The main theme of this novel is the danger of secrets in a relationship. Leo believes he has a good relationship with his wife and knows everything there is to know about her. However, as he begins to write her obituary in the aftermath of her fight with cancer, Leo starts to understand there are certain things about his wife’s past he does not know, such as the exact cause of her mother’s death. As he begins to investigate, he stumbles on the fact that she did not graduate from the university he thought she had. He also finds a connection between his wife and a well-known actress who has recently gone missing. As each secret is revealed, Leo questions every interaction he has had with his wife.

Leo is not a stranger to secrets in a relationship. Not long after he met Emma, Leo discovered his parents had adopted him but never told him. When this secret is revealed, it changes Leo’s relationship with his parents. As a witness to this, Emma becomes frightened of the potential of the same change in her relationship with Leo should she tell him her secret. By choosing not to tell Leo, Emma chooses to allow the truth to come out without her input, as all secrets do tend to come out, making the impact on Leo just as bad, if not worse, than the impact of his learning he was adopted by finding paperwork instead of being told by his parents.