John is a public defender who has decided to take up deer Hunting, since his wife Sara has recently given birth to a son.  John’s sister Catherine is married to Spencer, who is the communications director for an animal rights organization.  Both couples and their daughters are visiting Nan, who is John and Catherine’s 70-year-old mother, when a tragic accident occurs using John’s hunting rifle.   Spencer’s daughter Charlotte recklessly fires a shot into her grandmother’s garden, hitting her father in the shoulder and ultimately rendering his right arm useless.   Spencer’s wife Catherine had been seriously contemplating divorce before the accident and now is stuck helping Spencer with everyday tasks like buttoning his shirt.  This novel is certainly not a mystery, but it is suspenseful in its own way, as the press conference announcing a lawsuit against the gun manufacturer looms, making everyone but Spencer nervous about how the publicity is going to shame Charlotte and John even more.  I love the way Bohjalian has woven the guilt into this family drama, along with the controversy over whether hunting is a good thing, from a population control standpoint, or a bad thing.  He presents both sides of the argument, and I was curious as to how he would ultimately resolve this issue that divides the family.  His neutrality may be the most exasperating aspect of the novel, but I think it’s vital to keeping the family conflict balanced.  Some readers may think he leans too far one way or the other, but I think he does a good job of not alienating anyone.   Others may think his sitting on the fence is cowardly, but I think it’s just smart.