Muerte en el Lovely Lady Club

by Marie Rutkoski, Gudrun Palomino (translator)

Es 1999 y Samantha lleva años trabajando como bailarina en el club de striptease Lovely Lady. No suele mezclar trabajo con amistad; al fin y al cabo, ya tiene suficiente con el celoso de su novio y la hija de este. Pero hay una nueva bailarina que va tan perdida que Samantha se siente obligada a ayudarla a comprender los secretos del club: cómo hablarle al dueño para persuadirlo, cómo encajar con las otras chicas y cómo ganar dinero.

Una noche, Samantha decide llevarla a casa, y es entonces cuando tiene lugar un terrible accidente. Cuando la policía llega al lugar del fatídico hecho, solo encuentra un cuerpo.

Georgia, otra de las bailarinas del club, decide ayudar a Holly, la detective del caso, a quien comienza a brindarle información, y rápidamente se convierte en una persona clave para llegar a la verdad. Mientras Holly y Georgia identifican a los sospechosos, el punto de vista de la historia va cambiando entre bailarinas, detectives, niños, dueños del club... y el propio asesino.

Inspirándose en su experiencia como bailarina, Marie Rutkoski nos sumerge en la cautivadora atmósfera del club, que cobra vida mediante personajes complejos que intentan protegerse a sí mismos y a quienes aman. Con un argumento magistral, esta obra llega al núcleo de la eterna pregunta: ¿cómo pueden vivir las mujeres sabiendo que los hombres pueden herirlas?

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Adult, Audiobook, Contemporary

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 18, 2022

About the author

Marie Rutkoski is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for children and young adults. Her latest novel, ORDINARY LOVE, will be published June 10, 2025.

Born in Illinois, Marie holds degrees from the University of Iowa and Harvard University. She is currently a professor at Brooklyn College and lives in Brooklyn with her family.


https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...

https://us.macmillan.com/author/marie...

(photo credit: Beowulf Sheehan)

Reviews

[Yun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I confess to initially picking this up because I've always been curious about strippers and strip clubs. But I ended up staying for the story. Poignant and captivating, Real Easy grabbed ahold of me and refused to let go.

Samantha is a dancer at the Lovely Lady strip club, working under the name "Ruby" to make ends meet. She does well for herself, having built up a loyal clientele over the years. When new girl Jolene arrives, bumbling and a bit lost, Samantha keeps her head down, not wanting to get caught up in the drama. But one night, against her better judgement, Samantha offers the girl a ride home. And when they're run off the road, her life is irrevocably changed.

First and foremost, above everything else, this story is a character study. Rutkoski takes her time introducing us to each of the players in here, dancers and investigators alike. And this intricate and honest look at each person is what really sets the tone for the story. We dive deep into the minds and emotions of the characters, really getting to know them as people, with all their complex thoughts and feelings. We find out their history, their motivations, and what makes them tick.

Rutkoski's experience as a former dancer really shows. Her portrayal of the dancers is as compelling as it is honest. She neither attempts to make you pity them, nor does she glamourize the whole thing. Instead, she provides a candid and humanizing look at this little understood but often talked about world, and it just adds to the dark and gritty feel of the story.

Yes, there's a mystery here, but that functions to drive the narrative forward instead of being its primary focus. I know this book is labeled a mystery/thriller, but I think that does it a disservice and may set up the wrong expectations. I found the mystery itself to be its weakest part, but only because the characters in here are so vivid, they really steal the spotlight. To me, this has more the feel of contemporary or historical fiction (depending on where you'd place the late 1990s), with the seedy Lovely Lady as its striking backdrop.

This story really took me by surprise. I didn't expect to connect with the characters so deeply. It was a riveting read from start to finish, and I can't wait to see what else Marie Rutkoski writes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[Emily May · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know it's only January, but I think this might end up being my most disappointing read of 2022.

My (admittedly limited) experience of strip clubs consists of flashy neon on the outside and bored distant-looking dancers on the inside. That's not a bad metaphor for this book. The cover appeals to me, as does the premise, but I found it quite a standard, dull and predictable mystery.

I am interested in the stories of strippers and sex workers, I won't lie. Maybe it's the voyeur in me. Maybe it's because a friend of mine worked several years as a stripper and escort and she tells stories that rival the wildest fiction. I'm sure it's at least partly because these people, usually women, are frequently judged, shamed and dismissed as less important than others, whilst also being at higher risk for sexual assault and violence. I want better for them.

Real Easy only ever really skimmed the surface of this world.

The book is actually a murder/kidnapping mystery that uses a strip club as a setting. There is no protagonist, as the story moves through many different perspectives (I counted fourteen in total) and this makes it difficult to warm to, or come to know in depth, anyone.

One day when Ruby (Samantha) is driving one of her co-workers home, her car is deliberately hit by another, her companion found raped and dead, and Ruby herself disappeared. Two detectives-- Holly Meylin and Victor Amador --attempt to uncover what has happened to her before it's too late.

The pool of suspects we would actually care about it being is small, so it's not difficult to guess the culprit. They are a pretty run-of-the-mill serial killer. I also personally think that one mystery which is solved partway through should have remained a mystery to the end, as this massively reduced how much I cared about what was happening. Big spoiler: Ruby/Samantha was easily the best character and finding out she was dead ruined the tension for me.

[jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

oof. this is a no for me.

i really wanted to enjoy this. i think the idea of a murder related to the seedy confines of a strip club is a classic crime combo. and i did find the dynamics between the dancers really fascinating, but man. the execution is just something i couldnt get on board with.

the pacing is positively glacial, having 12+ POVs is obnoxious and makes it near impossible to really connect with any of the characters, the vulgarity and crudeness (which normally isnt an issue for me) ended up being pretty grating throughout, and the biggest let down is the crime itself feels really uninspired.

i think its really neat that MR drew upon her own experiences as a dancer when writing this and the scenes within the strip club definitely feel authentic for that reason, but its everything else that didnt work for me.

↠ 1.5 stars

[MarilynW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski,
Eva Kaminsky (Narrator)

This is a disturbing look into the 1999 lives of strip dancers and a vicious man who is destroying women. We follow several women and men, the strippers, other club workers, customers, law enforcement, and the murderer. We get into their heads, learn what is in their hearts rather than just what each person is on the surface. The story is dark, crude, and sad but the author also wants us to see that these women are more than just their bodies on show. They have hopes, dreams, and desires.

None of the women are safe, especially when the danger is so close. We get to meet and get into the head of some of the murder victims and that makes the loss all the more haunting. It's scary to see the two cops we get to know go after a suspect so hard. It seems they will take any confession but what good does that do if it's the wrong person. That just means there will be more danger and death and more lives ruined if they are wrong.

The audio is fantastic as the narrator uses her voice and timing of her narration to impart the bare facts and the feelings of each character. I really didn't want to be in this world but the story is very good and I feel like I know more about people than I did before I heard this story. It's chilling and cruel but also gripping.

Published January 18th 2022 by Macmillan Audio

[Michael David (on hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark. Gritty. Realistic. This story will stay with me for a long time.

It’s 1999 in the Chicago suburbs, and the Lovely Lady strip club is booming most nights. Samantha (stage name Ruby) is the top dancer who brings in the most cash. New dancer Jolene, who eventually switches her stage name to Lady Jade, is the least popular. Samantha feels bad for her and tries to give her tips to success.

One night when Lady Jade is drugged, Samantha decides to drive her home. Samantha doesn’t return home to her boyfriend and his daughter that night. It turns out that Lady Jade was murdered, and Samantha is missing.

Is there someone preying on strip club dancers?

This is the adult fiction debut of author Marie Rutkoski, herself a former dancer. Color me impressed by everything!

This is a dark and richly atmospheric thriller, written vividly. You will feel like you are in the late 90s. You will feel the darkness and thumping baseline in the club. You will feel the despair and hopelessness that many of the characters face. You will feel dread as you slowly come to realize what is going on.

Rutkoski successfully uses multiple POVs to tell the story. Not only do we hear from Samantha, but we also get glimpses into her personal life with her boyfriend and his daughter (whom she loves dearly). Other POVs include dancers, patrons, police officers trying to find Samantha, family members, and one dark twisted individual.

I couldn’t help but get a Simone St. James vibe while reading this, minus the supernatural aspects. The writing is similar in the way the mystery slowly unravels and we are fed key pieces of information. The characters are complex and fully dimensional, and Rutkoski does a phenomenal job of breaking stripper stereotypes…and maybe giving a glimpse into why some women choose that profession.

The pace is smooth from start to finish, and every piece of the plot is satisfying. There’s tension throughout that makes this a difficult one to put down. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co. and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Now available.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excerpt: “No one asked her to be a stripper. She drove past the Lady a few times on her way to somewhere else, noticing the sign advertising amateur night and a cash prize. One day she thought, I could do that. And, she needed the money. Simple as that. It makes her impatient, the way people think that a stripper must be some cracked-out whore, like no good woman ever took off her clothes for practical reasons.”

This is what Georgia is thinking when detective Holly Meylin recruits her to be a CI, after two dancers from the Lovely Lady strip club, go missing in 1999. She is pleased, despite herself, as no one has ever recruited her for anything before. She isn’t really thinking about how her involvement could make her the killer’s next victim.

“Samantha needs you” the detective says.

Samantha-a stripper with a boyfriend who has a daughter, Rosie, that she loves with all of her heart.

Samantha-who was just driving Lady Jade, “the new girl” home after she was fired for taking drugs.

Samantha-still missing although Lady Jade was found dead at the scene.

Told from the alternating perspectives of the dancers and their children, the detectives, and club patrons, this is a fast paced book, brimming with a vast list of credible, possible suspects and I had no idea who would end up being the culprit.

I wish we had gotten to know Samantha a bit better, perhaps through some additional flashbacks showing us the bond she had created with Rosie, when she wasn’t dancing, but it’s a small critique for a really impressive book.

The author draws from her own personal experience as a dancer and from interviews with Police, making this an authentic read perfect for readers who enjoyed “Please See Us” by Caitlin Mullen and “These Women” by Ivy Pochoda-which were both favorites of mine in 2020.

Thank You to Goodreads for my copy, which I won in a Goodreads Giveaway!

This title is NOW AVAILABLE!
Recommended!

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delivered from multiple perspectives, Marie Rutkoski immerses the reader into the small town American world of The Lovely Lady strip club in 1999, the dancers, their everyday lives and relationships with each other conducted through their stripper names, the paternalistic owner of the club, Dale Gately, the DJ, the bouncers and the clientele that form a close community. This character driven novel lays bare the vulnerabilities and dangers faced by the women who work as strippers, the clientele who can barely see beyond their bodies, many trying to push the boundaries of what is allowed, the buying and partaking of champagne bottles, the way that society scarcely sees them as real human beings as can be observed with the 'banter' between some police officers.

We come to understand how some of the women came to end up working as strippers, their families, children, and boyfriends and the way they support each other. Samantha Lund is Ruby, with a rare chromosomal disorder, living with jealous boyfriend Nick Sullivan, treasuring the stepmother-daughter bond she has with his daughter, Rosie. A kind and compassionate woman, she offers to take home the struggling newbie, Jolene, after she is left in no fit state after taking drugs. An act that is to lead to murder and the abduction of Samantha by a serial killer preying on strippers. Detective Victor Amador is first on the crime scene, joined by the still grieving Detective Holly Meylin. With leads being scarce, Holly wants another dancer, Georgia, to become a confidential agent, but could this not bring great danger to Georgia?

Rutkoski depicts the world of the strip club and the women with authenticity and expertise, there is a strong melancholic feel in the narrative, and a pertinent social commentary on how strippers are perceived by the men who use their services and within wider society. This is a dark and atmospheric crime read, Samantha's relationship with Rosie is a true highlight, it is engaging and fascinating with its in depth portrayal of the women who work as strippers, which I appreciated as it is not a world I am familiar with. A brilliant crime read that I recommend highly. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

**This book was inspired by the author's real-life experiences working as a dancer in a strip club. If you have the audio book you can listen to her interview where she details the situations that she included in this book which occurred while she was working in two clubs.

1999
Samantha has danced for years at the Lovely Lady strip club. She has a steady stream of regulars and does quite well. She lives with her boyfriend and his daughter, Rosie. Things aren't always great, but she does well and is happy to have Rosie in her life. When another dancer appears to be on drugs, Samantha decides to drive her home. She soon realizes she is being followed and is soon run off the road. When the police show up at the scene there is only one body. A naked dead woman but is it Samantha or the woman she took home?

Holly is a Harvard educated detective with a heartbreaking back story. She is determined to solve the case along with her partner. As the follow the clues, it becomes apparent, that they are dealing with a ruthless killer.

Georgia is another dancer who is helping Holly with the investigation. She can provide insight and background which may be helpful when tracking down leads.

This story is told through various POV's and tells not only the stories of the dancers, but of the police officers as well. This is a taunt mystery which will also educate readers on some of the in's and outs of stripping and the guidelines clubs follow.

I enjoyed this audiobook and the story. I appreciated the interview with the author at the end when she shared her experiences as a dancer and what inspired her to write this book. This was a nicely paced character driven book.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[Whitney Erwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this is an amazing debut novel! Marie Rutkoski knocked it out of the park. This book has a lot of topics that may be triggering for some but it was done so well and I loved it! The stipper storyline is what drew me to this book because I was honestly curious and it sounded so interesting. You do learn about the world of stripping and all the ins and outs of strip clubs in this book which fascinated me. There is so much more to this book though. The suspense draws you in and keeps you turning the pages. The multiple POVs in the book was done perfectly! All the characters were very well developed and well rounded. Overall, this was an intriguing read! It definitely exceeded my expectations. I will be reading any other future books by this author.

Thank you Net Galley and Henry Holt Publishers for a gifted copy in return for my honest review.

[Kaceey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5🌟
Set in a strip club in the late 90’s. The author takes you back stage, behind the curtains, and into the homes and lives of the dancers. Their dreams turning into fears as two of their own from the club go missing one night. Are any of them safe? Can they even trust each other at this point?

Great premise, right!? The potential for this book was off the charts!

Listening to the audio, I enjoyed the narration. But had a lot of trouble keeping the dancers straight. Only a few really stood out among the others. I kept mixing them up all the way through to the end.🤦‍♀️

Overall, the storyline failed to grab me as much as I had hoped.

[Susan (on hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy Duz It.

This was NOT easy as detective Holly Meylin begins investigating the murder of one strip club dancer and the disappearance of another. Facing blowback from her own co-workers, she’s racing time to find the missing woman and discover who’s at fault.

This had unexpected cadence as one dancer’s beautiful relationship with her fiance’s young daughter caught me off guard while reading this.

Unable to have children of her own, Samantha’s devotion to connecting with Rosie and being the mom she never had was both melancholy and surprisingly emotional. I reached for the Kleenex box a few times thinking that I’d underestimated the book and its depth.

Contrasting the empathetic characterisation of the dancers is the rawness depicted by police and club patrons. Realistic language and exposure to some perverse thought patterns and actions aren’t sugar coated here. Just saying so you’ll be prepared for a couple of “ewww” and “yuk” mentions. However, they’re brief and there’s no descriptive violence.

I just don’t understand the title.

The only thing I could think of was that Easy E was still playing in clubs in 1999 even though he’d passed several years earlier. I’ll watch for future reviews and see what others have to say...

In the meantime, I’d like to thank the publisher Henry Colt & Co, Marie Rutkoski, and NetGalley for my advanced electronic copy. Publishes on January 18, 2022

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my. This is dark, dark, dark, and I enjoyed it! 1999- what a year! Samantha is working at the Lovely Lady, a strip club. She usually doesn’t make time for others, but the new girl pulls all her heartstrings. She starts showing her the ropes around the club, and then a death happens.

Holly is the detective on the case who calls on Georgia, another dancer, for help. The story is interesting in that the reader hears from many points-of-view as the investigation takes place.

I read that the author was a dancer previously, which added authenticity. Real Easy is a unique and fresh story, one that kept me captivated and invested in its outcome. It’s got a great balance of plot and characters as well.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time spent with this thriller and can’t wait for what’s next from this author.

I received a gifted copy.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I received a free copy of this book. In exchange here is my honest review:

This was a good thriller- seeing as I didn’t guess “who done it”. 🤓 Definitely not suitable for those who are young and/or wholesome folk- as the majority of the backdrop takes place in a strip club.

Thank you @goodreads @marierutkoski and @henryholtbooks #goodreadsgiveaway

[Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Champagne...glitter...and dollar bills...all the things that make up the Lovely Lady....well not all the things.

So this book can be broke down into two parts for me...the parts away from the Lovely Lady and the parts that took place in the club. Unfortunately I did not care for the parts in the club...it was way more graphic than I had hoped for.

Outside of the club..the mystery of the disappearing dancer held my full attention as there were so many suspects. The actual storyline of the missing girl was terrifying, disturbing and well...fantastic! However the "noise" of the club scene and the raunchy language...really took away from the actual mystery portion of the book for me.

That being said...almost everyone I am friends with on Goodreads gave this 5 stars. So this may just be a case of this is me not you. I am still glad that I read this because I needed to see what all the hype was about!

Thank you so much to Henry Holt books for my gifted copy. While this wasn't the perfect fit for me...we can't love them all...it has been a win for many, many others!

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not much for mysteries but once in a while I want to read one and am often disappointed. The angle here for me was the strip club setting. I thought I'd learn some interesting things about strippers and, based on reviews, get immersed in a compelling read that would divert my attention. But it didn't: my attention was focused on how dull it is. If I'd known how it unfolds and who the perp is I'd have DNF'd.

The story isn't interesting. The prose is dull and the number of characters given narrative voice is excessive and the constantly changing viewpoints add nothing. The mystery isn't focused so it's not compelling and definitely not a page-turner. All of the preceding are part but not all because it's not well-written.

Here is one woman's thoughts at the funeral of a murdered co-worker:

[She, no spoilers] is torn between approval of the parents for bringing their families, and thinking that it is wrong to treat a funeral like a trip to the museum, as though the boyfriend and his daughter and the aging parents are a wax tableaux behind glass, primitive people with no known language, scraping flint for fire.

Huh? And:

It makes her impatient, the way people think that a stripper must be some cracked-out whore, like no good woman ever took off her clothes for practical reasons. What is marriage, half the time?

What?

Without exciting or even competent plotting, without suspense with increasing stakes and a group of engaging suspects swimming in red herrings, the only way I was invested in Real Easy is that I paid for it.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Marie Rutkoski's Real Easy may be my favorite character-driven, dark, procedural that I've heard in a long time. Both character-driven stories and police procedurals tend to be hit or miss with me, so the fact that this book is both and that I loved it, is HUGE.

The story takes place in 1999, mainly at a strip club named Lovely Lady, located outside of Chicago. In this story, we get a ton of characters, but the ones who shine are the dancers at Lovely Lady. Samantha (or Ruby as her patrons know her as) is one of the top money makers at the strip club and she has both competition and admirers in both the other performers and those who pay to watch. The club's newest dancer, Jolene / Lady Jade, begins to Samantha in high regard and Samantha takes her under her wing to help out. One night, Samantha takes Lady Jade home for her and that decision ends up causing irreparable damage.

I don't want to give too much about the story, especially the characters, because the major appeal of this books is the character development that the author provides. I really loved the topics of sexuality and gender, as well as the social dynamics between sex workers/exotic dancers, and those who pass judgement. Samantha is an amazing character, but I also really enjoyed all of the other characters at the Lovely Lady. It takes awhile before you will get all of them accounted for, but once you do, you'll be able to stay on track. There's a lot of POVs in this book, so take it easy and you'll be able to catch on.

I think this book worked for me because it was the perfect balance between mystery and procedural—we aren't bogged down by detective politics too long, but we are also given a lot of insight into the case. Real Easy is the perfect balance of crime fiction, mystery, and social commentary. I'll be thinking about this book for awhile.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book goes well beyond the “stripper with a heart of gold” cliche to deliver a suspenseful, beautifully written story with interesting and well-drawn characters.

The story takes place primarily at the Lovely Lady strip club, home to an assortment of very interesting and multi-layered women who happen to take their clothes off for a living. I was so drawn to the very interesting, kind, and complicated character of Samantha, a beautiful stripper who is revealed to have a chromosomal abnormality. She deals with her “syndrome” (as she tells us it is called), her boyfriend’s jealousy around her job, and her deep love for her boyfriend’s child Rosie - a dream come true for her as her syndrome made it impossible to have children of her own. It has been awhile since I have been as invested in a main character as I was by Samantha, who was uniquely voiced in the book and also ably voiced and acted by the audiobook narrator.

Not a happy tale here - because someone is murdering women, and death comes to the Lovely Lady in a tragic way that really affected me. Much as I want to talk about the pivotal murder, I won’t spoil it because it was truly shocking and upsetting to me to read. With the main location of the book being a strip club with a number of unsavory patrons, there is no shortage of suspects for the murderer, who we learn has been perfecting his exceptionally creepy serial killing for awhile now.

Though we also meet Holly, the detective investigating the case, the women of the Lovely Lady are the stars of this book and I was extremely impressed by the complexity and care with which they were drawn as characters by the author, completely avoiding stripper stereotypes in favor of a cast of compelling, varied, and interesting women.

I really enjoyed being immersed in this plot and getting to know all the characters, and found Rutkoski’s writing to be more literary and thoughtful than one usually finds in this genre. Really glad to have had the chance to read this book and will definitely be reading more from this author.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this interesting and well-narrated read. 4.5 stars.

[Tatiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I feel like every YA author who wants to break into adult market thinks the best way to do it is by writing something sordid and dark and out of character, and Marie Rutkoski is no different. I am not going to lie, I picked this up for the strip club setting, and those parts were the most compelling, which is no surprise as the author has drawn on her personal experience as a dancer. But overall Real Easy is a weak mystery with 10 too many POVs. Rutkoski should have stuck with 2 or 3 and developed them better. As is, the story often felt superficial and spread too thin covering people I had no interest in and who played minimal roles in the narrative.

Rounding up for all times' sake. It was occasionally interesting and sated some of my curiosity. Not sure if I needed to know what "skunking" was, but now I do, so there is that.

[Rachel L · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars

Full disclosure, I listened to about 60% of the audiobook, heard something I didn’t like, googled spoilers, and promptly dnf’d this book. But, I feel I invested enough time to give it a rating. I loved the Winner’s Circle trilogy by Rutkowski so I was excited when she wrote this adult thriller. I had no idea she worked as a stripper before and her knowledge of the industry really showed in this book, those parts were very interesting. Where she lost me is a personal preference, I hate when characters are developed just for them to die very shortly afterwards. That and the multiple POVs just really bugged me. This was one of my biggest letdown books because I was really excited to read it.

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Did you hear?”

“About what?”

“Cops found a girl by the side of the road. She’d been dead awhile. They ID’d her real easy, though, on account of her tits.”

“What? What do you mean, her tits?”

“Implants, duh.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Implants have serial numbers. Police traced them. Better than dental records.”



Boy was this an unexpected surprise! The FOMO is 100% to blame for me putting my name on the library wait list for Real Easy after it started making its way across the ‘Gram prior to Pub Day. Per usual, I didn’t bother reading anything about it before deciding I had a mighty neeeeeeeeed – I just requested it and waited. Once my turn finally came around I did end up taking a gander at the blurb and discovered this was going to be a mystery set around a . . . .



What I didn’t know was that the murder stuff would end up taking a backburner to the life of the club in general. And that was not a bad thing. The year is 1999. “Ruby” and others all shake their moneymakers at the Lovely Lady. When one of the newbies takes a hit of something (whether by her own hand or via a roofie is unknown at the time), Ruby offers to take her home in hopes that she will avoid getting shitcanned by the boss for breaking his anti-drug policy. That ride proves to be quite the eventful one with the car ran off the road and only one of the two bodies discovered. What follows is the whodunit told via “Gigi” (another dancer), Holly (a detective) and a bevy of others. Don’t let the multiple narrators scare you off – it never got confusing for me. They are utilized strictly to propel the action forward and the person present at the scene in question is the one doing the “telling” so the reader doesn’t miss out on any of the action. And the action????

“Please let me go. This isn’t you.” He was quiet behind her.

“This is my most me.”

Um, yes please.

I recently have become addicted to all things Law and Order: SVU (nothing like being more than 20 years late to a party, amIright?). Real Easy read much like one of those episodes I can’t get enough of.



Extremely satisfying.

[CarolG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samantha (stage name Ruby), Jolene (stage name Lady Jade), and Georgia (stage name Gigi), are just a few of the dancers in 1999 at the Lovely Lady, a strip club near Chicago. Samantha grudgingly takes the newest dancer, Jolene, under her wing and, when she appears to be under the influence of drugs at the club, Samantha volunteers to drive her home. Samantha isn't seen again although Jolene's body is found near the scene of an accident involving Samantha's car.

The story is told from multiple points of view including a few of the dancers, the police detectives searching for Samantha and an unknown "Him". This is an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the club life of the dancers as well as a peek into some of their home lives and backgrounds. The characters are well depicted and the story held my attention throughout. Personally I wouldn't classify this as a thriller, more of a character study with a mystery thrown in, although it did get pretty tense towards the end. I recommend this book with the warning that there's some strong language and graphic descriptions.

Thanks to the London Public Library for the loan of this book.

[Frank Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness, did this book surprise me!! What a wonderful, unexpected surprise it was indeed! To know that Real Easy was Rutkoski's debut novel, made this read even that much more impressive to me. Welcome to my ever growing favorite authors list, Mrs. Rutkoski!!!
This novel takes place in 1999, and primarily set at the Lovely Lady Strip Club. Initially we meet Samantha (who goes by Ruby at the club), who is a wonderfully complex character and much more than your average stripper. She was born with a chromosomal disorder, requiring daily medication and resulting in her inability to conceive children. Luckily for her, her sometimes jealous and abusive boyfriend, Nick, already has a young daughter named Rosie, who she is helplessly head over heels in love with. Balancing her work/private life is a feat Samantha has always been successful at, but then the LL hires a new girl named Jolene. Jolene is a wallflower, and definitely not the most successful dancer the LL has ever had, and there's just something incredibly vulnerable about her. With that being said, Ruby can't help but feel for her and feel compelled to help the younger, clueless dancer out. As fate would have it, the one time she crosses the self-imposed line between work and personal life to help her, she encounters a darkness that very well may put her life at risk!
The book begins with Samantha's perspective and follows her up until the night she comes to Jolene's aid, and then shifts to many other perspectives, including that of fellow dancer Georgia, detectives Victor Amador and Holly Meylin, and our antagonist only known has 'Him.' While it initially took me some time to get everyone down, I did eventually enjoy the insight into each character, leading to a richly character-driven and incredibly atmospheric mystery I could not put down! With the number of perspectives offered, I really had no clue as to who our bad guy was, up until the very last couple of chapters, so very well done Rutkoski!!
While reading this, I experienced a whirlwind of emotions as each character was uniquely flawed while also empathetic to the extent I really wanted to just reach through the pages and hug a couple of them and let them know it would all be okay! This is an incredible accomplishment and led me to the understanding that this was very much more than your average suspense/mystery/thriller. There very emotionally heavy moments, then some incredibly dark and graphic moments, as well as some 'Rated R' adult moments, followed by incredibly funny moments a few pages later! Needless to say, when I finished that last sentence I really needed to set back and take a deep breath and absorb what I just read!

I recommend this to my fellow thriller/suspense fanatics with the caution that this might be an emotional investment you aren't fully prepared for - in the best way possible!

Phenomenal job Rutkoski, I simply can't wait to read your next novel!!

[Brandice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samantha is a dancer at the Lovely Lady strip club. She’s good at her job but keeps some distance with others including her coworkers. After long nights of work, she returns home to her boyfriend and his daughter.

One night, a rookie dancer appears out of it and Samantha uncharacteristically volunteers to drive her home in order to prevent the girl from being fired for breaking club rules. This decision is fatal and the rest of the story follows the mystery of what happened that night.

Real Easy includes POVs from Samantha, detectives, and Georgia, another club dancer who finds herself entangled in the case. The story was well-written and I enjoyed the backstory provided on some characters. I stayed interested throughout the book for the reveal of what actually happened.

[Dutchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was such a good read. It is so very rare anymore to see such great character development. All characters were represented really well and had so much depth you couldn't help but get sucked in.

The story centers around two missing women from a local strip club. We then alternate POV's from basically everyone, which could be daunting at first but once you got into the novel it worked so well. The first chapter started backstage at a strip club from Samantha's point of view but there were so many characters I got lost….it was hard to decipher who was who and real names versus stage names. However, once it got going it was easy to put that behind me and just follow what was going on. As I've said multiple POV's…like a TON…..but it worked so well. It wasn't the usual Person A chapter to Person B to Person A again….it was EVERYONE. Which really worked so well.

This wouldn't be my typical read but has to be one of the best ones I read recently. The mystery in my mind was in the back burner, it was more the characters that made this book really work for me.

On another note: the nostalgia again hit me. Second book in a row set in 90's!!!! Ditto Machine(as a kid I always sniffed the paper- yes I'm weird)…Tamagotchi and vision viewer!!!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Henry Holt & Company for my copy

[Derek · Rating 2 out of 5]

OUTLIER ALERT

Unfortunately, I did not find Real Easy to be a real easy read. I struggled with the narrative decision and the enormous cast of characters that rivals Game of Thrones in size despite being thousands of pages shorter (/sarcasm).

Clocking in right at 300 pages, the author uses over a dozen unique POVs to tell this story. In each POV an attempt is made to provide some personal background or character development. I usually LOVE character-driven pieces. But the problem here is there are over a dozen backstories where most are irrelevant and play no role in driving the story forward. Each background supplied even more characters to keep straight - kids, spouses, ex's, lovers, cousins, sick parents, etc. But knowing all this information never paid off.

One POV we're treated to was someone who discovered a dead body. Four pages of backstory for a one-and-done character that could've been edited down to a single sentence.

Many of the characters are strippers who have stage names, real names, and even nicknames people use for them. So now we have a large cast, many of whom have three names that the author used interchangeably. It was a lot to juggle.

Sadly there wasn't enough time to get to know anyone, despite there being possibilities for real gems - Samantha, Georgia, and Holly.

80% of this was mostly useless character backstories.
20% a dull, linear mystery with no thrills or twists.

This could be a timing thing - maybe I wasn't focused enough at the time reading this 🤷‍♂️

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This review was first posted on Mystery and Suspense. Check it out for features, interviews, and reviews. https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/re...


It's 1999 and Samantha Lind lives in Fremont, just outside Chicago, with her boyfriend Nick Sullivan and his daughter Rosie.



Samantha takes Rosie out for silver dollar pancakes, picks Rosie up from school, helps Rosie with homework, and thinks of Rosie as her own daughter.



Using the stage name Ruby, Samantha also works in a club called the Lovely Lady.....



.....where she strips and dances for men who pay her and stuff tips in her garter.



Nick is disgruntled about Samantha's job, saying it makes him feel small, but - since Nick is currently unemployed - Samantha's work pays the bills.



Samantha and the other dancers at the Lovely Lady, who have different backgrounds and lifestyles, aren't really friends. However they talk and gossip in the dressing room while they get ready for work.



When a new girl called Jolene comes in for a shift, chitchat about a dead girl found at the side of the road - and jokes about the killer frequenting the Lovely Lady - make her jittery.



Samantha tells Jolene it's just a stripper ghost story, but Samantha is spooked as well, and starts to look at her clients more warily.

After that Samantha takes newbie Jolene under her wing, giving the girl advice about makeup, stripper shoes, and how to make money at the club.



Then one night Jolene gets high and can't finish her shift. This is a firing offense, but Samantha tells the boss, Dale, that someone must have drugged Jolene. Samantha offers to drive Jolene home, and Dale gives Samantha the address.



The next morning, Samantha's car is found in a ditch, Jolene's body is discovered nearby, and Samantha is missing.



Detective Victor Amador and his partner Detective Holly Meylin catch the case, and proceed to interview Samantha's boyfriend Nick, relatives of the girls, employees of the Lovely Lady, clientele of the club, etc.



The police suspect the perpetrator patronizes the Lucky Lady and Holly asks a stripper called Georgia (stage name Gigi) to be a Confidential Informant and report anything suspicious. Georgia resists the idea but, with the correct incentive, decides to help.



Most of the story is told from the rotating points of view of the main protagonists, including Samantha; Georgia; Detective Victor Amador; Detective Holly Meylin; Samantha's boyfriend Nick; Nick's daughter Rosie; and the killer. There are also snippets from other dancers and a bouncer, who provide a sense of what it's like to work in a strip club.



At the Lucky Lady, after every shift, a stripper has to pay sixty dollars to the house, forty to the bouncers, twenty to the deejay, and twenty to the house mom - all of which provides incentive to coax lots of money from the customers. The customers, in turn, range from men out for a little entertainment to perverts.



As the narrative unfolds we learn that Samantha has a genetic condition that precludes childbirth; Detective Victor Amador knows a superior officer is corrupt; Detective Holly Meylin is mourning the death of her baby son; Georgia planned to attend college until her mother got dementia; Dale assiduously keeps the club running and on the right side of the law; and more.

The strip club provides an intriguing background to this thriller, which has unexpected twists and a dramatic climax.

The author, Marie Rutkoski, worked as a stripper to pay off student loans, and her first-hand knowledge of the job is evident in the book.

Thanks to Netgalley, Marie Rutkoski, and Henry Holt & Company for a copy of the book.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com

[Shawna Finnigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW// sexual assault, murder, car crash, dementia, child loss, mentions of racism, cheating, physical punishment/child abuse, domestic violence, d-slur, mentions of cheating, mention of teen pregnancy, mention of animal death, ableism

I’m sorry in advance if there’s any typos in this. My dog passed away today but I wanted to write this review while the thoughts are still fresh in my head so this probably won’t be my best written review.

I have lots of mixed feelings about this book. It was hard to decide on a star rating because of my mixed feelings, but I feel like three stars is fairly accurate. It was just an okay read. It was successful in terms of accomplishing its goals of being an interesting thriller but there were several things that kept pulling me out of the story.

Let’s start with the good things before I dive into my criticisms.

This thriller left me eager to know what would happen next and I wasn’t able to guess the killer until the very end. It’s clear that the story was well thought out with lots of attention paid to all the little details of the murder case.

I liked Gigi/Georgia as a character. She was really fun to read about and she brought an interesting dynamic to the dancers at the strip club. The other characters weren’t really my cup of tea, but I’d gladly read another book that simply follows Gigi’s life.

I also thought it was cool how Marie decided to include an intersex character as one of the main characters. It gave me insight into what being intersex is like and how intersex people are discriminated against.

Now onto my issues with this book.

There were way too many characters and from reading other people’s reviews, it’s clear that I’m not the only one who noticed this. This book now holds the record of the most points of view that I’ve ever read in one book and that isn’t a good thing. There were so many characters that I had troubles keeping track of who’s who. To add on to that, each dancer had a real name and a dancer name that you had to keep track of. Also, some of the character’s points of views that were included were so irrelevant to the storyline that it pulled me out of the story completely. If the number of characters had been cut down or at least if the number of points of view were cut down, this book would’ve been a lot better.

And then my biggest issue with this book that you’ll know is coming if you’ve been reading my updates… there were tons of disgusting scenes that were randomly included just for shock effect. Part of me wonders if these “shockers” were in there because this was Marie’s first adult book? Maybe she felt like she had to include explicit adult content in order for it to be considered a proper adult book? I’m not sure, but regardless, I was gagging at some of the scenes and I kept having to put my book down and say “wtf” because they were that bad. I’ll include some of them in a spoiler tag because they are very adult and explicit. These won’t include any major spoilers. If you’re a minor, please don’t read the spoiler tag. I may regret typing these out but here goes:

A man paid a dancer to fart in his face.

A man masturbates into jars with different women’s names in them. He then keeps those jars (some that are filled to the brim with cum) in his refrigerator.

Characters talk about when they first started masturbating at ages as young as eight. One describes using a glass grape.

A mother who is traveling to the city where her daughter is currently missing describes her boobs feeling like she’s breastfeeding again. She’s on a plane surrounded by other people and all her other commentary revolves around her daughter being missing except for the boob thought.

A boyfriend has a worried internal dialogue about his missing girlfriend but then he randomly feels the need describe the sex positions that he used with her.

“If I had a normal woman’s body, Samantha thought, the egg that would become Rosie would have been inside me even when I was a baby growing inside my own mother.”



As you can see, I liked parts of this book while I hated others. I’d have to say that this book is mostly mediocre, but I can see why some people would love it and why some people would hate it. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if the synopsis catches your attention, it’s worth giving it a try.

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 4 out of 5]

A packed audiobook! The narrator did a good job with voices and tones. Some parts were thrilling especially near the end when the killer was about to be found out. I liked that there’s a view of the killer. There seemed to be new character introductions every other chapter which I didn’t care for and frankly wane my interest. I don’t mind more details to 3-5 views but there seemed to be as many as 15 views. I would want to know the killer’s intent every step of the way including his feelings and thoughts during the kill and disposal instead of learning more about additional side characters. I thought Holly’s mystery with her kid repeated a bit often. I enjoyed the interview with the author at the end of the audiobook. I understand her reasons for multiple characters but I would rather have more detailed information of the main characters.


This story started with Samantha (Ruby) as she worked as a dancer at the club. She was working on Rudy to earn a few bucks. Then she went home to her boyfriend Nick and his daughter Rosie, 8. Later she was invited by a client to hang out with him at a casino for extra money. Nick was upset and choked her. Samantha made $1k a night. She noticed the new girl Jolene struggle in this job so she helped showed her the way. Samantha was born with a syndrome where she’s half man and half woman and needed to take hormones pills. One night Jolene was drugged at work and Samantha offered to take her home. A car followed them. The second view was Georgia (Gigi). She also danced at the club. She used her mom’s sickness as her excuse but her mom actually died already. The third view was Detective Victor. The fourth view was Holly. Holly worked with detective Victor. Jolene was left for dead and Samantha was kidnapped. The fifth view was Melody. Her mom Sasha danced at the club. The sixth view was Him. The man called to talk to Rosie. There were many other minor views of different dancers and police officers. The detectives job was to find out where Samantha is after they found Jolene’s body.


Real Easy is a mystery thriller focusing around a strip club and its dancers. Then there were stories of women left for dead and a killer is on the loose. There was an attempt from the killer wanting to do pedophile but there weren’t any physical activities besides a phone call. One dancer fall for someone but it seemed sudden because there weren’t months of longing. There was a hint of family abuse between boyfriend to girlfriend and mother to daughter. There was date rape drugs and imperfect police. I have read two YA fantasy series from the author and loved it so despite not enjoying this mystery thriller as much as the fantasies, I would still read her next book.

Detailed review posted on my blog at www.Howusefulitis.com

Many thanks to Henry Holt, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

[Rachel the Page-Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d waited so long to read this, and it was definitely worth the wait. This was a good old-fashioned suspense/thriller that I liked a lot … when I first read the synopsis, I knew I would!

The dancers at the Lovely Lady strip club come and go, so when a fresh new face starts, nobody bothers to help her out except Samantha (stage name, Ruby). One night when the owner finds out that the new girl (stage name, Jade) is on drugs, he fires her, and Samantha offers to take the incapacitated girl home. On the way, things take a deadly turn, and the rest of the story is a murder mystery.

The story is told from multiple POVs: Our main character of course, but also several of the women she worked with at the club, and some of the detectives working the case. To me, the best part of the book wasn’t the story itself (though it was a really good one), but the characters. They were all written very well, with a look into lives of all of these people who have quite unconventional professions.

This book was quickly-paced, investing and had an exciting ending. I can’t really think of any complaints - okay, one minor complaint: I don’t see the need for the main character’s medical condition to be in the story. I understand the inclusion factor, but it didn’t really add much to the plot. This one wasn’t anything that blew my mind, but I really enjoyed it. A solid four stars for a book that was “Real Easy” to like (sorry, I couldn’t help myself).

(Thank you to Henry Holt & Company, Marie Rutkoski, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

[Jordan (Jordy’s Book Club) · Rating 5 out of 5]

QUICK TAKE: completely blown away by this story about the dancers at a Chicago men's night club and the man stalking them. The writing is electric and powerful, the characters each fully-developed, and the back half is perfectly paced and thrilling. For sure one of the best books I've read so far this year. I can't recommend it enough!