Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand Summary, Characters and Themes

Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand is the grand finale to her beloved Nantucket series, wrapping up the beachy, drama-filled world she’s built over many novels. The story follows Ed Kapenash, the island’s police chief on the brink of retirement, whose plans are disrupted when a wealthy couple’s mansion burns down, and their personal assistant goes missing. 

As Ed investigates, the novel weaves together personal secrets, community gossip, and the luxurious yet often tumultuous lives of Nantucket’s residents. With familiar characters and a rich setting, Swan Song offers a captivating mix of mystery, relationships, and the charm of a tight-knit island community.

Summary

In Swan Song, Nantucket Chief of Police Ed Kapenash is days away from his long-awaited retirement when a massive fire at a newly purchased summer mansion forces him back into action. 

The house, owned by the affluent and flashy couple Bull and Leslee Richardson, burns to the ground while they are hosting a lavish party aboard their yacht. 

Alongside the fire, their personal assistant, Colleen “Coco” Coyle, has gone missing. The investigation into the fire and Coco’s disappearance forms the crux of the story, as Ed dives back into the complex social web of Nantucket to solve the mystery.

The narrative alternates between the present-day investigation and flashbacks that reveal how the Richardsons arrived in Nantucket and quickly became infamous. Coco, a young woman hoping to break into the film industry, meets the Richardsons in the Virgin Islands and follows them to Nantucket, securing a job as their personal concierge. 

She soon befriends Ed’s daughter, Kacy, and becomes entangled in the island’s social scene. The Richardsons throw lavish parties to ingratiate themselves with the wealthy elite, especially the exclusive Field and Oar Club, but their flashy lifestyle hides underlying financial troubles.

As Coco and Lamont, the yacht’s sailor, begin a secret romance, tensions build. Coco’s aspirations of getting her screenplay produced by Bull are dashed when he rejects her work, calling it unmarketable. 

Meanwhile, Leslee grows increasingly erratic, flirting with men at parties and using empty promises of donations to buy favor within the elite circle. Her friendship with the island’s elite falters, leading to their eventual social isolation.

On the night of the fire, the Richardsons are on their yacht when they learn of the destruction of their home, Triple Eight. 

Coco, who had been aboard the yacht, mysteriously disappears, only to be found later, disoriented on a beach. 

As the investigation progresses, it’s revealed that Leslee, desperate due to her husband’s financial troubles and mounting IRS debts, set fire to their mansion for insurance money. Boxes of cash stashed in Coco’s apartment help unravel the plot. Leslee confesses and is sentenced to prison, while the Richardsons lose everything.

Coco, meanwhile, emerges triumphant, turning her experience into a hit screenplay titled The Personal Concierge, which grants her fame and success. 

In a bittersweet conclusion, Ed attends a larger, final retirement party. But after the celebration, he dies of a heart attack, bringing a poignant end to the story.

The novel encapsulates the charm, scandal, and heart of Nantucket, while offering a fitting farewell to Hilderbrand’s beloved series.

Characters

Ed Kapenash

Ed Kapenash, the Chief of Police on Nantucket, is a deeply grounded character who has spent 35 years in service, maintaining order and protecting his tight-knit community. His desire to retire is motivated by his fragile health—specifically, a heart attack that nearly claimed his life.

However, just as he’s about to step down, a high-profile fire forces him to prolong his service, with his own personal life intertwined in the investigation due to his daughter’s friendship with the missing Coco. Ed represents duty, responsibility, and the weight of leadership in a small community.

His final case, the fire and missing girl investigation, serves as a fitting end to his long career. Throughout the novel, Ed’s character is portrayed as a figure of stability and moral authority, even as his heart weakens.

His ultimate death at the end of the novel, while symbolic of the end of an era in Nantucket, also represents the personal toll of a lifetime dedicated to service.

Coco Coyle

Coco is one of the novel’s most central characters, a young woman full of dreams and aspirations. When the Richardsons hire her as a personal concierge, her main goal is to gain proximity to influential people in the hopes of having her screenplay—based on her own life—produced.

She is initially portrayed as somewhat naïve but determined, willing to take risks to achieve her goals. Her attraction to Lamont, despite the Richardsons’ rules, shows her rebellious nature and refusal to adhere to arbitrary boundaries.

Coco’s journey is marked by a gradual realization of the darker side of wealth and privilege as she becomes more entrenched in the Richardsons’ world. Her eventual revenge against them by using the screenplay to tell her story signals a transformation from an innocent dreamer to a more empowered, assertive figure.

Her character arc is one of growth and defiance, culminating in her achieving fame and success, while the Richardsons lose everything.

Bull Richardson

Bull Richardson, a flashy, wealthy man who has made his fortune through beverage distribution, initially presents himself as a glamorous, successful individual. However, as the novel progresses, cracks in this façade appear.

His involvement in dubious business practices, including financial trouble with the IRS, paints a picture of a man whose wealth is built on shaky foundations. Bull’s character contrasts with the other residents of Nantucket, as he represents the nouveau riche trying to infiltrate an established social hierarchy.

His inability to join the prestigious Field and Oar Club, despite his wealth, showcases the limitations of money when it comes to social acceptance. Bull’s arc revolves around his struggle to maintain status and financial stability, leading to his wife Leslee’s desperate actions.

Ultimately, Bull is a man caught in the throes of financial ruin, and his story is one of downfall—both socially and financially.

Leslee Richardson

Leslee is Bull’s wife and a pivotal antagonist in the story. From the start, she is portrayed as a woman obsessed with status and acceptance within Nantucket’s elite circles.

Her determination to join the Field and Oar Club—symbolic of her desire to solidify her place in high society—drives much of her actions. Leslee’s flirtations with other men, including Lamont and Ed, further indicate her restlessness and dissatisfaction.

As the plot unfolds, her character unravels, revealing deep insecurity masked by her ostentatious lifestyle. Her ultimate crime of arson, setting fire to her own home for insurance money, exposes her desperation as Bull’s financial troubles mount.

Leslee is both a tragic and morally flawed character, as her actions not only destroy her family’s reputation but also lead to her imprisonment. Her trajectory from glamorous party host to convicted arsonist highlights the destructive nature of unchecked ambition and greed.

Lamont Oakley

Lamont is a local Nantucketer who is hired by the Richardsons to sail their yacht. His character brings a sense of local authenticity and groundedness to the story.

His relationship with Coco serves as a subplot of forbidden romance, as Leslee’s strict rule against household staff dating creates tension between him and Coco. Lamont is attracted to Coco, but he is also careful about his professional reputation and fears losing his job.

His character illustrates the complexity of class dynamics on the island, as he must navigate the boundaries set by his wealthy employers while maintaining his own sense of self-worth. Lamont’s role in the novel, while secondary to the primary plot, provides insight into the working-class perspective on Nantucket, contrasting with the lives of the wealthy.

Kacy Kapenash

Kacy, Ed’s daughter, plays a crucial role in Coco’s integration into Nantucket society. She invites Coco to stay with her family when Coco is in need of temporary housing.

Kacy is portrayed as a supportive and caring friend, encouraging Coco’s dreams by reading her screenplay and offering positive feedback. Through her, we also get a glimpse of the personal lives of the Kapenash family.

Kacy serves as a bridge between Coco and the larger community, and her close friendship with Coco makes her a significant figure in Coco’s life on the island. Kacy’s character adds warmth and loyalty to the novel, standing in contrast to the more manipulative or selfish characters like the Richardsons.

Blond Sharon

Blond Sharon, one of the town’s most prominent gossips, serves as a comic relief figure while also offering insight into the social dynamics of Nantucket. She is recently divorced and enrolls in a creative writing class, channeling her gossiping nature into a more productive outlet.

Sharon’s role is that of the town’s “insider,” someone who knows everyone’s business and enjoys being in the thick of the social drama. Her personal struggles, such as her divorce, make her more relatable, and her character highlights the ways in which people cope with their own issues through gossip and social engagement.

Sharon adds levity to the novel and showcases the tight-knit, often insular nature of Nantucket society.

Phoebe Wheeler

Phoebe is a member of the Field and Oar Club’s membership committee and plays a key role in Leslee’s desire for acceptance. Initially supportive of Leslee’s bid to join the club, Phoebe’s character takes a more judgmental turn as the Richardsons’ popularity wanes.

She embodies the gatekeeping aspect of Nantucket’s elite, holding power over who is allowed into their exclusive circle. Phoebe’s shifting stance on Leslee’s membership underscores her fickle nature and the social politics at play within the island community.

Her character is emblematic of the cliquishness that defines much of the island’s upper class.

Delilah Drake

Delilah, like Phoebe, is part of Nantucket’s upper echelon, but unlike Phoebe, she is jealous and bitter about her inability to gain entry into the Field and Oar Club. Delilah’s resentment of Leslee, especially after Phoebe supports Leslee’s bid for membership, fuels much of the tension between the characters.

She is portrayed as someone who has long been trying to break into the island’s exclusive social circles, only to be continually shut out. Her envy and frustration provide an interesting counterpoint to Leslee’s own desperation for social validation, showing that even within the upper class, there are divisions and rivalries.

Addison Wheeler

Addison, Phoebe’s husband and the Richardsons’ realtor, is involved in the early stages of their integration into Nantucket society. His role in the novel is more peripheral, but he represents the real estate world of Nantucket and the immense wealth circulating through the island’s property market.

His presence also reflects the transactional nature of relationships within these elite communities, where connections are often built on business dealings and status.

Themes

The Fragility of Social Acceptance in Elite Communities

In Swan Song, Elin Hilderbrand delves into the fragile nature of social acceptance within elite, insular communities. This is particularly evident through the Richardsons’ attempts to integrate into Nantucket’s social fabric.

The novel highlights how the desire for validation and inclusion can lead to desperation and manipulation. The Richardsons engage in excessive displays of wealth, throwing extravagant parties to gain favor with the town’s old-money elite, especially for the coveted Field & Oar Club membership.

This pursuit of acceptance becomes a microcosm of larger societal issues. It blurs the lines between genuine connection and superficiality, critiquing the transactional nature of elite circles. Friendships and alliances are often bought, and public perception takes precedence over authentic relationships.

As Leslee Richardson’s actions spiral, their financial instability surfaces. The Richardsons become pariahs, showing that social status is precarious. Hilderbrand reveals that social acceptance comes at a psychological cost, and one’s identity can be manipulated and shattered in pursuit of belonging.

Power Dynamics in Personal Relationships and Gendered Expectations

The novel explores complex power dynamics in personal relationships, particularly through the characters of Leslee and Bull Richardson, Coco Coyle, and Lamont Oakley. Leslee’s control over her staff, especially her rule forbidding relationships between them, reflects broader themes of exploitation and control by the wealthy over those in their employ.

Leslee’s flirtations with men, including Lamont, signify not just her personal dissatisfaction but the power imbalance that allows her to overstep boundaries without consequence. Bull’s refusal to assist Coco with her screenplay further manifests these dynamics. It underscores how those in power often withhold opportunities from those beneath them.

Gender plays a critical role in these dynamics. Women like Leslee and Coco must navigate spaces influenced by male-dominated power structures. Leslee’s eventual downfall—burning her own house for insurance money—highlights how power, when abused, can collapse. Coco’s rise, ironically through her experience with the Richardsons, inverts these dynamics, showing her reclamation of agency.

The Intersection of Wealth, Morality, and Legality

Hilderbrand scrutinizes the interaction between wealth, morality, and legal structures, particularly through Bull Richardson’s financial misdeeds and Leslee’s crime of arson. The Richardsons’ wealth initially allows them to navigate Nantucket’s social scene with ease, using money as a tool to secure influence and admiration.

However, as Bull’s financial troubles with the IRS surface, the illusion of their perfect life begins to crack. Hilderbrand’s portrayal of Bull’s beverage business in Indonesia, blocked by environmental regulations, explores the ethical compromises required to maintain fortunes.

Leslee’s desperate act of arson, burning the house for insurance money, illustrates the lengths to which individuals will go to protect their standing. The collision of wealth, morality, and legality in this novel demonstrates that while wealth may initially shield one from consequences, justice prevails as the Richardsons’ corruption collapses.

The Disillusionment of the American Dream in the Upper Echelons

Through Coco Coyle’s journey, Hilderbrand addresses the disillusionment of the American Dream, especially within the upper echelons of society. Coco arrives on Nantucket with the quintessential American ideal: hard work and talent will lead to success.

She hopes her job as the Richardsons’ concierge will help her break into the film industry. However, Coco’s journey reveals the limitations of this dream, particularly in environments where wealth and privilege dictate success. Bull’s dismissal of Coco’s screenplay, despite its merits, signifies the closed doors many face without the right connections or financial backing.

The novel critiques the meritocratic myth, showing that success in America’s upper class is more about connections than talent. Yet Coco’s eventual triumph, with her screenplay becoming a successful movie, reclaims the American Dream in a more complex, subversive way.

The Isolation of Small-Town Life Despite the Façade of Community

Nantucket, though picturesque and seemingly communal, is depicted as a place of profound isolation in Swan Song. The town’s outward charm, where everyone knows each other, hides deeper divisions. True connections are few and far between.

Characters like Blond Sharon and Fast Eddie embody this isolation, masking personal insecurities and loneliness through their obsession with the town’s happenings. Sharon’s creative writing class enrollment is a desperate attempt to escape her imposed image. Eddie’s fixation on the Richardsons shows his yearning for validation.

Hilderbrand also portrays social stratification on Nantucket.

The elite, symbolized by the Field & Oar Club, create barriers that isolate newcomers like the Richardsons. Even with wealth, the Richardsons cannot buy genuine belonging. Their social exclusion and Leslee’s arrest underscore how small towns can be more isolating than they appear, with community only a façade.