The Secret Lives of Married Women

August 26, 2013
Straightforward, effective prose distinguishes this two-part crime novel from Wald, author of the erotic classic Meeting the Master. In “The Man Under the House,” Leda Reeve, whose Broadway career was derailed by a less-than-Stella performance as Blanche Dubois in a revival of A Street Car Named Desire, lands a temporary receptionist job in midtown Manhattan with a small computer-service company, whose owner she ends up marrying. Leda and her husband move to Vancouver, Wash., where they meet handyman Jack Shelby, the cousin of the former owner of their new house. Jack offers to help with odd jobs, but his affability and ubiquity soon turn creepy and lead Leda to reveal parts of her past she has concealed from her spouse. In “Abel’s Cane,” Leda’s twin sister, Lillian, a successful New York City defense lawyer, explores her own darker tendencies. Readers interested in sadomasochism will best appreciate this second narrative.

October 1, 2013

Leda seems to have the stereotypically perfect life in suburbia. Her husband is an engineer at Intel, and they've just bought their first house for their daughter and new baby on the way. Underneath that veneer are Leda's hidden secrets: she used to be a porn star, and the handyman next door is stalking her. Even worse, when she confesses to her husband, she sees him threaten her stalker, and then the neighbor disappears. Leda doesn't merely fear that her husband murdered her nightmare; she enjoys submitting sexually to the man whom she secretly fears is a ruthless killer. Meanwhile, her twin sister, Lillian, a high-powered attorney in New York, is disturbed to discover that the key witness against her blind client is his former assistant, a woman who is also a professional sexual submissive. Lillian's search for evidence to discredit the witness leads her to uncover her own submissive sexual desires. VERDICT Although there is mystery here, the author of the S&M erotic classic Meeting the Master focuses on exploring the intricacies of the submissive relationship as well as the lengths that someone will go to in order to serve, whether or not the context is sexual. Recommended for fans of the Hard Case Crime series; this novel fits right in with its noir pulp revival themes of sex and violence.--Marlene Harris, Seattle P.L.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2013
Wald, who self-published the S&M cult classic Meeting the Master (1995), returns with her first new book in over a decadeand despite the titillating title, the provocative cover, and the author's own adventurous past, the tale is much more psychological than readers might expect. In part one, Leda; her enigmatic Russian husband, Stas; and their young daughter, Clara, are settling into a new home in Vancouver, B.C., when a construction worker next door becomes obsessed with Leda. In part two, Leda's twin sister, Lillian, a driven attorney in New York, takes a case in which a key witness is a former professional submissive. Leda's story claustrophobically evokes the terror of being stalked, then explores her thrill of fear when she suspects Stas has killed her stalker. Lillian's story delves, in rich psychological detail, into a young woman's desire to submit to another. Though ending with an intense sexual denouement, Wald suggests that the real draw of the submissive lifestyle is an emotional need, not a physical one. Lean, powerfully crafted prose contributes to a very memorable read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)