Lisa Scottoline's gripping novel, What Happened to the Bennetts, plunges readers into the immediate aftermath of a terrifying crime that irrevocably alters a family's life, forcing them to confront hidden truths and fight for their survival.
The story begins with a shocking and violent incident: Jason Bennett (referred to as "St. Jason"), his wife Lucinda, and their children, Allison and Ethan, are brutally carjacked. This horrific turn of events instantly changes their lives forever. Due to the severity and nature of the crime, the FBI becomes involved, leading to the Bennetts' immediate placement in the witness protection program, where they must abandon their former identities and adopt new, anonymous lives for their safety.
However, once settled into their new, clandestine existence, a deep-seated suspicion begins to gnaw at Jason. He starts to question whether the carjacking was truly a random act of violence or if there was a more sinister, targeted motive behind it. Driven by an overwhelming need for answers and to understand the real threat looming over his family, Jason embarks on a dangerous personal investigation, often defying the strict rules of witness protection. His relentless pursuit of the truth unearths unsettling secrets about his wife, Lucinda, and their shared past, revealing a complex web of deception and unexpected connections to the attack. As Jason draws closer to the truth, the family's lives are thrown into renewed peril, forcing them to confront difficult realities about their identities, their relationships, and the true nature of their predicament. The narrative builds to a tense revelation of the real perpetrators and their motivations, culminating in a perilous confrontation that determines the Bennetts' ultimate fate and redefines their family unit.
Key Plot Points & Characters
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Initial Catastrophe | The Bennett family—Jason, Lucinda, Allison, and Ethan—are victims of a violent carjacking, an event that instantly shatters their normal lives. |
| Forced Relocation | As a direct consequence of the crime, the FBI intervenes, compelling the family to enter the witness protection program and adopt new identities. |
| Jason's Investigation | Driven by a deep-seated suspicion that the carjacking was not random, Jason Bennett embarks on his own dangerous, unauthorized investigation to uncover the true motives. |
| Unveiling Secrets | His quest for the truth exposes long-hidden secrets about his wife, Lucinda, and their past, revealing a complex history that directly relates to the attack. |
| Escalating Danger | As Jason closes in on the truth, the family's safety is severely compromised, drawing them into even greater peril beyond the initial incident. |
| Dramatic Climax | The story culminates in the dramatic revelation of the true perpetrators and their intricate motivations, leading to a final, high-stakes confrontation for the Bennett family's survival and future. |
Core Themes Explored
- Identity and Deception: The novel intricately explores how individuals' identities are shattered and reshaped by trauma, and the profound impact of hidden truths and lies within a family.
- Trust and Betrayal: It delves into the delicate balance of trust among family members, especially when shocking secrets and unexpected betrayals come to light.
- The Pursuit of Truth: The narrative underscores the relentless human drive for understanding and justice, even when the path to truth is fraught with danger and leads to painful discoveries.
