Finalist for the 2023 Epigram Books Fiction Prize A young woman must solve the fifteen-year-old disappearance of her uncle. The Zhou-Guthrie company is a powerful one, with a palm oil fortune built on the suffering of others. One night, Patrick Zhou, the charismatic heir to the business, disappears en route to a conference, never to be seen again. Fifteen years later, Zhou-Guthrie is a failing dynasty. The matriarch, Doris Zhou, is on her deathbed. In her last lucid moments, Doris tasks her granddaughter, Layla, with finding out what happened to Patrick. To solve this mystery, Layla must uncover corporate espionage, environmental crimes and family secrets—perhaps intimately connected to the ghost stories Uncle Patrick told her years ago.

1. Missing person ? Fiction. 2. Family-owned business enterprises ? Fiction.