The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress

by Ariel Lawhon

From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and The Frozen River comes a “genuinely surprising whodunit” (USA Today) that tantalizingly reimagines a scandalous murder mystery that rocked the nation.

One summer night in 1930, Judge Joseph Crater steps into a New York City cab and is never heard from again. Behind this great man are three women, each with her own tale to tell: Stella, his fashionable wife, the picture of propriety; Maria, their steadfast maid, indebted to the judge; and Ritzi, his showgirl mistress, willing to seize any chance to break out of the chorus line.

As the twisted truth emerges, Ariel Lawhon’s wickedly entertaining debut mystery transports us into the smoky jazz clubs, the seedy backstage dressing rooms, and the shadowy streets beneath the Art Deco skyline.

Don't miss Ariel Lawhon's new book, The Frozen River!

• ISBN10: 0345805968
• ISBN13: 9780345805966
• Publish Date: 7 October 2014 (first published 1 January 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Vintage Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780345805966

Reviews

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

Upon starting The Wife, the Maid and the Mistress I had no knowledge of the Joesph Crater disappearance and, therefore, saw it as a work of fiction rather than analyzing it for historical accuracy. I immediately became engrossed in this mystery of sorts and on the turn of a dime was invested in the women behind the man, the wife, maid and mistress of our story.

Stella, who as Joesph Crater's wife and, in my opinion, was made to be the main character out of the three was just a spoiled child who realized her decisions had led to unfortunate consequences and for the majority of the book felt like she pouted. Because of this, I found her annoying instead of the pity she so desired.

Maria was extremely well developed and could have been a novel all her own. She was as sly as a fox, underneath her demure, nieve facade lay a calculating maid, but without landing herself on the tv show "Devious Maids." She was by far my favorite character as she was so multi-layered.

With Ritzi, I had a "take it or leave it" attitude. She was definitely an intrical part of the story but didn't think she was a brightly drawn as the other two. I did prefer her story of intrigue and attempt to rise to fame over Stella but as a character, she just fell flat.

I loved how the whole story tied together and had an Ocean's Eleven/Double Indemnity vibe to it. Overall, The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress is an accelerated puzzle that is meticulously put together with this reader anxiously awaiting that last corner piece.