People Like Them
Welcome to Auburn Drive, where Veronica and Ryan Hartley are the ultimate "it" couple—or so their obsessed neighbors think. During the neighborhood's annual progressive dinner party, their flawless, movie-star facade begins to slip, revealing the unsettling truth hiding just beneath the surface. Minka Kent delivers a gripping psychological dive with People Like Them, a standout short story from the Obsession collection that proves perfection is always an illusion.
- Veronica and Ryan Hartley
- Jillian and Noel Broadbent
- Christine and James Ellery
- Bree and Brett Sievers
- Nicola and Richard Rickstadt
- Constance Mayfield
- During the annual neighborhood dinner party all of the wives observe how perfect Veronica and Ryan's relationship appears to be.
- As the night progresses, the women notice small controlling behaviors from Ryan.
- Ryan has an allergic reaction to some pecans in Constance’s peach cobbler.
- Veronica runs home to get Ryan’s EpiPen while someone calls 911.
- Veronica pretends to use the EpiPen on Ryan.
- Ryan has been abusive to Veronica for several years, and she decides to take action against him.
- Epilogue: Ryan died from the allergic reaction.
- At the dinner party, each woman secretly added nuts to the dishes they cooked.
- When they found out Ryan was abusing Veronica, they hatched this plan to free her from him.
People Like Them by Minka Kent just didn't capture my interest at all. There are way too many people crammed into such a small page count, which meant there was zero room for any real character development. The one saving grace was the twist at the end, which was actually quite good. It is a quick read, but it leaves a lot to be desired before getting to that final reveal. A narrower focus on fewer characters would have made the buildup so much more engaging.
- Murder
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
ASIN: B0C78LVMR5
Publication Date: July 25, 2023
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
