Next to Heaven

This book (and its author) are very controversial. Frey lied about things being true in his memoir, and has admitted to using AI (though I believe, at least from what I’ve read, just for research, which I don’t find problematic). When I picked this as my book of the month, I didn’t remember the first scandal (sorry! It was 20 years ago!), and I hadn’t heard about the AI stuff. If I had, I wouldn’t have chosen it. (Meanwhile, BOTM called it “NSFW Gatsby,” and the WSJ gave it a glowing review.) But I did choose it, and it was honestly an enjoyable read. I like the direct writing style and short sentences, and found it to be creative–different from other thrillers I have read. The plot was scandalous and engaging. There’s a murder, but it doesn’t happen until 70% in (though you know about the murder from the book description, and there are breadcrumbs leading up to the murder). The book is set in a small Connecticut town, among the richest of the rich. It felt like an extension of reading Your Friends & Neighbors, which I missed, which is why I enjoyed it. Two women decide to throw a swingers party, which alters the town’s dynamic permanently. And when a murder rocks the town even further, we aren’t sure who is guilty. This was rich people behaving badly at its finest; a great choice for a beach read.