[QCrit] The In-Crowd - Domestic Thriller, 80k - First Attempt
I am new to querying. Sent out a few last week, and while waiting to see if I get any bites, I would love any feedback you can offer.
I am seeking representation for my debut novel, THE IN-CROWD (83,317). Set on Long Island in the late 90s, the upmarket domestic thriller will resonate with readers of Laura Dave’s THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, and those who relish cautionary tales about trying to fit in, as May Cobb did with THE HUNTING WIVES.
On her fortieth birthday, Allison Quinn discovers her long-vanished mother left her a gift: one million dollars in cash in a safe deposit box and a note: I’m sorry I had to leave you. Don’t use the money unless it’s an emergency. Ignoring the warning, Allison jumps at the chance to return to Massapequa, where she lived with her mother -- a maid for a wealthy family -- and give her family the life Allison always craved.
Finally, Allison thinks she’s made it.
But neighbors notice when Allison and her husband want to join their private beach club, claiming an income that doesn’t match their jobs as a freelance writer and a car salesman. A board member demands that Allison write an exposé about her philandering husband, or she’ll expose Allison's lies. Then an FBI agent tracks the mysterious cash to Allison and offers an ultimatum: go to jail or help the agency take down Vinny Gallo, a mob boss who lives in the neighborhood and is linked to her mother’s past.
Now the in-crowd to which Allison always dreamed of belonging is her nightmare, and she must figure out how to protect her family while extricating them from the mess she created.