CRIMES AGAINST A BOOK CLUB

Two friends create a scheme to take advantage of rich California women in Cooperman’s debut.

Best friends Annie and Sarah couldn’t be more different. Annie is a harried mom of three, while Sarah is a glamorous, high-powered lawyer. The one thing they have in common is that they need money. Annie can’t afford the expensive therapy for her autistic son, while Sarah is trying to finance in vitro fertilization treatment. Luckily, they know people who have more money than they know what to do with—the rich women in Annie’s book club. Annie, a former chemist, can create a face cream. Sarah, with her youthful beauty, can peddle the cream to women who want to look like her. If they can sell each container of face cream for $2,000, they’ll be swimming in cash in no time. The only problem? The “secret ingredient” Annie adds is actually cocaine. Their face cream grows in popularity, but what happens when someone finds out what makes it so special? Cooperman is at her best when she focuses on the friendship between Annie and Sarah—their bond is genuinely touching, and their struggles are easy to relate to. However, there are far too many characters and points of view to keep straight, and readers may find themselves getting confused as to which aging socialite they’re reading about now.

A funny story about what two women will do to make a quick buck.