THE HUNTING WIVES by May Cobb - Mystery Tribune '“The Hunting Wives” Is An Immersive And Engaging Suburban Noir'

Mystery Tribune | August 3, 2021

Gabino Iglesias takes a closer look at the suburban noir novel The Hunting Wives by May Cobb. Mr. Iglesias writes “Brass Ovaries: Reading Women” column for Mystery Tribune. He is the author of Coyote Songs, Zero Saints, and Gutmouth and his nonfiction has appeared in places like The New York Times and the Los Angeles Review of Books.

Crime and horror fiction only truly work when there’s empathy present. That said, complicating those feelings of empathy by creating deeply flawed characters that more or less deserve whatever they get is something only great storytellers with a deep understanding of human nature can do. May Cobb’s The Hunting Wives accomplishes that and much more while exploring the way in which friendship, desire, and secrets can collide in unexpected ways to create chaos in the least likely places.

Sophie O’Neill was tired of life in the big city, so she left Chicago and moved to Mapleton, a small Texas town, with her husband and toddler son. Sophie wants to work on her blog and garden, and the quietness of Mapleton, a town of about 50,000 residents, is perfect for that. Unfortunately, while she doesn’t miss the hectic pace and sounds of suburban Chicago, small-town living soon gets to her and Sophie starts feeling bored and a little agitated.

When she meets a group of wealthy local women that call themselves the Hunting Wives at a party, Sophie thinks her uninteresting days are over. However, nothing is exactly as it seems. For starters, Sophie starts obsessing about Margot, the leader of the group, and gets pulled into her manipulative persona and inexplicable outbursts. Also, while there is shooting and the Hunting Wives use Margot’s land for late-night target practice, gossiping, and drinking, the group also partake of darker and more dangerous pastimes, including sleeping with teenagers and cheating on their husbands.

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