Book cover of Lady Killer by Jeff Richards

Thanks to Emily HagenBurger of MindBuck Media Book Publicity and Main Street Rag for a copy of Lady Killer in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Killer by Jeff Richards

Genre: Literary domestic thriller

Publisher: Main Street Rag

Publication Date: October 2019

Summary:

“Mitch Lovett, a recently divorced father of two, wasn’t looking for anything serious—but when he fooled around with an old friend, Dee Wynn, serious was what he got. Dee has decided that Mitch will be hers and nothing is going to stand in her way. But Gail, another member of their college group (and now their babysitting co-op), has had her eye on Mitch as well—never mind the fact that she’s married to a jealous, abusive husband who just happens to have received a new gun for his birthday. When Mitch and Gail consummate their long-standing attraction—recklessly following their heart’s desires—they set into motion a series of events with ultimately tragic consequences for all involved.

“Set in Takoma Park (a close-knit liberal community that borders Washington, D.C.) among a group of college friends now raising families together, Lady Killer explores spousal abuse and the ways that both long-standing friendships and marriages can unravel when put to the test. Ultimately, both Mitch and Gail will have to decide who they really are and what they really want—both for themselves and their children.” (from Goodreads)

My thoughts:

As I sat down to write this review, I wondered why on earth I liked this book. Many of the characters border on unlikable, I detest adultery in fiction (and real life, too, of course), and I have almost nothing in common with any of the characters or their circumstances. Yet against those odds, I still liked the book. The only other book I’ve enjoyed despite these issues is The Great Gatsby. I haven’t figured that one out, either.

The probable ending haunts the beginning chapters. It’s easy to see what could happen. I wanted to reach into the story and shake some sense into the characters. Can’t you see that you’re making a mistake? You have kids! Why are you doing this?!

Sleeping with your best friend’s ex-husband and calling to brag about it. Carrying a loaded gun around the house after you’ve been drinking too much. Flirting with a woman with an abusive husband. These are troubled characters. It’s hard to feel sympathy for how they destroy their own lives. But it also makes them realistic, too.

Maybe I misspoke (mis-wrote?) earlier when I said I had nothing in common with the characters’ life circumstances. Dee is rather full of herself, with an inflated sense of her own beauty and allure; who calls her best friend to brag about her sexual escapades with that woman’s ex-husband?

Yet there were moments when I did identify with her. Her sense of self has become wrapped up in Mitch Lovett. (Cue memories of high school and college, when I was the same way!) When she realizes that Mitch cheated on her–though he is hardly hers–the truth tears her apart. She finds that she has nothing left. The life she thought she had? It was only an illusion.

I feel the same way about Gail. She’s haunted by the past, abused in the present, and confused about the future. The tragedy in her past makes me sympathize with her and understand how she married Ed, an abusive man with whom she shares little in common. (Cue memories of college, when I did similar things, minus the abusive marriage.)

The story unfolds slower than the typical thriller, and the pacing and tone is more literary than the standard crime or suspense novel. So if you’re looking for heart-stopping action and unexpected plot twists, look elsewhere.

Yet it’s also an easier read than many literary novels are. Richards doesn’t bog down the narrative with flowery descriptions or excessively-detailed introspective narratives. If you’re looking for ultra-literary prose, then you’ll need to look elsewhere.

The bottom line is this: it’s a slow burn of a story, starting out slow and speeding up later. It takes a while to get into the rhythm of the story. But once I did, it was rewarding.