The Philistines on both sides of the hedgerow come face to face in an irresistible tale of money and murder set in the Hamptons.

Like Caesar's Gaul, East Hampton is divided into three parts: south of the highway (oceanside), home of the landed gentry, the rich, and the famous; north of the highway, home of the longtime, year-round locals; and in between, where resides--who else?--the middle class. In The Hampton Affair, Vincent Lardo's smashing debut novel, these three worlds collide in a power struggle over land, family secrets, and the almighty dollar.

The Hampton Affair is told in three voices: by Michael Anthony Reo, very south of the highway, thanks to the age-old skill of marrying well; Galen Miller, very north of the highway, a descendant of original East End farmers; and detective Eddy Evans, very much in the middle, both literally and figuratively. Michael is desperately trying to save his marriage, which is tied to his wife's fortune. Galen is desperately trying to save his stake in the family farm, suddenly worth a million bucks, from the clutches of his conniving stepmother (who also happens to be his mistress). And in this version of North and South, Eddy has to solve the mystery of who did what to whom--and why--while trying to win the affections of the one young lady in town who seems to have all the answers. Only she's not talking.

Set in the Hamptons, playground of the rich, famous, and infamous, with a cast of charmingly devious and double-dealing characters, and a plot that pits the poor against the posh, The Hampton Affair is a bracing martini of a thriller.