THE HUNTING WIVES

3 stars out of 5

Okay, what are the chances that five conniving, sex-obsessed and downright demented women would end up in the same dinky Texas town? Not great - and therein lies the first hint that this story won't ring any credibility bells (and sorry, Texas - I know there's nothing dinky in the Lone Star State). But in another way, I'm glad it happened; I'd hate to spoil five different towns with these lunatics.

The worst of the lot is Sophie O'Neill, who with her perfect husband and perfect son moved from bustling Chicago to Mapleton, Texas. There, she finds peace - for maybe a New York minute. Bored out of her mind, she gets a glimpse of the second worst of the lot, Margot Banks - a richer-than-God socialite who hates her equally rich husband and loves the secret cadre of "girls" who meet regularly to target shoot and drink their way into oblivion. It's heavy on the latter; I'll wager that none of these women could pass a sobriety check at any point in the story. It's their other activities, though, that tend to be problematic.

For her part, no matter how much she tells herself she shouldn't go with the flow, Sophie just can't seem to say no. Maybe it's the thrill of the chase, or maybe she's just a nut case; but in any event she's so infatuated with Margot that she allows herself to be swept up in everything the woman suggests. Screw up her own marriage? A real possibility - but she'll chance it and go along just this once. And another once. And another - until a murder happens and Sophie finds herself in a mess that, of course, is not of her own making (she really, really didn't realize what was going on and she really, really wanted to stop, don't you know)?

Those who enjoy their stories on the salacious side should love this book; it's got just about every combination possible among humans, some in fairly explicit detail (to those who aren't into that kind of thing, consider this a warning). The whodunit ending is a slight surprise, but then long before that I'd pretty much had my fill and was hoping they'd all get bumped off or put in jail. Bottom line? Not my cup of tea, although technically it's well written and the plot is well thought out. Still, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Hunting Wives by May Cobb (Berkley, May 2021); 368 pp.