Description

‘Very possibly the best crime fiction book since Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects’ Neel Mukherjee

Three Women meets Tana French in a compulsive, unflinching and unexpectedly hopeful thriller set in a midwestern strip club.

‘Gritty, glittery and pulsing with life’ Sara Sligar
‘Bold, compelling, brutal and brilliant’ Chris Whitaker

It’s 1999, and Samantha has danced for years at the Lovely Lady strip club.

She’s not used to taking anyone under her wing – after all, between her disapproving boyfriend and his daughter, who may as well be her own child, she has enough to worry about. But when Samantha overrides her better judgment to drive a new dancer home, they are run off the road. The police arrive at the scene of the accident – but find only one body.

Georgia, another dancer, is drawn into the investigation as she tries to assist Holly, a detective with a complicated story of her own. As the point of view shifts from police officers and detectives to club patrons, the women circle around a list of suspects, all the while grappling with their own understanding of loss and love.

As they get closer to the truth they must each confront a fundamental question:

How do women live their lives knowing that men can hurt them?

‘A suspenseful, beautifully written story’ Reader review

‘Possibly the only thriller I’ve read that’s made me cry at the end’ Reader review

‘A difficult one to put down. I highly recommend it’ Reader review

‘My favourite thriller published in years . . . unique and character driven’ Reader review

‘A stellar debut . . . fascinating’ Reader review

‘A well written and carefully plotted mystery with flawed, captivating characters . . . a must read! Reader review

Publisher Review

Very possibly the best crime fiction book since Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects, Real Easy is turn-your-phone-off-and-cancel-all-your-meetings gripping. But it is also so much more than that: every character is instantly alive and recognisable the moment they appear on the page; the writing is sustainedly beautiful and intelligent, at times lyrical, at others, sassy and crackling; and the psychological underpinnings are unerring, resonant, utterly convincing. This book is a winner, whichever way you turn it -- Neel Mukherjee This book blew me away. Real Easy is an electric thrill ride that takes a hard look at the high price women pay for men's desire. Rutkoski renders her characters with exquisite compassion and detail, even as the book accelerates toward an unforgettable conclusion. Gritty, glittery, and pulsing with life -- Sara Sligar With a fully-realized world, a compelling mystery, fascinating characters, and beautiful prose, Marie Rutkoski's Real Easy will capture readers and stay in their minds forever. It is absolutely unputdownable. -- Jill Santopolo Bold, compelling, brutal and brilliant. On the surface Real Easy is the kind of gritty, gripping mystery I just adore, yet it's also full of heart and hope and the most endearing characters. -- Chris Whitaker Rutkoski is that rare gem: a writer whose prose is as splendid as her plotting. The result is a taut thriller with the potency of a poem, a propulsive story at once brutal, elegant, and impossible to put down. -- V. E. Schwab This is what crime fiction should be. Authentic in tone, fearless in execution. Masterfully crafted, irresistibly readable. An instant classic. -- Dom Nolan With gorgeous prose, well-drawn characters, and crackling suspense, Real Easy is an unforgettable thriller that stuck with me long after the last page. Beneath the drum-tight plot is a brilliant examination of femininity, safety, and the roles women play. I couldn't put it down -- Andrea Bartz Authentic, gritty and moving with taut, controlled prose - a very impressive debut -- HARRIET TYCE A stunner. A feminist crime novel about a strip club and the women who work there. I couldn't put it down -- Julie Cohen Multiple narrators including dancers, their relatives, detectives, club patrons and the killer himself offer a kaleidoscopic view of a morally precarious world where male desire is a whisker away from male violence. With a cast of fully realised characters - the cops have troubles of their own, and life at the club, with its overlay of sleazy glamour, is balanced by domestic vignettes and quotidian concerns - this is a familiar story told in a way that packs a real emotional punch. * Guardian * More interested in psychology than in thrills, but always holds your gaze * The Times * A serial killer novel with a difference, avoiding sensationalism and focusing on the vulnerability of the victims * Sunday Times * A bold, female-centric thriller * Crime Monthly * A literary crime novel in the Gillian Flynn mould, with real heart and soul * Daily Mail * A stunner. A feminist crime novel about a strip club and the women who work there. I couldn't put it down -- JULIE COHEN Authentic, gritty and moving with taut, controlled prose - a very impressive debut -- HARRIET TYCE Packs a real emotional punch * Guardian * Real Easy is a gripping, serial-killer thriller with several eye-popping shock moments, but more thoughtfully, is an examination of the dangers facing women * Shots Magazine *