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Social Crimes  By  cover art

Social Crimes

By: Jane Stanton Hitchcock
Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
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Publisher's summary

Dark secrets lurk beneath the glamour and glitter of New York's high-society life in this riveting tale of murder, obsession, and revenge. Jo Slater, one of the grandest of New York's grande dames, is knocked off her pedestal when her husband of 20 years dies under strange circumstances and leaves his fortune to a mysterious French countess. When Jo discovers she has been the victim of a plot, she decides to set things straight. And nothing is going to get in her way.
©2002 Jane Stanton Hitchcock (P)2003 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Barbara Rosenblat's performance of Jo's story is flawless¿" (AudioFile)
"This deliciously dark novel sneaks a knowing glimpse at a gilded world "a killer read." (People)
"Riveting..." (New York Post)

What listeners say about Social Crimes

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

This writing is criminal

Except for the always inspiring golden voice of narrator Barbara Rosenblat (whose talents are unworthy of this novel) I thoroughly disliked this audiobook. Every character was unlikeable -- not just because they were all repellent (I rather like a good scoundrel myself) but because they were two dimensional and inconsistent. The main character, Jo, purports to be a socialite with perfect social graces and class. When her husband leaves all his fortune to his mistress she is hellbent on revenge -- but carries out here schemes in a tonya harding-esque way. There could be an opportunity for self-discovery, growth, even redemption under adversity -- but she carries on in the single minded classless way throughout the whole novel. No character is given motivation for their cookie-cutter characters, and at the end of the novel, the reader still doesn't care about any of them.

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24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Go directly to the sequel

Skip this one and read the sequel One Dangerous Lady instead which is quite good. In Social Crimes, the constant whinning of Jo Slater in is tedious at best. You are frequently tempted to fast forward just to move past the self-pity. But that would be a good portion of the book! In the sequel, this story line is summarized in a few passages which is plenty!

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Social Crimes has it all!

For a glipse into the heady world of the top most level of society combined with real mystery (what will happen next) try this fascinating read.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Go Jo Go!!

I'm now a fan of author Jane Stanton Hitchcock after reading this book. I heard her a few years ago on an NPR interview and bought the download based on those merits. Now I'm so smitten with the strength of her lead heroine, Jo Slater, the strong society maven who has come back through thick and thin in Social Crimes and is now back in One Dangerous Lady. This is a great book! I highly recommend it!! Smart, funny, and if you want more, now a second book for those who can't get enough... like me!!

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Great listen!

Barbara Rosenblat can make any listening experience wonderful. I'm a fan of hers and admit that I enjoyed this book because she read it! Light and fun listening experience. Although I admit that I don't know if I would have liked reading the book.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Dark Comedy at it's best!

I loved this author's story. The narrator kicked it up even a higher notch. It was funny and entertaining. This is a book for pure reading pleasure. I even bought a copy for a friend to take on a long train ride. Knew it would make the miles fly by. It was a true "Dark Comedy". The sequal was fab too.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great fun!

A romp through the behind-the-scenes of NYC high society — funny and entertaining. I chose the book because i sooo lived Barbara Rosenblat’s narration of Anna Pigeon in Barr’s series. Worth the time.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Social Crimes (Unabridged)

Fabulous. Got hooked from the start and it only got better as I listened. It's one of those books you're sorry it ended and you continue to think about long after your done.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I LOVE THIS BOOK!

I listened to this book 10 years ago. I enjoyed it so much I decided to listen to it again. It was just as good the second time around. Great story and the narrator was perfect

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very Entertaining!

A very entertaining story from a very talented author. Barbara Rosenblat does a wonderful job as narrator. I highly recommend this book.

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4 people found this helpful