In the neighborhood of Oleander Court, homes and lawns are perfectly maintained (by hired help, of course), the "book club meetings" are just excuses to gossip and drink wine, and everyone is in everyone else's business. But when a string of murders starts taking out the most judgmental and vapid of the residents, those who remain have a choice: turn toward each other to help solve the crime, or turn on one another to weed out the riff-raff. Can't have it both ways and survive...
There's something wonderful about reading this book and seeing the most horrible people get their comeuppance. The woman who assumes that the Asian American neighbor must not understand English, the lady who reacts to her housekeeper's family emergency with dismay that she may have to wash her own dish for once, the nosy neighbor who thinks the lesbian couple next door needs to stop "flaunting" their lifestyle... it's schadenfreude at its finest. While I have a few minor quibbles with how one character's past life is portrayed, I can see this becoming a very popular book. Perfect for anyone who's ever received a passive-aggressive note about lawns, trash cans, or noise from a neighbor.
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