The Herd by Andrea Bartz sounded like just the kind of escapist fluff to get me through another weekend of sheltering in place: a murder mystery featuring glitzy female New York thirty-something
Harvard grads who are just starting to make their mark professionally. The title refers to a super-selective members-only womens’ community that features professional mentorship, sun-and light-filled coworking space, yoga and fitness classes, and networking opportunities galore.
The Herd was founded primarily by Eleanor Walsh, who is right on the verge of announcing the company’s buyout by a tech giant when she vanishes, only to turn up dead on the roof of the company’s Manhattan building a few days later. Charismatic Eleanor was known for her ability to appear warm and approachable even while being quietly feared by the other women in her orbit, including her BFF Hana Bradley (who handles PR for The Herd and sister firm, cosmetics line The Gleam), artsy graphic designer Mikki (who had “…this blinky obliviousness that automatically absolved her of responsibility”) and member wannabe Katie, who is Hana’s sister, freshly arrived from a year in the upper Midwest doing research for her book.
Did Eleanor run away? Or was there some foul play involved? Once the police settle on the idea of foul play, everyone is a suspect, including Eleanor’s husband, other “Herders,” the antiHerd mens’ rights groups, and even Eleanor’s oldest and dearest friends. Hana wants to find out what Eleanor was hiding, Katie chases after a story to replace her bungled book deal, and the two sisters go through a lot of soul-searching as they try to resolve a lot of family issues going back to Hana’s adoption. Along the way, there are sex, drugs, blackmail, open marriage, even a parental coverup of a traumatic event. I loved the way the women responded to the changes when carefully crafted personas as seen by the world started to crumble. It was a fun read, with complex plotting that all wove together nicely along with richly detailed character development.
I’m planning to go back and read Ms. Bartz’s debut novel, The Lost Night, and I look forward to her next book. With thanks to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley, I give this one five stars.
It was a fun read