Linda Francis Lee, The Devil in the Junior League

The Devil in the Junior League

Linda Francis Lee

St. Martin's, August 22 2006, $22.95

ISBN: 0312354959

Twenty-eight year old wealthy Fredericka "Frede" Mercedes Hildebrand Ware belongs to the chic exclusive Junior League of Willow Creek, Texas. Frede adheres strictly to the rules of behavior, so she dresses in an acceptable fashion and behaves accordingly, avoiding scandal at all cost. When her husband Gordon has an affair, she ignores it as long as the tryst remains covert; when he absconds with her family money, fleeing the country, Frede keeps silent because status is everything.

She turns to her neighbor attorney Howard Grout, who would never make it as a club member, for assistance; though he is uncouth, he can be trusted to keep quiet. However, the legal fee may be too high for "Queen" snob Frede; Howard wants her royal Frede to gain membership admittance for his wife Nikki to the Junior League of Willow Creek, though the woman is a garish outsider. Reluctantly, Frede agrees, but first works on toning down the tawdry lawyer's wife to make her less unacceptable, while Howard follows Gordon's money trail.

Frede is obnoxious, and she has her values so ingrained in image that she comes across as a cold egotistical person, and that leads to fans cheering Gordon for splitting; her spelling out words and broken French 101 add to the reader's dislike of her. Still, the other Junior Leaguers add eccentricity, and the relationship between Frede and Nikki, which goes back to high school, is fun to follow as both begin to understand wearing the other's shoes. Fans of Linda Francis Lee will enjoy this lighthearted romp narrated by a protagonist, who most will agree deserves the Grout treatment.