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The Smart One: A Bold and Heartbreaking Mystery About Three Sisters, Family Lies, and Murder
Bev is the Smart One, who finally leaves her artistic ambitions in chalk dust (and her humor-impaired husband in the arms—and legs—of his nubile protégée) to become a schoolteacher. Clare is the Pretty One, who married well and seems to be living a designer version of the suburban dream. Joey is the Wild One, struggling to stay clean and sober now that she's used up her fifteen minutes of fame as a one-hit-wonder rock star. They love each other but mix like oil, water, and hundred-proof gin . . . a combination that threatens to combust over family tensions, suspected infidelities, a devastating accident, a stunning confession, and the sudden reappearance of their handsome, now all-grown-up former neighbor, Kenny Waxman, who's back in town making his mark as a TV comedy writer. It seems they'll never understand where their differences begin and their own destructive tendencies end. Then it happens: the sisters discover a decades-old body stuffed inside an industrial drum and begin a bold, heartbreaking, and sometimes hilarious journey that will either bring them together . . . or tear them apart for good.
384 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2008
16 people are currently reading
544 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Meister
17 books542 followersThank you for visiting my Goodreads page. I'm proud to announce that my newest novel, JOYRIDE, was selected by Zibby Owens as one of the most anticipated books of 2025. DIVORCE TOWERS, which was featured in People Magazine, won an award for Best Escapist Novel, and was selected for Zibby's Ultimate Summer Reading List as well as Newsday's Summer Reads. My other books include TAKE MY HUSBAND which received a starred review from Booklist, THE ROOFTOP PARTY, which was called "wickedly entertaining" by BookReporter and was selected by Long Island Woman Magazine as Summer Pick of the year, as well as LOVE SOLD SEPARATELY, DOROTHY PARKER DRANK HERE, FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER, THE OTHER LIFE, THE SMART ONE, and SECRET CONFESSIONS OF THE APPLEWOOD PTA. In addition to being a novelist, I'm an editor, screenwriter, book coach, creative writing instructor, and ghostwriter. For more information visit ellenmeister.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
November 20, 2012
I didn't understand a lot of the supposedly "chicklitty" type of behavior. The sister has sex with a man her other sister is intersted in so that the interested sister doesn't have sex with said man and cheat on her husband. Wow that's a pretty intimate act to "save" your sister. The main character also has sex with a man with a "rage" problem that doesn't understand the word "no" turning it into a "rape" issue. Not amusing or cute in my opinion.
November 29, 2008
After unsuccessfully trying to read Gone With the Wind for 6 weeks straight, I picked this book up at the library purely by it's cover. I needed some good and easy chic lit, but ended up being pleasently surprised. The author's ability to tell a story was beautiful, and I found myself unable to put the book down. It was everything a good story needs: romance, a murder, family feud's, and the realization that you really can go home again.
April 27, 2009
I waited a LONG time to get this book. My husband ordered it from Copperfield's Books for Valentine's Day.
The first thing that intrigued me about this book is it's about three sisters. As a sister who was considered "The Smart One" by my teachers (although my mother kept reminding me "The Talented One" had a much higher IQ than I did, although she did not apply herself), I immediately identified with Bev who is 35 and a compulsive failure. But how can she not be a failure when the whole world expects nothing less than the best from her?
I read an excellent article in MORE magazine almost a year ago about overachievers and phenoms who encounter a mid-life crisis once they discover they have grown up to become ordinary individuals. They did not enter the Football Hall of Fame or win the Pulitzer or an Academy Award. They may have a list of achievements but nothing that would warrant a headline in a newspaper. And they feel like failures. That's how the story opens with Bev feeling like a failure.
But her sisters also feel the limitations of their own lives and encounter their own crises.
Ultimately, the novel explores the juxtaposition of how others view us and how we view ourselves.
It is an excellent book for women (and men) who want to enjoy an entertaining read while learning a bit about themselves and their relationships with those they love.
The first thing that intrigued me about this book is it's about three sisters. As a sister who was considered "The Smart One" by my teachers (although my mother kept reminding me "The Talented One" had a much higher IQ than I did, although she did not apply herself), I immediately identified with Bev who is 35 and a compulsive failure. But how can she not be a failure when the whole world expects nothing less than the best from her?
I read an excellent article in MORE magazine almost a year ago about overachievers and phenoms who encounter a mid-life crisis once they discover they have grown up to become ordinary individuals. They did not enter the Football Hall of Fame or win the Pulitzer or an Academy Award. They may have a list of achievements but nothing that would warrant a headline in a newspaper. And they feel like failures. That's how the story opens with Bev feeling like a failure.
But her sisters also feel the limitations of their own lives and encounter their own crises.
Ultimately, the novel explores the juxtaposition of how others view us and how we view ourselves.
It is an excellent book for women (and men) who want to enjoy an entertaining read while learning a bit about themselves and their relationships with those they love.
May 30, 2025
Tremendous, "edge of your seat" story. Lots of twists and turns.
A great "who did it" story. Kept. Me guessing throughout the book. Everyone seemed to have a motive.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes, loving families, and some liars as well. There was enough love and concerned folks, but, also those who were good at keeping secrets. The ending REALLY surprised me!
A great "who did it" story. Kept. Me guessing throughout the book. Everyone seemed to have a motive.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes, loving families, and some liars as well. There was enough love and concerned folks, but, also those who were good at keeping secrets. The ending REALLY surprised me!
August 17, 2018
This read like it was the author’s first attempt at a murder-mystery, and I didn’t love it. The twists and turns were frequently too obvious.
Also the main love interest likely sexually assaulted the main character, but we’re supposed to think he’s a good guy. No.
Also the main love interest likely sexually assaulted the main character, but we’re supposed to think he’s a good guy. No.
November 1, 2018
I really enjoyed the characters and the Long Island setting. I grew up there so all the local details really brought me back! The author also has a sharp eye and the jokes throughout the book are great!
March 8, 2020
A book about sisters and their perceived role in their family. Plus, some neighborhood intrigue. The idea of role within the family interested me. I see it in myself, though not to the extremes in this book.
February 11, 2017
This book was a crazy mess packed into a spaghetti bowl. To much mess going on at one time with everyone with a murder mystery there to tie it all together. Not my cup of tea.
July 2, 2018
I loved The I
Other Life but this book was disorganized, weak plot, poorly written. It needed a good editor. Ellen Meister is a wonderful storyteller.
Other Life but this book was disorganized, weak plot, poorly written. It needed a good editor. Ellen Meister is a wonderful storyteller.
September 21, 2021
This was just ok
January 19, 2024
great Ellen Meister!!
April 8, 2024
This was a very disjointed story with multiple different stories happening. The characters were not very deep and the multiple stories seemed far fetched.
July 31, 2008
Are we destined to live out our childhood labels? In Ellen Meister’s new book, “The Smart One,” three sisters battle to become more than their childhood identities. There’s Clare, “the pretty one,” and eldest sister; there’s Joey, “the wild one,” and youngest of the brood, and then there’s Bev, the middle daugher, “the smart one,” of the title. In this novel, they both do battle and express love for each other (two sides of the sisterly coin) as each sister seeks to find what will make her happy,
Add to their saga, the return of the next door neighbor’s son, Kenny (once a source of contention between Joey and Bev) and the discovery of an industrial drum containing a dead body, and everything gets even more complicated among the sisters. Then there are the personal dramas. For Clare, it is a lack of fulfillment from her role as “the perfect mother.” She wants more from her life and marriage, but all she’s ever been known for is her beauty. That too, seems to be slipping away with time. For Joey, a one-hit wonder rock star, the main battle is to maintain a clean life after her struggles with drug addiction. In addition, Joey is searching for a new purpose and career, and reinventing her rock star persona is not the answer.
Largely, however, the story focuses on Bev, who seems to be having the biggest personal crisis. Even as she seeks to support her sisters‘ search for happiness, she’s also trying to escape them. Besieged by feelings of failure, Bev cannot help but feel that she has disappointed everyone. Reeling from the effects of divorce and a failed career in the arts, she finally thinks she may have found the answer in teaching. Still, family expectations (as well as Bev’s own) are so high that taking on a job like elementary school teacher seems a disappointing choice from someone with so much promise.
The irony of the story, of course, is that Bev may not be as smart about her life, her romantic liaisons, and her family relations as she thinks. Ultimately it is her loving sisters who show her just what can bring her peace and happiness. It’s the sisterly relations that are the core of the story and what holds the book together. Author Ellen Meister seems to give mixed signals in the romance department, however. One potential beau for Bev just seems to drop from the picture, and the guy she does end up with doesn’t necessarily seem the best choice, based on an incident from the past that, to this reader, seemed like rape. It appears that Bev still has something to learn about good choices before she can be called “the smart one."
Add to their saga, the return of the next door neighbor’s son, Kenny (once a source of contention between Joey and Bev) and the discovery of an industrial drum containing a dead body, and everything gets even more complicated among the sisters. Then there are the personal dramas. For Clare, it is a lack of fulfillment from her role as “the perfect mother.” She wants more from her life and marriage, but all she’s ever been known for is her beauty. That too, seems to be slipping away with time. For Joey, a one-hit wonder rock star, the main battle is to maintain a clean life after her struggles with drug addiction. In addition, Joey is searching for a new purpose and career, and reinventing her rock star persona is not the answer.
Largely, however, the story focuses on Bev, who seems to be having the biggest personal crisis. Even as she seeks to support her sisters‘ search for happiness, she’s also trying to escape them. Besieged by feelings of failure, Bev cannot help but feel that she has disappointed everyone. Reeling from the effects of divorce and a failed career in the arts, she finally thinks she may have found the answer in teaching. Still, family expectations (as well as Bev’s own) are so high that taking on a job like elementary school teacher seems a disappointing choice from someone with so much promise.
The irony of the story, of course, is that Bev may not be as smart about her life, her romantic liaisons, and her family relations as she thinks. Ultimately it is her loving sisters who show her just what can bring her peace and happiness. It’s the sisterly relations that are the core of the story and what holds the book together. Author Ellen Meister seems to give mixed signals in the romance department, however. One potential beau for Bev just seems to drop from the picture, and the guy she does end up with doesn’t necessarily seem the best choice, based on an incident from the past that, to this reader, seemed like rape. It appears that Bev still has something to learn about good choices before she can be called “the smart one."
August 28, 2008
The Smart One?
The main thing this book has going for it is the strong writing skills of the author, Ellen Meister. She has a knack for believable, natural dialog and good timing when it comes to humor. It's a quick, easy read--a great way to pass time on an airplane, which is where I got through most of this novel.
This is the story of Bev, the "smart one" of three sisters. Her older sister, Clare is the pretty one and her younger sister, Joey, is the wild one. If anything, Meister nails the common stereotypes of sibling labeling and relationships, and it's easy to believe these characters act the way they do in this story. Additionally there's the boy next door, Kenny, who is the funny one, I suppose--the angry youth turned studly romantic interest. He uses hackneyed humor to cope with his anger over a no-good father, whose past actions are central to the plot. Kenny's strings of jokes about little people and his behavior toward Bev really take his character over the top, making him highly unlikable. One wonders how "the smart one" can continue to want him.
Overall the story is predictable. I was able to predict nearly every plot point and would have preferred to be surprised. But I stuck with it because I enjoyed Meister's first book, Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA. The ease of her writing style made the hours I spent with this story a pleasant yet forgettable experience.
The main thing this book has going for it is the strong writing skills of the author, Ellen Meister. She has a knack for believable, natural dialog and good timing when it comes to humor. It's a quick, easy read--a great way to pass time on an airplane, which is where I got through most of this novel.
This is the story of Bev, the "smart one" of three sisters. Her older sister, Clare is the pretty one and her younger sister, Joey, is the wild one. If anything, Meister nails the common stereotypes of sibling labeling and relationships, and it's easy to believe these characters act the way they do in this story. Additionally there's the boy next door, Kenny, who is the funny one, I suppose--the angry youth turned studly romantic interest. He uses hackneyed humor to cope with his anger over a no-good father, whose past actions are central to the plot. Kenny's strings of jokes about little people and his behavior toward Bev really take his character over the top, making him highly unlikable. One wonders how "the smart one" can continue to want him.
Overall the story is predictable. I was able to predict nearly every plot point and would have preferred to be surprised. But I stuck with it because I enjoyed Meister's first book, Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA. The ease of her writing style made the hours I spent with this story a pleasant yet forgettable experience.
August 21, 2008
My mother always told me, "Friends may come and go, but a sister is forever." She had six sisters, so she knew what she was talking about. My father had four sisters and I have three. I grew up in a world of sisters and feel like I have a pretty good handle on sisterhood, and so does Ellen Meister.
At the core of her charming, thrilling, and often hilarious new book--The Smart One--are sisters. Three sisters to be exact--Bev, Clare, and Joey--each playing the role she thinks is expected of her. It seems the sisters hide behind these roles of smart, pretty, and wild, especially when they are together.
It is only when they bond together to try to solve a decades old mystery that they learn the truth about each other: and that is that they no longer need these labels. In fact, maybe they are all smart, pretty, and wild. What's most important is that they love each other and they are there for each other (even when irritated with each other).
Like Ellen herself, this book has a lot of heart and these characters will stick with you long after you have finished reading. Like sisters to you, they are forever.
Read this book.
At the core of her charming, thrilling, and often hilarious new book--The Smart One--are sisters. Three sisters to be exact--Bev, Clare, and Joey--each playing the role she thinks is expected of her. It seems the sisters hide behind these roles of smart, pretty, and wild, especially when they are together.
It is only when they bond together to try to solve a decades old mystery that they learn the truth about each other: and that is that they no longer need these labels. In fact, maybe they are all smart, pretty, and wild. What's most important is that they love each other and they are there for each other (even when irritated with each other).
Like Ellen herself, this book has a lot of heart and these characters will stick with you long after you have finished reading. Like sisters to you, they are forever.
Read this book.
June 28, 2009
I initially rated this book a 3, but it was just so addicting! It's an honest story, yet so unrealistic. I loved the characters. Very well thought out and believable. But the scenarios were a bit far fetched. Not necessarily impossible, but for all of those things to happen to a single group of people in succession like that? Highly unlikely.
But, alas, it was those improbable things that kept me coming back for more. It was such a captivating read. I honestly stayed home on Friday night just so I could finish it up. You really can just eat this up in one sitting. And anyone who has any type of sibling rivalry will absolutely enjoy it. In my family, I was am considered the "smart one". And my older sister is considered the "pretty one". So it very easy to grow attached to these characters simply because you feel for them.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good beach novel. You'll get some laughs in, some shocking plot twists, and a couple tears here and there. Ellen Meister knows how to keep you interested.
But, alas, it was those improbable things that kept me coming back for more. It was such a captivating read. I honestly stayed home on Friday night just so I could finish it up. You really can just eat this up in one sitting. And anyone who has any type of sibling rivalry will absolutely enjoy it. In my family, I was am considered the "smart one". And my older sister is considered the "pretty one". So it very easy to grow attached to these characters simply because you feel for them.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good beach novel. You'll get some laughs in, some shocking plot twists, and a couple tears here and there. Ellen Meister knows how to keep you interested.
August 16, 2012
I adored "The Smart One". I expected typical chick-lit, something fun for the beach, but it was so much more than that. Every character is very well-drawn and the story takes some twists and turns that made it hard for me to put the book down. I love movies and books that are like real life - some sadness, some happiness, high points, low points, laughter, and tears. This book has all of that. Although the plot is a bit outrageous, it was fun and interesting, and rang true enough that it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story.
Ms. Meister is a wonderful writer who brings her characters to life and has an enchanting way of telling a story. I was impressed with her creativity and imagination. This is one of the longer books I've read this summer, and I wish it could have been longer. It was fun to spend time with Bev (the smart one), her family, and friends. I eagerly look forward to reading more of Ms. Meister's work.
Ms. Meister is a wonderful writer who brings her characters to life and has an enchanting way of telling a story. I was impressed with her creativity and imagination. This is one of the longer books I've read this summer, and I wish it could have been longer. It was fun to spend time with Bev (the smart one), her family, and friends. I eagerly look forward to reading more of Ms. Meister's work.
June 16, 2016
The Smart One by Ellen Meister has been placed in my favourites bookshelf, where it will remain. Ellen Meister has become a favourite authors, I loved the way she wrote The Smart One, it was fresh, real, she had me from the start and I couldn't put it down until I read it through in one sitting. Loved the characters and all their flaws. The sisters were so human I was able to relate to each one like they were my friends. Loved the story, one thing for sure the title is misleading it makes it sound like your regular chick lit, this was not anything like a chick lit. It has depth and real emotions over family tragedy and overcoming obstacles like addition, and infidelity. Families that love each other forgive each other. Loved this book, I highly recommend others to read. First read Jan 27th 2014 retread June 16th 2016. Still a fantastic read. Second time through Library Request.
August 14, 2008
Meister's second novel is a blend of romance and mystery for the Bloomrosen girls. Bev, Clare and Joey's childhood roles have followed them to their adult interactions. Bev, the "smart one", is living in her parents house while waiting to hear about teaching opportunties. Their old neighbors, the Waxmans, have move fulltime to Florida and Bev is to keep an eye on things as the realtors begin showing the home. The first couple through notice an industrial barrel under the crawlspace of the home's addition and the sisters roll it out for the garbage, making a very grisly discovery. Could one of their neighbor's be a murderer? Each sister faces individual demons in the novel and together, they argue and make up only as sisters can.
September 25, 2008
The book started off okay, actually, it drew me in. There were the cliche's of trio sisters, the smart one, the beauty and the wild one.
the book explored the pitfalls of buying into the stereotypes, and the relationships that are harmed because of them within a family, as well as individually.
My gripe with the book as a whole is that when a story line (their were several) sought to bring attention to the pinnacle in said story line, it was generally, with a person ending up in the hospital, or at least needing medical attention.
Dad, mom, smart sister, wild sister, neighbors dad...they all required medical intervention for the author to highlight the "moment". It's a bit of a stretch, and seemed afternoon soap opera"ishy"
the book explored the pitfalls of buying into the stereotypes, and the relationships that are harmed because of them within a family, as well as individually.
My gripe with the book as a whole is that when a story line (their were several) sought to bring attention to the pinnacle in said story line, it was generally, with a person ending up in the hospital, or at least needing medical attention.
Dad, mom, smart sister, wild sister, neighbors dad...they all required medical intervention for the author to highlight the "moment". It's a bit of a stretch, and seemed afternoon soap opera"ishy"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2013
This book was about as delicious to read as the gooey, wonderful looking cupcakes on he cover! The story centers around 3 Jewish sisters from Long Island, the pretty one, the talented one, and of course, the smart one! The sisters Bev, Clare and Joey are real human beings, and the author paints them with love, humor and an artistic ease worthy of her protagonist. As much as they might fight, argue, and maybe want to kill or maim each other, they are never boring. Meister's prose seems effortless--testimony to how very well she writes--and her grasp of family dynamics is adept and rings true.
I enjoyed this book even more her first book, Confessions of the Applewood PTA--more mature and grounded, even while maintaining the same excellent sense of humor. Buy it; enjoy it; pass the word.
I enjoyed this book even more her first book, Confessions of the Applewood PTA--more mature and grounded, even while maintaining the same excellent sense of humor. Buy it; enjoy it; pass the word.
May 12, 2009
It's always nice to pick up a book and from page one, become involved in a new story without having to read too much background and detail before the plot is laid out. This book was like that for me. I really liked the main character, Rachel and the relationships with her sisters were very recognizable to me. Most of us have mixed feelings about our sisters, whether we admit it or not, while we love them, we also resent them and want to punch their faces at the same time or another. This book had a bit of everything, romance, murder, family dynamics and humor. A very enjoyable, easy read.
May 23, 2009
This book looks like it should be a very brain candy-ish chick lit book about a smart girl who falls in love. It surprisingly turned into a Janet Evonavich-like mystery novel with lots of funny and surprising twists and turns. The main character, Bev, acts like a self-conscious, self-centric teenager through most of the book, yet is still likable. (and does end up falling in love...)
That all said, the book is neither great nor terrible. It was brain candy in that it was easy and fast to read. It held my attention and kept me interested. It wasn't great, though, and now I need to read a more thoughtful book. :)
That all said, the book is neither great nor terrible. It was brain candy in that it was easy and fast to read. It held my attention and kept me interested. It wasn't great, though, and now I need to read a more thoughtful book. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2008
Three sisters, one "pretty", one "wild", and one "smart," must come to terms with who they are--both as individuals and family--after they find a decades-old body in an industrial drum while helping former neighbors sell their home. Throw in a handsome, sexy and grown-up son of those neighbors and the sisters' petty rivalries intensify.
A wonderful story of family relationships, growing up and all those insecurities that happen along the way. Lots of fodder here for a book discussion--including an author interview and discussion questions.
Highly recommend.
A wonderful story of family relationships, growing up and all those insecurities that happen along the way. Lots of fodder here for a book discussion--including an author interview and discussion questions.
Highly recommend.
October 14, 2011
At first glance this book looks like a total chic read, which wouldn't usually be my choice of book; although I found myself being dragged into the lives of the three troubled sisters. By the end of the book I felt as though I knew the characters which simply proves how good this book is. The plot-line is addictive and with each turn of the page I found myself wanting to read it faster in order to know what happens. The characters in the book I see can relate to many readers which makes it that bit more special. I finished this book in 2 days. LOVE IT!!
March 30, 2013
It's about the sibling rivalry of 3 sisters and a murder. Although the plot does thicken, the story gets a bit long and drawn out, then suddenly near the end all details come to a conclusion. It seemed a long way to go, to get to the finish.
I picked up this book to read after reading, and really enjoying the author's book, "Farewell, Dorothy Parker". I was hoping "The Smart One" would be just as interesting, but I found it a bit too long. I also didn't care for some of the sexual details of the main character's escapades. Still, overall, a pretty good read.
I picked up this book to read after reading, and really enjoying the author's book, "Farewell, Dorothy Parker". I was hoping "The Smart One" would be just as interesting, but I found it a bit too long. I also didn't care for some of the sexual details of the main character's escapades. Still, overall, a pretty good read.
August 23, 2013
I guess this would be considered chick lit, which isn't my preferred genre, but I really enjoyed it. The writing is clever and entertaining and really well paced.
It's a story about sisters and romance and finding who you are and what your place is in the world.
A couple plot points are a bit clunky, maybe, and Meister tries to trick the reader for a couple pages toward the end, which was unnecessary and a bit annoying, but the overall reading experience is still very positive.
Great for the beach or just relaxing.
It's a story about sisters and romance and finding who you are and what your place is in the world.
A couple plot points are a bit clunky, maybe, and Meister tries to trick the reader for a couple pages toward the end, which was unnecessary and a bit annoying, but the overall reading experience is still very positive.
Great for the beach or just relaxing.
January 6, 2015
Fun, fast read thanks to Meister's wit and humor. Not your average "chick lit." She's a smart one who can write. A few of the plot choices were contrived and less than satisfying. Moving an industrial drum out from under a house in the pouring rain to provide the wet, muddy clothes needed as an excuse for getting upstairs to snoop in a neighbor's empty house was a stretch, but that and a couple of other questionable structure issues were easy to overlook given the great dialogue, believable, likeable characters, and lively pacing. Looking forward to reading more from Meister.
June 25, 2009
The Smart One, written by Ellen Meister, starts off at a fast pace, which I quite enjoyed. However, the beginning of the novel is a tad misleading, and halfway through the novel (basically) switches plots. Towards the end of the book, so many new characters and new plotlines are introduced and become intertwined, that readers not paying close attention may get lost in the detail. Overall this book was a decent read, so I award it 3/5 stars.
August 17, 2008
I am a fan of books about relationships and self-discovery and overall I thought this was a great book and would recommend this book to someone else who may have had doubts in their own life. Makes you wonder who "The Smart One", "The Wild One", and the "Pretty One" is in your own family! Thanks Ellen for sending me an early reviewer’s copy of the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews