As children, Ana and her sister, Vera, had front row seats when their father, Mac, abused their mother, Sadie. Mac was often drunk when these battles began, but Sadie never did anything to force him to stop. Until one day when she served him a dish that included death cap mushrooms. Sadie was arrested for his murder and her children went to live with her sister, Agnes.
While Agnes was known locally as a florist, her massive garden and greenhouse included many plants with healing properties, which she was known to share with those who needed a cure. The other flowers and herbs, when prepared properly, had the power to kill. Agnes recognized that Ana and Vera had the gift, but teaching them how to use those talents would take time.
The two sisters are very different. Ana is the wild one, spending money as fast as she earns it. Her relationship with men repeats the pattern she grew up watching. Vera is the stable sister. She’s married to Brad and they have two children, Coraline and Grant. When she accepted Brad’s proposal, Vera made it clear that taking care of her sister was part of the deal. Vera helps Brad run his very successful business and they often have to bail out Ana when her freelance business falters.
On this occasion, however, Vera wants to be there for Ana emotionally. She’s just been dumped by Paul and wants what she calls an ex-orcism. Vera agrees to host a bruch and invites a group of friends. While most of the food is catered, Ana, who is a terrible cook, brings a cassoulet, which most of the women avoid. Iggy has a complicated relationship with Ana since she’s now married to Brock, another one of Ana’s exes, and they have a baby, Noah. She eats several helpings of Ana’s dish.
The brunch is interrupted when Police Detective Timothy Bandeau arrives to question Ana as a possible suspect in Paul’s death. Ana is shocked to see Timothy, who she recently met on a dating app for discerning people. They had quick sex in a bathroom in a tawdry bar, with Ana leaving through a back door before Timothy could learn her name. Needles to say, he’s just as shocked to learn he may have had sex with a killer.
Payton, one of the women at the brunch is a lawyer and tells Bandeau that he can question Ana the next day and promises to have her come to police headquarters. With the news of Paul’s death darkening the mood, the brunch ends, the women leaving.
Iggy, who had reservations about attending the luncheon, is happy to go home to Brock and Noah. But she quickly becomes deathly ill. Something she ate at the brunch? An ambulance is called and she’s taken to the hospital. The news isn’t good. Whatever she consumed has placed her in a coma. Suspicion once again falls on Ana since Iggy was the only one to eat the cassoulet.
The third strike comes when Amanda, who was Paul’s current girlfriend, is reported missing. Ana swears to Vera that she had nothing to do with killing Paul, making Iggy sick, or harming Amanda. Vera believes her, but proving her sister innocent will take all her powers. Before she died, Agnes chose Vera to lead The Cove, the group of women who know how to use the plants and herbs for good. Since Vera turned down the offer, other women in the group, have filled the void. They have no love for the sisters, particularly the leader, Lisander, and may work to see that Ana is arrested.
Fortunately, Paul had lots of enemies, women he raped or sexually assaulted, as well as business associates and competitors that he slandered or cheated. One of Ana’s friends, Esme, is furious that he is getting a business award she deserves. And Paul badmouthed Brad’s company after the loss of a lucrative contract.
Lisa Unger’s Served Him Right offers up a tantalizing recipe for murder. Who knew how many murder weapons may be lurking in our spice rack, cabinets, or refrigerator? How about in Central Park? Or our gardens? Even flowers that smell delightful, like Lily of the Valley, if eaten can cause illness, even death. Wild mushrooms, of course, are always a risk, even if the forager claims some expertise. So diners beware!
Serve Him Right
Lisa Unger
Top Bigstock photo by Whiskybottle
Deadly Nightshade flowers – Atropa belladonna
Poisonous plant
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