THE CRAIGSLIST MURDERS by Brenda Cullerton

Charlotte Wolfe is a successful decorator to the very rich of NYC's Upper East Side. She helps them spend millions on redecorating thing their various expensive properties, while they treat her like an on-call therapist, whining about dealing with BBS- Birkin Bag Syndrome, like carpal tunnel from carrying those heavy expensive handbags, their cheating husbands, and ungrateful children. They buy and buy and are never happy. Charlotte hates them. One day while meeting one of these types of women who was selling something expensive on Craigslist, Charlotte snaps and kills her with a fireplace poker. It made her feel so good, that she becomes addicted to perusing Craigslist for items being sold by Upper East Siders, finding more women to kill. But with each kill, she comes closer to being caught.

This novel is satirical in nature but also goes further than that. Charlotte has a lot of pent up rage (obviously) and we learn about her childhood, growing up wealthy until her father made some bad investments. But Charlotte's mother was cruel and sadistic as she tried to make her daughter into the perfect little girl. Charlotte has few friends and is quite lonely. She has constant nightmares about her childhood.

Cullerton does a great job of describing all of the shallow, rich, elitists who go through money the way most of us go through water. Sadly, these people are all too real in life. I found myself rooting for Charlotte. One of her clients destroys a $15,000 toilet after catching one of the workers using it. Another is devastated over her husband cheating on her until he takes her on a very expensive and exclusive safari in Botswana. I almost wished Charlotte could kill her clients!

This was a quick, enjoyable read with a little more depth than I expected. Unless you are one of those Upper East Siders, I think you will find this book a good summer read.
my rating 4/5