A marriage built on ambition. A downfall built on lies.
He came to the hills to find himself. Someone up there already knew who he was.
Colson Tate built his Silicon Valley empire on groundbreaking technology that promised to revolutionize transportation. But when his QuantumLoop train crashes in a catastrophic test, his business, his reputation, even his identity, vanishes overnight.
Stripped of his CEO title and banished to a remote retreat in the California hills, Cole must convince an enigmatic coach, Justine Hemingway, that he's ready to reclaim his company. But the mountain sanctuary harbors secrets of its own. Fellow guest Noah claims to communicate with the dead. Justine seems to know more about Cole's past than she should. And back home, his wife Kate is handling the corporate crisis with a skill that both impresses and unsettles him. All of it leading him to suspect that his downfall wasn't an accident—and his exile isn't what it seems.
In a world where power shifts like quicksand, who can you trust when everyone has something to hide?
Why readers love it: For readers who love the secrets, complicated relationships, and ensemble cast of Nine Perfect Strangers and Big Little Lies, Terms of Succession follows disgraced Silicon Valley CEO Cole Tate to a secluded California retreat after a catastrophic technology failure destroys his career. But everyone at the retreat has something to hide—including the enigmatic woman running it. As Cole tries to reclaim his life and his company, he begins to suspect that the people around him may know more about his downfall than they're willing to admit. Told through alternating perspectives, this character-driven suspense blends psychological intrigue, marriage, ambition, revenge, and moral ambiguity.