A tale of revenge set in the privileged world of New York Society, where dark secrets lurk beneath the glitter.Jo Slater, one of the grandest of New Yorks grande dames, is knocked off her pedestal when her husband of twenty years dies under strange circumstances and leaves his fortune to a mysterious French countess. As Jo sets about putting together a new life for herself, she gradually uncovers the truth about her husband and the younger woman and discovers that the countess not only wants her money, but her life. Dethroned and dispossessed in the world where she once reigned, she must resort to desperate measures. Using her vast knowledge of the eighteenth century, she concocts an ingenious scheme for revenge based on the greatest historical swindle of all time, a true story involving Marie Antoinette. Jo plots to recoup her entire fortune and reclaim her throne, but she must commit homicide in order to do so. A novel that combines history with mystery, manners with murder, Social Crimes is Patricia Highsmith meets Edith Wharton on a gorgeous day at the beach.