Good Little Wives

May 21, 2007
The wealthy housewives of New Falls, N.Y., solve a murder in Drake's cheeky debut. When Vincent DeLano is found dead, his ex-wife, Kitty, is standing over him with a smoking gun. She claims she's innocent, and her cause becomes the novel's linchpin. Leading the charge is Dana Fulton, but the other women, mostly Wall Street wives, would prefer to keep their distance from the case. Caroline Meacham, preoccupied with her busy social calendar, limits her involvement to covering an attorney retainer. Bridget Haynes, a French trophy wife, struggles to hide a secret past and a current illness from her naïve husband, Randall. Lauren Halliday, who has a secret of her own (it involves Vincent), is forced to face the truth about her marriage to her older husband, Bob. When the ladies finally come clean to one another about their secrets, Dana pieces together the clues she needs to confront the killer, who offers little resistance when the jig is up. Though some extraneous subplots feel contrived (the romantic involvement of Dana's son, a late-book murder), the novel remains as delightfully campy as an episode of Desperate Housewives
.

August 1, 2007
When a former friend is charged with the murder of her ex-husband, the pampered trophy wives of tony New Falls, New York, are shocked, but really, they havent seenmuch of hersince she was dumped for a newer model. In this community, your status depends on who your husband is, and these middle-aged galsfight tooth and claw to maintain their looks. ButVincent DeLanos murdercauses the friends to question the rigid codes theylive by. Laurenmarriedamuch older widower, and acquired his many children. Bridget is tired of playing the part of the sexy French woman who adds a little fillip to their group. Caroline is the grande dame, and Dana has the most normal life, although she is obsessed with finding Vincents killer. Allhave secrets theyd rather not share, and most were involved with Vincent one way or another. Drakes mix of womens fiction and a high-society mystery critiquesan elite but troubled world with humor and eerie precision.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)