With “A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage,” author M. K. Oliver delivers a shining example of a novel that is so clever and filled with really funny lines that in spite of ourselves, we can’t help but root for Lalla Rook, the main character, who also happens to be (as the title discloses) a sociopath.
Lalla is most definitely a sociopath, and she’s not ashamed to admit it. Her first person narrative delivers punch after punch as her daily to-do lists often include tidbits like refinishing the floors after a murder, putting testosterone cream on her husband’s arm to increase his libido, and “Allow him to be a hero — Break the toilet flush, so he can mend it.” And “Remove dead body from living room” might be the most humorous chore, but by no means is it the only funny one.
When a strange man accosts Lalla in her home and tries to strangle her, she kills him. From that point, the game is on. Her attempts to figure out why this man was targeting her and had been following her, her efforts to hide his body, her ability to draw in her friends for assistance (and framing), and the ensuing hi-jinks that follow keep us rapt and reading.
Lalla has no shame, no morality, no limits on what she will do — and how far she will go — to get what she wants. And what Lalla wants is a house in Hampstead, a ritzier neighborhood than where they currently live. She wants her husband, Stephen, to make partner at his investment banking job so that they will have the lifestyle she desires. She wants her daughter to gain admittance to the prestigious private school. And what she’ll do to attain her goals guarantees laughter and a thrilling ride.
When a face from the past shows up, one that she had been sure was permanently disposed of, Lalla’s problems increase exponentially. Now she has bigger problems than making sure her daughter, Nelly, who seems to have sociopath tendencies, gets accepted into the posh private school and helping her good friend out of a blackmailing situation.
It’s Lalla’s commentary on life and her family and friends that makes for interesting introspection. Does her determination to provide her family with all the accoutrements of success demonstrate her love for them? Or is it all about Lalla and her needs and desires?
With the police on her trail, one friend charged with a murder that she didn’t commit, a snobby very wealthy mother-in-law who hates her and is actively trying to break up her marriage, a mansion that she must have in Hampstead, and struggling to figure out who has it in for her, Lalla’s one busy lady.
The writing is spot-on. Oliver makes Lalla truly a woman who does what she wants and wants it all; she’ll deal with the consequences later. And it’s what she’s willing to do to get it all that makes Lalla one truly impressive character. We are rooting for her as we cover our gasps and disbelief. Lalla juggles all the different problems on her plate with the flair of a prima ballerina as she makes bodies disappear, shops for her new home, finagles getting the money that entails, and comes out looking like a hero.
A sociopath hero. What a novelty. A fabulous novel.
This review was first posted on Bookreporter.com.