Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Synopsis: 

Life is crap and the weather is stupid-hot: reasons enough for four small-town Southern women to plan “the easy way out.” Abby has no husband, no children, no living kin, and a painful family secret. Loiscell is a two-time breast cancer survivor facing recurrence with dwindling faith and courage. Sheila is a meek abused wife hiding behind a religious, volunteer-queen veneer. Estranged from her only child, Caroline “Choo-choo” Ivey desperately misses her late husband. Sheila’s husband, a correctional officer for a local prison, belongs to a clandestine paramilitary group. Glenn’s drinking and deep-seated wounds from a cruel alcoholic father fuel his anger. Glenn meets Julius Herndon, known by his secret hunting club name of Clay, an ex-military man with a dangerous, criminal edge. As the relentless summer heat continues, conditions deteriorate for the women. Initially in jest, they propose group suicide: a nice meal, followed by a quick death courtesy of a paid assassin. Choo-choo offers to pay, and Sheila figures a way to enlist her husband to acquire a contact name. Plans go haywire when Clay trains Glenn for the hit. As an unexpected result, the four members of the Suicide Supper Club learn that death is a process not easily dictated by a selective act of will. Life, no matter how difficult, is a gift.

Review:

Wow…..I really enjoyed this book.  I loved the way the author captured the angst ridden lives of the four women in the Suicide Supper Club.  All four of the women seemed driven by “valid reasons” to act upon an off handed comment one evening after yoga….thus the Suicide Supper Club was born. 

Would a diverse group of women really hire a hit man to take them out? What makes a person, let alone 4 separate individuals want to make a suicide pact and carry out the planning of such an event? While I was pondering this question and reading, the author delved into each of their lives and we got to see the motivation to enter into such an arrangement for Abby, Sheila, Choo-choo and Loiscell.

I could empathize with Loiscell – two time cancer survivor discovering yet again she has cancer. I also understood Choo-choo’s reasons – missing her husband, being estranged from her daughter and then the passing of her late husband’s dog. Sheila’s life of a battered wife….easy to see how she feels there is nothing to live for.  But for the life of me…why does Abby feel so disconnected that she would want to end her life.  I do sympathize with no husband, no child and no family along with the “family secret”.  However, I get the sense that she is relatively young (in comparison to Loiscell and Choo-choo) , so it made me sad to think she wanted out of this life.

Don’t be fooled thinking it is a book that is all serious because let me tell you, I was chuckling numerous times throughout the story.  Elvina ran the town.  Knew it all: births, deaths, illnesses, scandals, divorces, etc.  Elvina, with her meddlesome ways did provide comic relief. She provided much needed assistance when Abby and Sheila were both incapacitated and extra hands were needed.  During one of her nightly sojourns around the neighborhood, she also became a hero of sorts….I shall leave it at that….no spoilers 🙂

I was moved by the connection Sheila had with Buttercup, her hidden pet.  The pet just knew to keep hidden so that Glenn would not find the pet in Sheila’s life that provided her solace and love…both much needed by this abused woman.  And then the newborn kitten “Oreo” comes into her life, this reader could not help but get emotional….all Sheila needed was to be rid of this horrible living situation and to love her pets and re-gain her self-esteem

This book felt like a story of serious topics with light hearted characters mixed in. A read I did not want to put down.  I found myself having many emotions while reading (a definite good sign).  Would I recommend this read?   An unequivocal YES.  Will I pick up more titles by this author?  Another resounding YES.  But by all means, pick this book up and read it for yourself and come to this conclusion yourself.