex, but things don't go exactly as planned.
BACKSTORY Chalsen set last year's “Kismet” on Fire Island and thought it would also be a serendipitous locale for her follow-up. “I’ve always admired how Fire Island is comprised of 17 different towns, all with their own distinct personalities, so I wanted to feature a different town for my second book.” Get the latest on celebs, TV and more.
By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . Ocean Beach was the obvious choice, and she modeled the titular beach house after the Bamboo Ho.
