Grosse Pointe, Michigan, is a suburban landscape in decline. The automotive industry is in shambles, and the ramifications of this economic downturn have hit the surrounding area hard. This is the impetus for a group of quick-thinking and somewhat devious middle-aged women to come up with their own method of staying solvent in Megan Abbott’s latest thriller, EL DORADO DRIVE.

Essentially, this is the story of a trio of sisters. Debra, Pam and Harper Bishop have had their individual struggles and soon will realize that collectively --- with the help of some like-minded friends --- they are much stronger. In a furious prologue, we witness Pam and Harper digging in Pam’s backyard to bury the Merry Mushroom cookie jar that is packed with money. This image will make more sense later on.

"...a thriller that not only works well, but also holds up as a sobering mirror reflection of a once-mighty American city that is now trying to rebuild itself."

Pam has been suffering from years of financial abuse at the hands of her ex-husband, Doug, who all but wiped out their personal accounts, as well as the savings set aside for their two children. She is now a single mother trying to keep her head above water and constantly at odds with her teenage daughter, Vivian, who is going through a profound change in lifestyle.

Harper is the youngest of the three sisters and has never amounted to much, battling addiction and poor job choices. She recently has moved in with Pam on a temporary basis. What makes this particularly interesting is that Pam never found out about the $50,000 that Doug loaned to Harper when she was at her lowest point --- an amount that she still has been privately paying back to him.

Debra, who has a stable marriage, is the one who recommends that they all join up with the clandestine group known simply as the Wheel. Their symbol is a triangle, as they are not structured to operate as a traditional pyramid scheme. However, it is essentially a profit-sharing plan, but one done in complete secrecy and under the radar of all authorities, including the IRS. The women --- each of whom must make a donation of $5,000 at their first meeting, which is shared among the rest of the group --- are committed to never discussing the Wheel outside of their gatherings or leaving any trace of electronic communication that could identify their club.

Everything is going well, and the members of the Wheel are enjoying their newfound wealth. Of course, nothing that seems too good to be true can last forever, and things come to a crashing halt when one of the Bishop sisters is brutally murdered. Was the killer an outsider to the group in an unrelated homicidal act, or could the guilty party come from within the club itself? Two detectives are called in to investigate, and the suspense runs high as all of the Wheel members seek to remain helpful in the case while attempting to keep their identity a secret from law enforcement.

EL DORADO DRIVE marks the first time in her career that Megan Abbott has set a story within the confines of her hometown of Detroit. The result is a thriller that not only works well, but also holds up as a sobering mirror reflection of a once-mighty American city that is now trying to rebuild itself.