Society Women

Leigh (Don’t Trust Her) follows troubled New York City accountant Ellie Taylor as she joins a mysterious secret society in this tiresome suspense novel. At the outset, 30-something Ellie—still haunted by the loss of her mother, who died when she was a child—is dealing with bouts of sleepwalking and mysterious bruises. She receives little comfort from her workaholic husband, Jack, an attorney at her father’s firm, who seems to prefer spending time with his boss to spending time with his wife. Then an ornate invitation, with Ellie’s name inscribed in gold on the envelope, is hand-delivered to her office one afternoon, inviting her to a “Spring Women’s Weekend” at an estate in Westchester and hosted by a group identified simply as “The Society.” With no idea of what the event entails, Ellie accepts. In Westchester, she’s warmly welcomed by a cabal of wealthy, well-connected businesswomen who speak proudly of their prolific charity work. Before long, however, Ellie learns that the group’s good deeds involve a healthy dose of violence and revenge. Leigh’s excessive plot twists swing between the predictable and the outlandish, resulting in a dull quasi-feminist thriller that’s more flat-footed than frightening. There’s not much here to recommend. (Mar.)