Characters Swan Song Elin Hilderbrand

Leslee Richardson: The Glamorous Arsonist of Swan Song

Overview

Leslee Richardson is a wealthy, manipulative newcomer to Nantucket in Elin Hilderbrand's Swan Song. Married to Australian beverage distributor Bull Richardson, Leslee arrives on the island with a splash—buying the waterfront Triple Eight estate, commissioning a yacht named Hedonism, and throwing extravagant parties designed to win over the local elite. Beneath the sequined surface, however, Leslee is driven by insecurity, jealousy, and a ruthless pragmatism. Her arc culminates in two shocking acts: setting her own house on fire for insurance money and pushing her personal assistant, Coco, off the boat after suspecting a romantic rivalry.

Plot Role

Leslee functions as the novel's primary antagonist. Her arrival disrupts the established social order of the Field and Oar set, creating friction among lifelong friends like Delilah Drake, Phoebe Wheeler, and Andrea Kapenash. She uses wealth and charm to ingratiate herself with influential figures, but her transactional nature—offering to help Phoebe's son gain school admission in exchange for a club nominating letter—alienates others. The mystery of the house fire and Coco's disappearance drives the investigation that Chief Ed Kapenash pursues during his final days on the force. Leslee's confession in Chapter 41 resolves both the arson and the attempted murder plot, providing the novel's central moral reckoning.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Leslee's primary motivation is status. She craves acceptance and admiration from the Nantucket elite, but she also resents them. Her modest Nevada upbringing—working as a crepe chef and cocktail server before meeting Bull—fuels a deep-seated need to prove she belongs. This insecurity manifests as jealousy: she flirts with landscape architect Benton Coe, monopolizes sailing star Lamont Oakley, and becomes intensely possessive when she suspects Coco has Lamont's affection.

Her manipulative nature appears early. She corrects her pronunciation of Pocomo after a massage therapist gently points it out, suggesting sensitivity to social missteps. She corners Avalon Boone in a restroom and invites her and Eric back to the hotel, showing a disregard for boundaries. At the Field and Oar club, she violates the pickleball kitchen rule and expects others to let the point stand. When called out, she dismisses the complaint.

Her wastefulness and entitlement are embodied by the Amalfi lemons: she spends €284 on lemons from Italy and displays them rather than using them, a gesture that appalls Coco. This casual extravagance extends to reneging on a $175,000 food pantry pledge after making a show of generosity.

Her capacity for violence emerges when she sets the house fire using perfume as an accelerant, dousing rags and placing a hot curling iron into an Amalfi lemon crate. After the fire, she pushes Coco off the yacht through the faulty gate. Her confession to her attorney —"I would have burned down all of Nantucket if I could have"—reveals the depth of her resentment.

Chronological Arc

Before the novel begins, Leslee married Bull Richardson after meeting him while working as a cocktail server in Las Vegas. She and Bull purchase the Pocomo estate and arrive on Nantucket in early summer.

June: Leslee corrects her pronunciation, hires Benton Coe, and begins making social overtures. She invites Avalon and Eric to the hotel after the Chicken Box, an advance that Avalon finds unsettling.

July: The Pink and White Party at Triple Eight establishes the Richardsons as island darlings. Leslee flirts with Lamont and begins encroaching on his relationship with Coco. The Fourth of July sail excludes some guests but solidifies Leslee's hold on the inner circle.

August: Leslee suspects Coco and Lamont's romance. She spends increasing time with Lamont, taking him to Martha's Vineyard overnight. When she catches Lamont's shoes outside Coco's apartment, she insults Coco and implies Lamont's hiring was a mistake because he is not white. Coco vows revenge. Shortly after, Bull leaves for Indonesia; Leslee fills the vacuum.

Thursday, August 22: During the vow-renewal sail, Leslee sets the fire using perfume and returns to the boat. When Coco approaches the faulty gate, Leslee pushes her overboard. The search for Coco lasts through the night; Coco is found alive on Tuckernuck the next morning.

Resolution: Leslee confesses to arson for the insurance money. She admits Bull knew nothing. She is sentenced to two and a half years in prison. Bull remains loyal despite her crimes.

Relationships

Bull Richardson: Leslee's marriage appears transactional. Bull tolerates her affairs and flings; she accepts his business secrets and absences. When she confesses, she shields him from criminal liability. Bull's loyalty persists even after her arrest.

Coco: Leslee hires Coco as personal concierge, provides a uniform and garage apartment, but imposes strict rules—including a no-dating clause with Lamont. As Coco becomes more independent and connected to Lamont, Leslee's jealousy intensifies. She ultimately attempts to murder Coco.

Lamont Oakley: Leslee hires Lamont as yacht captain and uses him as arm candy, day-drinking with him, taking him on overnight trips, and placing her leg across his lap during parties. She sees him as a possession rather than a person.

Delilah Drake: Delilah becomes Leslee's foil. Leslee steals Delilah's pickleball partner Phoebe, reneges on the food pantry donation, and publicly dismisses Delilah's accusations. Delilah retaliates by dumping lobster noodles into Leslee's G-Wagon.

The Nantucket Community: Leslee initially wins over many residents through parties and philanthropy. However, her transactional manipulation—promising school help for a club letter, then ignoring pledges—erodes trust. The membership committee ultimately rejects the Richardsons for club admission.

Key Decisions and Consequences

  1. Hiring Coco without verifying references: This introduces a witness to her scheme and a romantic rival into her household.

  2. Reneging on the food pantry pledge: This turns Delilah into an enemy and reveals Leslee's manipulative character to others.

  3. Setting the house fire for insurance: This solves a financial crisis created by Bull's failing business and IRS trouble, but it also triggers an investigation that uncovers hidden Australian cash.

  4. Pushing Coco off the boat: This act of attempted murder fails when Coco survives. It transforms Leslee from a social climber into a criminal facing aggravated assault charges.

  5. Confessing to arson: Leslee claims Bull knew nothing about the fire. Her confession earns her a reduced sentence but confirms her role as the architect of the disaster.

Theme and Symbol Connections

  • Wealth and Class Division: Leslee embodies the tension between new money and old establishment. Her lavish spending and transactional approach to relationships clash with the understated privilege of the Field and Oar set. See more in the wealth and class division analysis.

  • Secrets and Lies: Leslee hides her Nevada past, the source of Bull's income, the SEC and IRS investigations, and the hidden Australian cash. Her entire persona is a constructed facade. Explore further in the secrets and lies theme.

  • Reinvention: Leslee reinvented herself from crepe chef to wealthy wife, but unlike Coco, her transformation relies on deception rather than talent. The reinvention theme explores this contrast.

  • Community and Gossip: Leslee becomes the primary subject of the cobblestone telegraph. Sharon's observations of her provide raw material for creative writing. See the community and gossip page.

  • Grief and Loss: Though not directly grieving, Leslee's compulsive need for validation suggests unresolved personal losses. The island's reaction to her crimes reflects a collective grief over lost innocence. Read more about grief and loss.

Book-Specific Questions and Answers

1. What is Leslee's actual background before marrying Bull?

Leslee grew up in Nevada and worked as a crepe chef and cocktail server in Las Vegas hotels before meeting Bull Richardson. This modest origin contrasts sharply with the glamorous persona she projects on Nantucket.

2. Why does Leslee set fire to her own house?

Her motive is insurance money. Bull's business, Sweetwater Distribution, is facing serious financial trouble—including an IRS investigation and millions owed. Leslee has been skimming cash from accounts for years, hiding nearly half a million Australian dollars on the yacht. The fire is designed to look like an accident.

3. How does Leslee attempt to murder Coco, and why?

During the vow-renewal sail on August 22, Leslee pushes Coco through the faulty stern gate of the yacht into the ocean. Her motive is jealousy: she suspects Coco and Lamont are romantically involved and feels threatened by Coco's youth, ambition, and connection to Bull.

4. Does Leslee face consequences for her actions?

Yes. The fire inspector identifies an accelerant (perfume matching the scent of crème brûlée), and police find the hidden Australian cash in the yacht's crawl space. Leslee confesses to arson and is sentenced to two and a half years in prison. She may also face charges for aggravated assault or attempted murder related to Coco's disappearance, though the novel leaves this open.

5. What does Leslee reveal about her true feelings toward Nantucket?

During her confession, Leslee tells her attorney she would have burned down the entire island if she could, saying she hates Nantucket and everyone on it. This outburst confirms that her entire summer of parties and philanthropy was a performance masking deep resentment.

Conclusion

Leslee Richardson is a complex villain—neither purely evil nor entirely sympathetic. Her insecurities, rooted in a modest past and a transactional marriage, drive her to manipulate everyone around her. She destroys her own home, attempts murder, and ultimately loses her freedom. Yet her loyalty to Bull and her willingness to confess alone suggest a twisted code of honor. In Swan Song, Leslee serves as a cautionary figure: the person who wants acceptance so desperately that she burns down everything she has to get it.

Explore the complete ending analysis and discussion questions for further insights.