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Social Crimes (Jo Slater #1)
When her husband dies, New York socialite Jo Slater is shocked to learn that he left his sizable estate to a mysterious French countess. Obsessed with recovering her place as queen of New York, Jo concocts an audacious scheme of revenge. Can she pull it off
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
July 2nd 2003
by Miramax Books
(first published June 12th 2002)
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I bought this in the Denver airport, which pretty much sums up its literary merit, but I have to admit I stayed up late that night to finish it. F-U-N! The premise is pedestrian enough — a wealthy Manhattan socialite discovers her husband was unfaithful — but for our heroine the consequences are particularly dire. Right away she finds herself bumping down every rung of the social ladder until she collapses at the bottom, which, in her case, means dyeing her own hair and buying a pair of sale-pri...more
Social Crimes is a story about social life and murder in New York City. Jo Slater is living the high life as one of the queens of the New York social scene until her husband dies and she discovers that he has left all of his money and assets to a mistress that she didn't know he even had. Jo is left suddenly with nothing and forced to start her life over from scratch. As time goes on and Jo struggles to stay afloat, she begins to obsess about her suspicions that her husband's mistress, Countess...more
This was alot of fun to read, but let's not fool ourselves by saying it was a really good book. It was like a large bag of Cheetos; yes, I mean it was both addictive and cheesy.
There were a few bon mots and snarky witticisms that made it enjoyable but nothing that would elevate it beyond a good airplane or beach read. I amused myself by wondering how many of the characters were inspired by members of New York cafe society and I suspect that the novel was especially amusing to folks that travel i...more
There were a few bon mots and snarky witticisms that made it enjoyable but nothing that would elevate it beyond a good airplane or beach read. I amused myself by wondering how many of the characters were inspired by members of New York cafe society and I suspect that the novel was especially amusing to folks that travel i...more
A novelist who blogs had this on her bookshelf (she blogged about what was on her shelf)so I checked it out. I could not get into it at all. It was cliched to the max. I don't know what I was thinking; I don't usually like books about rich society people anyway. Back to the library.
I waivered between three and four stars. I think I got so frustrated with the swindler, turncoat, double-crosser character that I stayed frustrated. I wanted Jo, the main character, to DO SOMETHING, but her hands were tied in all directions. In actuality, Hitchcock wove a tight plot, so I did give this book four stars. New York high society and life of the very rich are the subject, but they are not overly done in a reality-TV fashion. I found a few facts that I learned. Jo Slater's deep interes...more
"I vowed that no matter what it took, or what I had to do, or how long I had to wait: I would get my revenge."
How does Hitchcock's amusing saga differ from the scads of books involving money, murder and high society? There's the economy and wit of her prose and then there's Jo's awareness of how silly the upper crust is ("if you're nice and you lose all your money, you're out. But if you're a sh-t with a private plane, you're in").
Playing on the tried and true theme of the older wife being dump...more
How does Hitchcock's amusing saga differ from the scads of books involving money, murder and high society? There's the economy and wit of her prose and then there's Jo's awareness of how silly the upper crust is ("if you're nice and you lose all your money, you're out. But if you're a sh-t with a private plane, you're in").
Playing on the tried and true theme of the older wife being dump...more
Such a great book! Great evil female protagonists are hard to find (the others I can think of are The Bad Seed and Wideacre) and this book provides one of the best.
I heard that this book by Jane Stanton Hitchcock was better than Trick of the Eye, which I read a few months ago. I loved Trick of the Eye, staying up way past my bedtime to figure out what happened.
This book wasn't quite as good. It was too long, dragging in many parts. Maybe part of the drag is that the main character takes you through a time period of five years. (Another reason could be because it's hard to like any of the characters in the book....) Because of the length of the book, when t...more
This book wasn't quite as good. It was too long, dragging in many parts. Maybe part of the drag is that the main character takes you through a time period of five years. (Another reason could be because it's hard to like any of the characters in the book....) Because of the length of the book, when t...more
Social thrillers are usually right up my alley. However, this book is so hackneyed that I predicted the denouement 100 pages in. On top of that, the protagonist is unlikeable and petty, and it is hard to sympathize with her in any way. Hitchcock did capture the visciousness of the socially elite, but I didn't need an entire book to understand that concept.
I read it in two days. I like this author. Fun summer read. Favorite quotes: "I may not remember but I never forget.", "My friends are my family, I stick by them even when it is inconvenient to do so...". "She lived by Shaw's dictum that whether one has good manners or bad manners is irrelevant as long as one hs the same manners for everyone".
This was a great book. The sotryline moves quick but keeps you interested. Jo, the main character is one of NY socialtes. She is on top of the world, until Monique enters the picture. Monique becomes the new IT girl as Jo's life starts to fall apart.
Hitchcock's writing style is unique and witty.
Character development is great.
Hitchcock's writing style is unique and witty.
Character development is great.
When I give stars, I give them for their genre. Obviously, mysteries aren't usually in the "literature" category, and chick lit as a whole, I usually rate lower than mysteries. So within the quick read, mystery category this is probably a 3.5 star read. Fast, fun, not too gruesome. An interesting look at the NYC social scene.
A delicious novel filled with what you'd expect: Juicy social crimes and capers. It will keep you up very late at night trying to find out how this all makes sense and where the main character, Jo Slater, will end up. It has it all, high society, drinking, drugs, betrayal, infidelity, murder, sex, love, deceit...
The only catch is the unending french terms scattered throughout the book.
The only catch is the unending french terms scattered throughout the book.
Just a really fun read about a high society woman named Jo who ends up falling all the way down the ladder and wants revenge on the people who did it to her. It isnt literature by any means but its a great summer read if you like murder, mystery and crazy, rich people.
This is like a bad update of Edith Wharton, via Candice Bushnell (who wrote a book very similiar to this with clear tropes stolen from Wharton. Not that Wharton owns those things, but when it was done so blatently badly as Bushnell did, it constitutes stealing).
I actually began this book on June 12, 2012 and was apprehensive about this novel: was it going to be a little on the trashy side? Actually, it was really good and could not put it down! Really liked her style and will read other titles by her. It was a revealing glimpse into the social scene in NYC, a world and a half away from my lifestyle:))
Quick, beach read. Makes you think about the societal pressures around us and the meaning of true friendship. It will probably always be a timeless book because superficial people don't change, they're always chasing the big fish.
It was a good mystery patterned after the very wealthy sector of American society. There is a hint of Jackie Kennedy in the book. No surpise, as the author knew Jackie and Jackie encouraged her as an author. The characters are well developed and you feel you do get to know them, with behaviors and mannerisms not a part of the middle class way of life. It makes for an interesting read!
Generally, the narrator's voice was mature and insightful, particularly so during the passages discussing the nature of 'being social'.
I had not previously read any fiction revolving around social elitism so every plot twist was a delicious surprise.
I had not previously read any fiction revolving around social elitism so every plot twist was a delicious surprise.
This book dragged on a bit, but the beginning grabbed my attention. She nags a lot, and the author irritatingly drags you on, however the insight into the high society of New York was interesting.
Got halfway through and realized that the main character was self-destructive and vengeful--not someone whose fortunes I cared about or whose Machiavellian plots I wanted to know about.
I really didn't learn anything from this book but I loved reading reading something fun and almost unbelieveable. Thought I would read only a few pages, but loved it all.
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11564437
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11564437
This book is pretty interesting, because it's about New York high society.
Jo Slater is married to a multimillionaire that suddenly dies and leaves his fortune to a young French countess, leaving Jo broke. Slowly slowly she loses everything, and will do everything to get it back...
There were 2 things that bothered me. One was that for high society they sounded pretty vulgar (the F-word appeared a lot), and although I know nothing of that world it seemed out of character. Also, why doesn't the pr...more
Jo Slater is married to a multimillionaire that suddenly dies and leaves his fortune to a young French countess, leaving Jo broke. Slowly slowly she loses everything, and will do everything to get it back...
There were 2 things that bothered me. One was that for high society they sounded pretty vulgar (the F-word appeared a lot), and although I know nothing of that world it seemed out of character. Also, why doesn't the pr...more
Slow at the beginning, and in a few other parts, but good overall. Great twists and turn in the plot toward the end. Good beach read, quick and pretty light.
“Murder was never my goal in life,” begins Jane Stanton Hitchcock’s Social Crimes. But heroine Jo Slater finds that virtue is not a priority since her duplicitous husband died, leaving all of his money to Jo’s new best friend, an obsequious French countess. Jo is now absolutely broke and at her wit’s end, forced, as her Manolo Blahniks wear out, to buy cut-rate Hush Puppies. Her humiliation is complete and acute. In desperation, Jo hatches a wild plot of fraud and murder designed to restore her...more
I enjoyed this crime novel. Stan--not so much. It was interesting to listen to how Jo (the main character) changed after the death of her husband and how she eventually sought her revenge.
I enjoyed this book very much. It kept me up late because I wanted to finish it, and the inside look at high society was fascinating.
Wicked ... was not sure if you felt sorry or glad for the main characters troubles, but was cheering in an evil way for the ending.
The characters were obsessive, which made me obsessed with them. Totally enthralling mystery - I could not put it down.
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New York Times bestselling author and native New Yorker Jane Stanton Hitchcock started her career as a playwright and screenwriter. Her plays include Grace; Bhutan; The Custom of the Country, an adaptation of Edith Wharton's great novel which was first produced at The Mount (Mrs. Wharton's house in Lenox, Massachusetts), then moved to off-Broadway in New York City; and Vanilla, a modern restoratio...more
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“People described me then as a "socialite," a label I loathe. It cast me in a lurid and ridiculous light, implying a life of privileged frivolity where everyone fits around from one party to the next wearing calculated clothes and expensive smiles”
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