The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress [Paperback]

From theNew York Timesbestselling author ofI Was Anastasiacomes a novel 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.“A genuinely surprising whodunit.” —USA Today

“Inspired by a real-life unsolved mystery, this mesmerizing novel features characters that make a lasting impression.” —People

“Fresh and imaginative. . . . A sordid portrait of mobsters and mayhem, corruption and carnage, greed and graft . . . [Lawhon] slyly builds the suspense to a stunning revelation.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch
 
“Ariel Lawhon has concocted a stylish homage to noir inThe Wife, The Maid, and The Mistress.This fun, fast-paced novel has it all: speakeasies, gangsters, show girls, and not one, not two, but three women scorned. A real page-turner.” —Melanie Benjamin, bestselling author ofThe Aviator's Wife

“This book is more meticulously choreographed than a chorus line. It all pays off. Clues accumulate. Each scene proves important. Everyone lies. Once the rabbit is out of the hat, everything takes on a different texture, reorganizes and makes sense. A second reading, like a second cocktail, is almost better than the first.” —Chelsea Cain,The New York Times Book Review
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