Mortal Friends

June 8, 2009
In bestseller Hitchcock's whirling and suspenseful comedy of manners, gauche, aggressive Cynthia Rinehart, a self-made millionairess, explodes onto the philanthropy scene and the grand dames of old money Washington collectively clutch their husbands. Meanwhile, the Beltway Basher, suspected to be a member of the D.C. elite, continues to bump off young brunettes. Reven Lynch, an unmarried antique-shop owner, is tapped to play society informant, perhaps because her love interest, notorious playboy (and the D.C. version of Sex and the City
's “Mr. Big”) Bob Poll, is also a person of interest in the case. Gossip, manipulation and infidelity all happen behind Washington's velvet curtain, and it's the stuff of high school, but with higher—nay,
deadlier—stakes. And among the backbiting, Hitchcock (Social Crimes
) manages to stew a convincing homicide plot, peppered with enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing, and guessing again, to the novel's neat finish.

August 15, 2009
In Hitchcock's latest engaging comedy of manners cum mystery (e.g., "Social Crimes"), the "Beltway Basher" serial killer strikes, and Detective Gunner enlists the help of well-bred divorcée Reven Lynch because he believes the killer may be among her social class. She is tasked with keeping her eyes and ears open while attending embassy lunches and galas at famous Washington, DC, institutions. Reven confides in her best friend, Violet Bolton, and they become absorbed in trying to solve the mystery. Hitchcock knows DC and amusingly skewers the capital city's pretensions, foibles, and scandals. Her characters include well-drawn portraits of a folksy senator, a wealthy playboy, and, best of all, a husband-chasing, social-climbing philanthropist. Her descriptions of notable DC institutions such as the Folger Library, the Kennedy Center, and the Freer and Sackler galleries, as well as more intimate insider establishments, lend authenticity and will delight Washingtonians. VERDICT Hitchcock merges a "Real Housewives" of DC soap opera with a serial killer whodunit to supply fun, fast summer reading.Sheila Riley, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, DC

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