Most of the novel explores the motives that each wife might have for killing Vincent DeLano, a womanizing scoundrel with ever-decreasing funds and ever-increasing lust. The four central wives, Dana, Lauren, Bridget, and Caroline, alternately hurt and help the Mrs. DeLanos: Kitty, the former; and Yolanda, the present. Throughout the investigation, we get to peek into the intimate lives of these naughty families and their larger-than-life problems.

Although the murder happens immediately, the story takes its time building momentum. The first third of the book introduces the wives and husbands and goes into a little too much detail proving the meaninglessness of their desperate-housewife lives. Toward the middle of the book come the surprises, which crank up the excitement considerably. Suddenly the story gets really interesting and you’ll be racing from one chapter to the next, awaiting the next unexpected connection or hidden agenda revealed. Solving the actual murder isn’t nearly as much fun as getting to learn all the dirty little secrets of these good little wives.