Santa Monica: A Novel

In Santa Monica, the people who frequent Color Theory’s workout classes are wealthy and beautiful, fixated on their looks and concerned primarily with their own best interests. People like housekeeper Lettie exist on the margins of this exclusive society, all but invisible to haughty employers such as workout-fiend Regina and subject to frequently overt racism that barely raises an eyebrow.

Brooklyn transplant Mel sees herself as different (less skinny, more liberal, more cultured) and eases her loneliness by befriending Lettie. But even Mel can’t fathom the extent of Lettie’s troubles. She’s about to be deported, fears leaving her young son, and relies on the money provided by her wayward half-brother, Zach (the sexy fitness guru of Santa Monica’s elite). What Zach and his adorers don’t know is that in a matter of weeks, he will be murdered inside the very gym that defines their lives… and it seems possible that any one of them is to blame.

Told from multiple points of view and opening with a murder that fuels the tension and mystery from page one, Santa Monica is a literary thriller and highbrow beach read that pokes fun at wellness culture gone haywire. This is a smart, page turner of a novel that hits home with every bit of its delicious snark.