Jane and Dan at the End of the World

by Colleen Oakley ★★★★☆

Jane and Dan should be celebrating. They've been married for nineteen years, they are parents of two teenagers, the oldest of which has just been accepted to Stanford, and they are at La Fin du Monde, one of the most exclusive restaurants in the country, perched on a cliffside in Southern California. Except they're not celebrating, at least Jane isn't. Jane has grown increasingly frustrated with their marriage, and when she finds texts that suggest Dan is having an affair, it's the last straw. She plans to ask him for a divorce during their dinner.

Just after Jane drops that bomb, but before they can get into the meat of the conversation, their dinner is upended when masked and armed terrorists infiltrate the restaurant and hold the small group of elite diners hostage. There's a wrinkle, though; Jane is an author, whose debut novel Tea is for Terrorism had a nearly identical plot. The problem is that no one bought Jane's book. There's no way that the terrorists could be basing their heist on her fictional story...is there? As the terrorists continue to follow the script of her novel, seemingly down to individual lines of dialogue, Jane is flabbergasted and a little bit flattered. Maybe Jane can use her inside knowledge to stay a step ahead of the terrorists.

Jane and Dan is a heist/hostage novel, but the heist is mostly a vehicle to allow author Colleen Oakley to explore the ups and downs of a twenty-year marriage and the quiet malaise that couples can find settling over their relationship as the years continue to tick by. Neither Jane nor Dan are fully unhappy, but rather, in Jane's case, suffering from a series of small frustrations that build upon each other until Dan's potential affair pushes her over the edge. Oakley uses the stress of the hostage situation to force the couple to truly see each other more clearly than they have, and as a result then begin to remember the things they love rather than focusing on the things they don't.

There are a few unexpected twists that help to elevate the heist narrative. As the leader of the terrorists says, "That's the most important part of any heist, don't you think? Misdirection." The subtext story surrounding Jane working through her issues with Dan helps to add some depth to the novel. It's one that I think middle-age mothers will especially relate to, from the day-to-day grind of raising a family to a looming empty nest to the little frustrations of married life that drive mini wedges between partners. It falls short of some of the more compelling novels in and around the genre, but it kept me entertained and was an enjoyable read.

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Book Details

• Title: Jane and Dan at the End of the World

• Author: Colleen Oakley

• Publisher: Berkley

• Publication Date: March 11, 2025

• Format: Ebook

• ISBN-13: 978-0593200834

• Pages: 368