Book Review: Mortal Friends

Mortal Friends
By Jane Stanton Hitchcock
Harper
Publication Date: June 30, 2009
ISBN: 978-0061173707

Mortal Friends is part crime drama, part political fiction, and part woman's lit. It has every genre rolled up in one that you're not sure which stands out more - and that's something I really liked about the book.

Mortal Friends is about Reven Lynch, the antique store owner who has a penchant to fall for the wrong guy. Her best friend Violet Bolton, however, doesn't since she married the prestigious Grant Bolton, owner of the Potomic Bank. When the Betlway Basher, a serial killer on the run, murders a young girl in the woods of Montrose Park, where the two main girls frequently jog, the Georgetown neighborhood is put in a frenzy. And for once it's not for political reasons, as the story takes place in Washington D.C.

Reven is pulled into the case when Gunner, a friendly yet secretive detective shows up at her door and asks for her help. He feels like the murderer is a society big shot, and since Reven frequently attends fancy galas, she's left to spy for him. That is, until she finds out that Gunner's prime suspect may be her new playboy boyfriend, Bob Poll. As this goes on, Cynthia Rinehart hits town and makes a splash by donating money to every possible cause. This impresses everyone, including Violet, who's marriage is slowly falling apart.

Hitchcock expertly weaves a stories of a woman looking for love, a serial killer out for a fresh victim, a woman trying to make it in DC in all the wrong ways, and a fragile marriage that's built on secrets together to create a highly addictive novel.

Mortal Friends is an incredibly fun book, that's as juicy as tabloid columns. Hitchcock gives us an inside look at the lives of senators, philanthropists, murders and more in her new novel where everyone is a suspect. Through the character or Reven, we see what it's like to be part of the glitz and glamor of the social scene of DC with various galas and events held at every famous location. Reven is your everyday woman who makes bad decisions when it comes to men, which is hinted at early on when we learn of her previous divorce. Her bond with Violet is sweet, endearing. Reven, who once took Violet under her arm during primary school, now holds on to Violet as she and her husband make it big.

I really liked the characters in Mortal Friends. Hitchcock explained them in depth, creating real people who could more than likely exist in DC. Each character has their perfected facade, and then a hidden layer that's exposed as the pages turn. There's Gunner, my personal favorite, the detective, who's cool on the outside, but housing a sad past. There's Cynthia, the billionaire philanthropist who's buying her way into DC, but maybe not in the best way. There's Bob Poll, with his dark green Rolls Royce, flair for danger, and perfect words. And then there's Reven and Violet who tell one another almost everything.

As mentioned, I like how the book takes on many genres, but doesn't commit to one. In part, the book tells of Reven's life selling antiques to a town that doesn't fully appreciate them. It shows her meeting and dating and discussing her life with her friends like any normal woman. In part, it's a political novel with inside looks at the deals in DC and how money can buy you fame, but not always the good kind. It didn't, however, voice the author's political thoughts or ideas, which I found relatively refreshing. And, in the largest part, it's a detective novel. The Beltway Basher is at large and throughout the book, you watch Gunner and Reven try to figure out who he or she may be. The answer is, of course, shocking, yet the real secret in the book lies within the last few twisted pages where you learn that people aren't always who they seem to be. And that almost everyone has a dark side.

Hitchcock has a sharp eye and a descriptive pen. Her excellently worded details were an added delight to the book. The quick asides by Reven and dark humor of Violet kept me entertained. I felt, at times, in on a joke.

Mortal Friends is an incredibly fun novel that keeps you guessing. One that made me into a town gossip, novice detective, and political pro. It's all in there, and all waiting to be read...and gossiped about.

(Big thanks to Library Love Fest for sending me a copy!)

Read the Washington State Journal review
WowOWow has an interview with Jane Stanton Hitchcock here
Video interview with the author on her new book on CBSNews here