El Dorado Drive

Cash-strapped women fall prey to a pyramid scheme in this nerve-shredding thriller from Edgar winner Abbott (Beware the Woman). Harper Bishop flees Grosse Pointe, Mich., in June 2008 to evade an increasingly persistent creditor, leaving behind her two older sisters, who are also deeply in debt—Debra due to her husband’s medical bills, Pam because of her divorce from a thieving deadbeat. When Harper returns home in October, she’s shocked to find Debra sporting “meticulous highlights” and Pam driving a Lexus. The duo attribute their windfalls to the Wheel, an all-female “circle of giving” that requires new members to contribute initial dues of five grand. Her siblings’ enthusiasm is so contagious that Harper sets aside her misgivings and signs on, unwittingly sealing all their fates. Though the tale unfolds from Harper’s POV, and her fraught relationships are its focus, the most fully realized cast member is Pam’s daughter, Vivian, a surly teen whose resentment of her mother animates the proceedings. Elsewhere, Abbott probes the minefield of sisterhood to harrowing effect, using staccato prose to amplify the inherent apprehension and anxiety of the siblings’ relationships. The result is a tense and twisty delight. Agent: Daniel Conaway, Writers House. (June)