Real Easy
'Very possibly the best crime fiction book since Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects' Neel Mukherjee
Three Women meets Tana French in a compulsive, unflinching and unexpectedly hopeful thriller set in a midwestern strip club.
'Gritty, glittery and pulsing with life' Sara Sligar
'Bold, compelling, brutal and brilliant' Chris Whitaker
It's 1999, and Samantha has danced for years at the Lovely Lady strip club.
She's not used to taking anyone under her wing - after all, between her disapproving boyfriend and his daughter, who may as well be her own child, she has enough to worry about. But when Samantha overrides her better judgment to drive a new dancer home, they are run off the road. The police arrive at the scene of the accident - but find only one body.
Georgia, another dancer, is drawn into the investigation as she tries to assist Holly, a detective with a complicated story of her own. As the point of view shifts from police officers and detectives to club patrons, the women circle around a list of suspects, all the while grappling with their own understanding of loss and love.
As they get closer to the truth they must each confront a fundamental question:
How do women live their lives knowing that men can hurt them?
⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐
'A suspenseful, beautifully written story' Reader review
'Possibly the only thriller I've read that's made me cry at the end' Reader review
'A difficult one to put down. I highly recommend it' Reader review
'My favourite thriller published in years . . . unique and character driven' Reader review
'A stellar debut . . . fascinating' Reader review
'A well written and carefully plotted mystery with flawed, captivating characters . . . a must read! Reader review
Marie Rutkoski is a New York Times bestselling author of several novels for children and young adults. She grew up in Illinois as the oldest of four children, and has lived in Moscow, Prague, and Paris.
She holds degrees from the University of Iowa and Harvard University, and is now a professor of English literature at Brooklyn College, where she teaches Shakespeare, children's literature, and fiction writing. She lives in Brooklyn with her family and two cats, Cloud and Firefly.