Misfortune [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Nancy Whitman Geary (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2001

A debut novel of chilling suspense and glorious social insight. As an Assistant District Attorney Francis Pratt has proved herself a shrewd lawyer. But nothing she has seen over the years on ong Island - one of the wealthiest communities in the country - could compare to the situation she becomes embroiled in upon the murder of her stepmother Clio. There are plenty of people in the exclusive community who would wish Clio dead, including Henry Lewis, a talented young doctor; Blair Devlin. Francis's sister; and dissolute socialite Beverly Winters. As she looks beneath the gilded surface of Long Island, one of America's richest communities, Frances delves into a world of crumbling pretences and cruel prejudices. Everyone has a facade. And to uncover a killer, Frances will have to face the demons that stand behind them all.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

By the time Clio Pratt's body is discovered in the ladies' room of an exclusive Southampton Country Club nearly halfway through this debut murder mystery, almost a dozen suspects, not to mention the reader, want her dead. She blackballs the club membership of an African-American surgeon; she refuses her stepdaughter's desperate request for a loan; she spreads rumors about her widowed friend; she undercuts her husband's business partner. It's business as usual for the Long Island elite whose obsession with appearances, according to Geary, supports a self-important, often destructive social hierarchy. Investigating the crime is Frances Pratt, the victim's stepdaughter, now living on the less affluent North Fork and working as an assistant DA. Frances interviews her father (a stroke victim), her mother (a divorcee having an affair with Frances's boss), and her sister (a gallery owner with expensive taste in artists) as well as the many people Clio has insulted, duped, betrayed and offended. When not delving into her disturbing family history, Frances finds consolation in the arms of a neighbor who cooks, gardens and listens well. Harvard Law graduate Geary proves herself more adept with details of the law court than the tennis court. Her crime and criminals are logical and her investigator is methodical, but her depiction of the Long Island elite milieu is only People magazine-deep. This first novel is more workmanlike than inspired, but Geary shows promise as a nuts-and-bolts crime writer. Agent, Nick Ellison. Foreign rights sold in France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. (July)Forecast: Author publicity in New York, Long Island, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Boston targets the right audiences, but the book is lacking in the requisite Hamptons glitz even the jacket is more tasteful than titillating. Misfortune?

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Here's another lawyer who's chucking her day in court to write instead. Geary's debut features an assistant district attorney for Long Island's Suffolk County who uncovers a dark family history when she must investigate the murder of a relative. Lots of foreign rights sales already.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 504 pages
• Publisher: Wheeler Publishing (July 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587240661
• ISBN-13: 978-1587240669
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,801,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a page turner !!!, June 19, 2001

By 

Pam Jacobson (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Misfortune (Hardcover)

If you are looking for some good summer reading, this terrific book by this young new author is simply perfect ! It is fast reading but very thoughtful ... and the "plot thickens" with each new character who is introduced !

The characters are each unique and all bring something new to the "proverbial table", which makes the mystery increasingly intriguing. And the descriptions of life and individuals in the Hamptons are frighteningly accurate !

I assure you of one thing: you will NOT want to put this book down !

Enjoy !

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read at the beach!, June 27, 2001

By 

"jlmahlman" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Misfortune (Hardcover)

Misfortune is a riveting family drama. This murder-mystery is psychologically suspenseful and will keep you turning the pages to discover what's next. Frances Pratt is a touching and appealing heroine. Recommended summer reading!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully Written With Perfect Characterization, May 30, 2002

By 

Heather Marshall Negahdar "Haze" (Bridgetown, Barbados) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Misfortune: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

I enjoyed Misfortune and thought it was so wonderfully written with a host of exciting characters.

Cleo Pratt was an obnoxious woman who was not liked by many in South Hampton, Long Island. She did not hide her racial prejudice or the pride she seemed to exhibit to those not as wealthy as she was. She was selfish and thought only about her comforts and her husband's.

It is no wonder when she is found dead in the powder room at the Fair Lawn Country Club, it becomes an extremely difficult task trying to seek out her murderer, for Cleo Pratt has made so many enemies for herself.

You will meet Beverly Winters whom she gossiped about after her husband's suicide; Henry Lewis a surgeon whom she was instrumental in blocking from becoming a member of the Country Club because of his race ; her stepdaughters Blair and Frances whom she treated like second class citizens when they were in her habitation; a partner in their firm Pratt Capital who she wants to squeeze out, and many many more of the high society you will encounter.

Be prepared to have at least a day to two for this page turner. When all is revealed you will see how well written and how cleverly concealed is the murderer ... Happy reading! I loved it!

Reviewed by Heather Marshall Negahdar (SUGAR-CANE 30/05/02)