In general, I like Chris Bohjalian's books but this is far from my favorite. A successful banker allows his ne'er-do-well brother's bachelor party to be held in his Bronxville home. Richard Chapman's wife and daughter leave to spend the night at his mother-in-law's while the revelry occurs. What was supposed to be a night of drinking and entertainment by strippers turns into a bloodbath when one of the girls (prostitutes, not strippers) attacks their "bodyguards" with a kitchen knife. The house becomes a crime scene, the bad press puts Richard's lucrative job in jeopardy, his marriage is self-destructing, and the "friend" who arranged for the strippers/prostitutes is trying to blackmail him. Somehow, Bohjalian never seems to evoke sympathy for the characters, especially Richard. While the ending is a bit of a surprise, it wasn't enough to raise my opinion of this book. The Sandcastle Girls and The Light in the Ruins are better selections from the author's repertoire.
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