The Perfect Hosts: A Novel

Author Heather Gudenkauf says she tends to find ideas for her novels in news reports, and reading accounts of gender reveals gone wrong provided inspiration for The Perfect Hosts. Observing that gender reveal parties are supposed to be joyous, happy occasions, Gudenkauf was stunned by stories of horrific mishaps, including cases of guests being killed by flying shrapnel and fires being ignited by out-of-control pyrotechnics. She decided to devise a story in which the mishap at one such party is intentionally devised and saw it as an opportunity to examine a popular cultural phenomenon to which increasing numbers of couples aspire and/or feel obligated to stage for loved ones. In The Perfect Hosts, Gudenkauf gives readers an engrossing and entertaining story, and asks them to consider the pros and cons of the practice. The Perfect Hosts is a departure from Gudenkauf’s Iowa-based stories. Her main character, Madeline, hails from Iowa but now lives on a large Wyoming horse ranch with her husband, Wes Drake. Part of the dramatic tension in the book springs from the fact that Madeline is residing in “a world she’s not used to. She’s out of her element,” Gudenkauf notes. Her husband and his family are the wealthiest and most powerful family in the area, and Madelin is plainly “ill at ease with” their wealth. Gudenkauf deftly imbues the narrative with a strong sense of the place through her vivid descriptions of not just the ranch and the luxurious home in which the Drakes live, but also the beauty of the vast surrounding landscape. The Perfect Hosts opens with a bang — literally. Madeline and Wes are supposed to pull the trigger of a high-powered rifle, sending a bullet traveling at eighteen hundred miles per hour toward a vintage trucked parked nearby. Inside the truck is an explosive device that, when struck, will emit a cloud of either pink or blue powder. But when the bullet strikes the truck, it erupts into a ball of fire and from behind her, Madeline hears another loud boom. She is knocked unconscious and when she comes to, she sees wisps of pink, telling her that she is carrying a daughter. But the barn is ablaze, numerous guests are injured, and Madeline’s best friend and midwife is dead. Wes’ brother vanishes without a trace. Did he survive the blast or has his body simply not been found? The ensuing investigation is assigned to Jamie Saldano, a supervising senior agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms based in Cheyenne. The move from Washington, D.C. to Wyoming has damaged Jamie’s relationship with his wife, Tess, who has not re-established the career she loves in the new locale. But Jamie’s skills are needed at the Lone Tree Ranch. The forensic inquiry requires a certified explosive expert. Jamie has a conflict of interest that would most likely preclude him from filling that role if he disclosed it to the senior agent in charge. Jamie lived in Nightjar with his mother and older sister for six months, but he has not been back for twenty-seven years. Tragedy befell his family there and he is still haunted by those events. In the ensuring years, he has changed his name, but he immediately recognizes some of the residents with whom he interacted as a boy. Do they realize who he is, despite his attempt to hide his real identity and conduct a thorough investigation into how and why the gender reveal went so horribly wrong? Jamie is far and away the most complex, nuanced character in the story. She compassionately relates his heartbreaking story incrementally, making him sympathetic and moving readers to want him to find the answers he seeks, despite his questionable ethical choices. To further complicate matters, Madeline’s estranged half-sister arrives at the ranch. She’s down on her luck, and bitter and resentful about their father’s estate. What does she really want from Madeline? How far will she go to get it? Gudenkauf explores themes of jealousy, competition, and gossip, along with power and the way it is wielded in a place like Nightjar. Betrayals are revealed as she brings to life the people who inhabit the little town, illustrating the way they live and interact with each other, how decisions are made, secrets might be buried, depending on whose they are, and the importance of appearances and the proverbial pecking order in the microcosmic society. All of those factors play into the fast-paced mystery at the heart of the story as nearly every character falls under suspicion at some point. Madeline proves to be a woman who possesses strengths she has not previously needed to muster. But in order to protect her child, she needs an ally . . . and a plan. Gudenkauf demonstrates that being wealthy and influential doesn’t guarantee happiness, and keeps readers guessing whodunit right up to the story’s surprising conclusion. Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.