Suburban Underworld Unraveled: Investigating Criminal Conspiracies by Megan Abbott

Suburban Underworld Unraveled: Investigating Criminal Conspiracies by Megan Abbott

In Megan Abbott's own hometown of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, the once-prosperous suburb of Detroit, a sultry noir unfolds. The loss of the auto industry has left an air of anxiety in the country clubs, where whispers of who's lost a job or fallen on hard times lurk. When a mysterious investment club, claiming to empower and uplift women, makes its way into the community, it's the ideal backdrop for a simmering, evocative twist on a classic Megan Abbott tale. Catching up with Abbott, she discusses criminal conspiracies, suburban malaise, and her enduring fascination with crafting mesmerizing party scenes.

Dwyer Murphy: What compelled you to finally tackle the suburbs of Detroit in your writing?

Megan Abbott: It occurred to me that I'd never explicitly written about my hometown before. Perhaps due to the self-disclosure involved. However, I became intrigued by suburban women drawn into pyramid schemes and multi-level marketing organizations, which experienced a surge during the pandemic and the last recession. Remembering Grosse Pointe in the 1980s, where everyone I knew had a parent working for the big auto companies, or in support roles, the sense of decline felt like the perfect setting for a tale about women getting caught in these schemes. Women who've grown accustomed to a secure life yet find themselves in middle age, seeking to redefine themselves in a changing world. It only felt right to make this story Grosse Pointe.

Dwyer Murphy: Writing about your hometown and using its name must've felt different for you.

Megan Abbott: Nostalgic memories of childhood are incredibly vivid. Visualizing myself walking into familiar restaurants and stores, or picture the Hunt Club in all its grandeur, had an uncanny, vivid quality to me. I simply felt present there. I found it only natural to have the main character connected to the Hunt Club, given my own history with it.

Dwyer Murphy: Where do horse girls fit into this story, and how do they impact Harper, the main character?

Megan Abbott: People have encouraged me to pen a horse girl novel, yet I haven't gotten around to it. However, I couldn't help but dive a bit into this world, especially since Harper, the protagonist, was raised in a horse girl-infused environment. Horse girls fascinated me as a child—their exclusive style, the secret language they spoke, and the glamorous aura they radiated. I wanted to portray the bitter-sweet reality of being a horse girl when success and dreams fade away.

Dwyer Murphy: How did you conceive "The Wheel," this investment scheme the women find themselves entangled in?

Megan Abbott: I've had an interest in multi-level marketing organizations for some time. Then, I discovered less legitimate versions, devoid of any product to sell. Some of these schemes date back to the 60s and 70s. I delved into manuals and guides created for these schemes, which were used as evidence when they were prosecuted. These documents were gold mines for a writer, as they revealed the secret language and codes used by participants to bypass IRS gifting rules. Witnessing how people talked themselves into believing these activities were above-board was captivating.

Dwyer Murphy: Did you have files or a chart charting each woman's role in the scam?

Megan Abbott: At one point, I had an elaborate system for labeling the different levels of the scheme. However, it grew too complicated, and I had to simplify. Constructing a scheme is advantageous for its complexity—making it impossible to determine what's legal or illegal. I became obsessed with learning about how they operate. By the way, the first rule in creating a pyramid scheme would be to avoid creating a manual!

Dwyer Murphy: I've always been wary of putting things in writing due to my legal background.

Megan Abbott: Working on this novel brought to mind Goodfellas. I couldn't help but think of the scene where Paulie (played by Paul Sorvino) never talks on the phone. Instead, everyone communicates via payphones or talks to someone who reports to him.

Dwyer Murphy: Can you share the hidden influences behind "El Dorado Drive"? I find that your influences are usually surprising.

Megan Abbott: On one hand, I aimed to capture the endearing nostalgia for WASP culture as it waned. John Cheever's work was naturally on my mind. On the other hand, given the book's setting in Grosse Pointe, I couldn't shake The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides. Although the subject matter differs, WASP culture is central to both works. The other significant influence was David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross. I delved into Mamet's world, investigating post-RICO organized crime networks. I wanted to view this story as a criminal network, where the family drama and criminal activity serve as red herrings for one another.

Dwyer Murphy: I wanted to ask about the opening scene—an extravagant party at a graduation ceremony. It immerses the reader in the world so vividly and immediately.

Megan Abbott: The graduation party felt intensely familiar. I pondered these women on the verge of becoming empty nesters—facing college bills for their children and the opportunity to reinvent their lives. The sentimental atmosphere of a graduation party stirs nostalgia. Much of this book explores the complicated and potentially dangerous longing for a past and community that no longer exist. The sisters in this tale endured a miserable childhood, yet hold fond memories of it, as it represents a lost world. It's like the fall of the Roman Empire—you lose it slowly, then all at once. This is the "all at once" moment for them.

Dwyer Murphy: Is it the allure of party scenes that draws you to craft them so frequently?

Megan Abbott: In a way, party scenes remind me of dream sequences—things I struggle to escape. I suppose if I'm honest, they feel incredibly cinematic to me. They also provide an opportunity to bring characters together, creating a sense of ecstatic revelry that's somewhat unsettling. The energy of a party develops a life of its own, making it mysterious how it comes together.

1. Megan Abbott found inspiration in the surge of pyramid schemes and multi-level marketing organizations during the pandemic and the last recession, leading her to write a story set in her hometown of Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
2. horse girls play a role in Megan Abbott's latest book, with the main character, Harper, having grown up in a horse-girl-infused environment, and the author reflecting on the bitter-sweet reality of their dreams and success fading away.
3. "The Wheel," an investment scheme the women in the story find themselves entangled in, was conceived by Megan Abbott after delving into manuals and guides created for less legitimate multi-level marketing organizations that dated back to the 60s and 70s.
4. In crafting "El Dorado Drive," Megan Abbott drew inspiration from John Cheever's work, Jeffrey Eugenides' "The Virgin Suicides," and David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross," aiming to capture the endearing nostalgia for WASP culture as it waned while also viewing the story as a criminal network where family drama and criminal activity serve as red herrings for one another.

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