This is a man’s world…as the song says. But women have been trying to come up in it, taking positions of power, etc. There are still obstacles, biases, glass ceilings and such, so banding together seems like a great idea, stronger together and all that. well, that’s the general idea behind this novel. The specifics are infinitely more complicated, morally dubious and ethically murky. That’s where the fun comes in.
Our protagonist, Nicole, is a lawyer at the top of her game, partner in a Manhattan firm, at thirty nine she’s got most things she wants, things she had worked so diligently for. But then a wrench is thrown into her works, her position at her firm is suddenly at risk and it sends her tailspinning into…well, something that seems disturbingly cult-like. Of course, no one calls it that, it’s more of a by-invite-only exclusive networking opportunity for women that demands unquestionable loyalty from its members. Oh well, at least there’s no branding, right? Anyway, Nicole becomes one of the elite PL members, good things begin to roll her way so epically that it takes her a moment to realize that something hinky is going on, some underlying conspiracy. When it dawns on her, she’s up to her elbows in it and must find a way to get herself out. Not an easy task, for it turns out women of power can be just as sinister and as manipulative and evil as men. Ta-da…gender equality. Excellent. So, there you have it. A thoroughly engaging and pretty exciting thriller that kinda lets go of some momentum when it veers into corporate territory. Unless corporate takeovers are your thing, in which case you’re going to love this book. For me, it didn’t quite work, the business end of it all, the legal proceedings, kind of hampered the ending to what was otherwise a very thrilling ride. But until then (and aside from that) this was a very entertaining and dynamic read. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, because normally tales of NYC elite tend to be ever so first-world tedious. But this was fun despite all that, despite how thoroughly its characters are steeped in privilege. So yey. Nicely done. My first experience with an author and quite an impressive one at that. She’s a retired lawyer turned author, her fiction reflects it. Write what you know and all that. But the writing is good, it draws you in, it does all or most of the things thrillers are supposed to and does so without insulting the readers’ intelligence. So all in all, pretty good. Please Join Us is the kind of book one can easily get on board with. Then again the same can be said about cults. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2023
Categories |