Ellie de Florent-Stinson is celebrating her fortieth birthday with a grand celebration in her fabulous house in Palm Springs. At forty, it appears Ellie has everything she ever wanted: a handsome husband; an accomplished college-age stepdaughter; two adorable and rambunctious six-year-old twin boys; lush, well-appointed homes in the city, desert and beach; a thriving career as a well-known fashion designer of casual women's wear; and a glamorous circle of friends. Except everything is not quite as perfect as it looks on the outside—Ellie is keeping many secrets. And scrubbing her past of its shadows has a cost, and all of Ellie's secrets come to light on the night of her fabulous birthday party in the desert—where everyone who matters in her life shows up invited or not, old and new, friends and frenemies. Stepdaughters and exes and mistresses and ex-lovers congregate and the beautiful facade of her life crumbles in one eventful night. Beautifully paced and full of surprises, The Birthday Girl is an enthralling tale of a life lived in shadow, and its unavoidable consequences.