The Wife, the Maid and the Mistress

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE FROZEN RIVER, BASED ON A TWISTED TRUE MURDER MYSTERY 'Inspired by a real-life unsolved mystery, this mesmerizing novel features characters that make a lasting impression' People 'This fun, fast-paced novel has it all: speakeasies, gangsters, show girls, and not one, not two, but three women scorned. A real page-turner' Melanie Benjamin, bestselling author of The Aviator's Wife 'Vivid and unsettling, with a finale as startling as the pop of a gun' Caroline Leavitt, bestselling author of Pictures of You One summer night in 1930, Judge Joseph Crater steps into a New York City cab and is never heard from again. Behind this great man are three women, each with her own tale to tell: Stella, his fashionable wife, the picture of propriety; Maria, their steadfast maid, indebted to the judge; and Ritzi, his showgirl mistress, willing to seize any chance to break out of the chorus line. As the twisted truth emerges, Ariel Lawhon's wickedly entertaining debut mystery transports us into the smoky jazz clubs, the seedy backstage dressing rooms, and the shadowy streets beneath the Art Deco skyline.