REAL EASY

Submitted by Betty Wilson on
Author
MARIE RUTKOSKI
REAL EASY

Samantha, aka Ruby, has been a stripper at the Lovely Lady club for a long time.  The money is decent and she shares a camaraderie, if not actual friendship, with the other dancers.  But when the new girl, Jade, turns up high during her shift, Samantha is surprised to find herself volunteering to drive her home to keep her from getting in trouble.  A decision she will wish she had never made.  Their car is run off the road, Jade is found dead in the grass and Samantha is missing.  The police look for suspects, among them Samantha's boyfriend and anyone connected to the Lovely Lady.  The dancers find themselves looking closer at everybody too.  When one of them is approached by one of the lead detectives to become a confidential informant within the club, she realizes that it could  lead to a way out, as long as know one finds out.  This book is dark and seedy, but at the same time filled with light, hope and love.  Multiple perspectives add depth and the characters feel real and hopelessly human.  A great adult debut.