Dear Debbie

Bestseller McFadden (The Intruder) returns with a nasty dive inside the mind of the brilliant, psychopathic advice columnist Debbie Mullen. Thirty years ago, Debbie was an MIT computer science major en route to becoming the next Bill Gates. Now she writes an agony aunt column for her local newspaper in suburban Massachusetts and tries to be a supportive wife and mother to two teenage daughters. After Debbie is fired from her job at the paper for advising a reader to divorce her abusive husband, she comes into contact with an old enemy from college, and decides to take a more proactive—and less socially acceptable—approach to seeking justice. Drawing on her sharp computer skills, Debbie begins doling out twisted comeuppance to members of her shiny suburban set, including self-important book club attendees and predatory educators. Debbie’s dark but consistent moral code makes her easy to root for, but once the action kicks into high gear, it becomes a tad monotonous. Still, this darkly funny thriller will put a wicked smile on readers’ faces. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Jan.)