In her most recent thriller, which will be published on July 8, 2025, Megan Abbott returns to the suburbs of Detroit with a gripping, evocative story of treachery, family, and financial despair. The downfall of the auto industry has left three sisters—Harper, Debra, and Pam Bishop—with a complicated divorce, rising medical debt, and a burden no one else knows about. The source of Pam’s wealth is exposed when she surprises them with a new car: “the Wheel,” a select women’s gifting circle that demands an initial £4–£5k “gift” and constant recruitment.

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Harper gives in to the pyramid-scheme-like structure’s allure after first being cautious of it. Abbott draws us into the sisters’ emotional interactions as well as the destructive temptation of fast money and belonging. Their relationships spiral along with the Wheel, which eventually leads to violence and an engrossing, if delayed, revelation of the truth.

Abbott is commended once more for her skill in creating “charged atmospheres” and “staccato prose,” which heighten suspense and give suburbia fragility a noir feel. Abbott depicts Midwestern desperation in visceral strokes by combining the psychological and cultural aspects of loyalty, avarice, and survival.

Harper, the main character, plagued by her own unspoken debt, finds it difficult to balance love and mistrust.

Both Pam and Debra deal with crises in different ways; Debra’s medical bills put a strain on her control, while Pam’s divorce and hidden income arouse curiosity and jealousy.

Vivian: Pam’s daughter, whose bitterness develops into a subplot of subtly potent emotion.

Abbott uses layers of love, competition, secrets, and unity to examine sisterhood. While some readers find the emotional distance to be cold instead of warm, others find that the suspense is increased by the emotional restraint.

Among the book’s criticisms are:

The murder mystery arc is introduced later, posing a risk of a smaller emotional reward, and the pacing is purposefully delayed.

Some people doubt that wealthy ladies would sign up for such a costly program. Abbott’s use of restraint in his style caused some readers to feel emotionally cut off from the characters.

Books by Margaret Abbott, especially those that deal with women’s secrets, are commended for their compelling narratives and sympathetic characters, such Harper and the Bishop sisters.

The fall of the American Dream is the central theme of the gripping, atmospheric noir-thriller El Dorado Drive. This book will probably captivate you if you enjoy tightly wound psychological suspense about morally complicated, imperfect women and don’t mind a gradual burn to the big reveal.

However, this could feel more secluded and distant if you’re more of a fan of fast-paced murder mysteries or intense emotional connection with characters.

Four stars (out of five) for Abbott’s masterful use of mood and moral tension in this eerie and perceptive examination of sisterhood, power, and financial desperation.