Personal Note: This has nothing to do with my book review, other than it took me longer than expected to finish the book. I’ve been so angry as I read articles and posts about the Cornell 7, or maybe I should say the Cornell 57. Then, I read about the police, the DA’s administration, and the State of New York finally taking over the case. To top it off, it’s my understanding, and I may be wrong, that a so-called journalist wants to out Jane Doe, the young woman who brought a civil case against the Cornell 7. So, women all over the Internet are posting videos saying “I am Jane Doe”. Even if you’re a woman who has never been sexually assaulted, every one of us has walked to the car with car keys out, looked over our shoulders, checked in the backseat, walked in a hurry when we had to be out at night by ourselves. I could go into more detail, but every woman understands. So, the review is a day later than I had planned, because I’m angry. I don’t often bring up news items on my blog, but it’s not right to ignore this story.
Jonathan Santlofer combines the art world with an homage to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None in Ten Perfect Guests. Usually, when there are ten dislikable protagonists I put down the book. Instead, I couldn’t put this one down as I waited to see who would die, and who was the killer. And, there’s one final clue to be discovered by someone working in the art world, one final twist to the puzzle.
When world-famous artist Victor D’Arcangelo dies, a week later ten people from his life are invited to a memorial weekend. They were all invited to celebrate his life and art, with the added note that if they failed to attend, they would forfeit any claim to his estate. Ten people flew to Ft. Lauderdale, took a yacht to a private island, and moved into a former hotel. There were two art dealers, an ex-wife, D’Arcangelo’s son and brother, his current wife, a couple worth billions, a former art critic, and a young woman. Welcomed by the artist’s assistant, they were then left to fend for themselves for the weekend. Each of them have a troubled past with the dead artist. As they’re picked off one-by-one, it’s Sabrina, the ex-wife, an artist herself, who notices that the bodies resemble famous paintings.
The quarrelsome group fight from the very beginning, suspecting the others of wanting D’Arcangelo’s fortune. Eventually, the weekend builds up to tension, distrust and fear. They fear that someone in their group is a killer, and they have no way off the island until the weekend is over.
I mentioned before that reading Ten Perfect Guests is like watching that proverbial car wreck. It’s obvious people are going to die. However, it’s still a compelling story as the reader just watches the victims get picked off. They’re all difficult characters to like, but I did have two I hoped would live. However, this is a twisted, fascinating story.
Jonathan Santlofer’s website is https://jonathansantlofer.com/
Ten Perfect Guests by Jonathan Santlofer. Sourcebooks Landmark, 2026. 416p.
FTC Full Disclosure – Library book
Lesa, I don’t blame you. You’re right to be angry, and each new detail is more infuriating. Now we learn that the campus police offered the D.A. more information and interviews and he wasn’t interested and blew them off. And one of the 7 who was convicted of other related crimes is suing to get the conviction off his record. Shades of the January 6 rioters! At least he doesn’t have Trump available to pardon him.
I’ve read a few of Santlofer’s short stories but none of his novels. This sounded like a more vicious version of Agatha Christie.
I did see a comment, Jeff, that Trump expressed sympathy for the Cornell 7. Of course, he did.
This is a more vicious version. You’re right.
Lesa, I’m angry too. I have a niece who decided to attend an all women’s college last year because she feels safer. And I have an older niece who’s already graduated. She’d only go out at night if there were at least 4 women and no one was allowed to stay behind. If you came with the group you left with the group. I think that if NY didn’t have a female governor Cornell would have been allowed to sweep the whole thing under the rug.
I think you’re right, Sandy. I’m glad they have a female governor, and a female Attorney General. I agree that it would have been ignored. And, I had debated going to an all-woman’s college. I don’t blame your niece at all. It definitely would have felt like a safer atmosphere.
When Jackie started at Hunter College, it was the first year men were admitted to the previously all-female school. I remember when I went there the next year, you could see how it had been. The ninth floor men’s bathroom had been a women’s room before – there were no men’s rooms, other than a couple of small ones for male teachers. It was unusual for us having all booths and no urinals.
Usually, it’s the other way around, Jeff. No accommodations for women.
Lesa, I too am angry and hope that there will be justice for Jane Doe. She must be a brave young woman to come forward when she knows the vilification that history has shown in these cases. Maybe things will be better for the next generation of women.
On a different note I’m putting your reviewed book on hold at the library.
Well, so far, Susan, the next generation has had rights stripped away by old white men who are privileged. I’d like to see women step up and take their places in government. And, not those downtrodden, male-controlled Republican women.
It’s a hard book to put down once you start it. Either that, or you’ll hate the characters and quit.
I am angry too, not all of the information was shared until now. Why would they withold the information. Personal experience, when I was working at MA Bell at night. I started walking to my car and saw a man lying under the car! I walked back until I had a group of people with me.
He left! Hooray!!!
In the 1970s. a young girl in my dorm, went to frat party and did not come back until late. In the morning, She was sitting on the floor with four others. I sat down to see why she was crying. She had been gang raped at the party and dropped out two days later. I have no idea what happen after that. Now I know that it would have been best for us to take her to the city police that night.
Oh, my gosh, Carol! It’s so good you saw that man under your car. Women always have to be aware when they’re walking. It’s something men never have to think about.
We’ve all known women who didn’t come back to school. Most of us have no idea why, and there are probably more stories like that than we know.
Lesa, I don’t understand how things like Cornell 7 or last year’s very similar incident in Canada that involved Hockey Canada players can end up with no consequences for the men involved. Until a body of law actually does the right thing one day, this will keep happening. And the burden of proof always lies with the woman and it seems the men just get taken at their word without having to prove a thing.
This hits home for me, although obviously not to the degree of these two cases but it does add an extra layer of understanding from me. I was not drugged or gang-raped but I was young and I was sexually assaulted on more than one occasion by my grandfather; I did tell my mother and much like in these larger cases, she didn’t even question my grandfather (her father) about any of it, and implied I was making much about nothing. To this day I remember it all vividly, and the feeling of helplessness at not being believed. It has actually impacted how I look at the world, and how I have trust issues. So for my experience to be still impacting me to this day some 65 years later – well I have great empathy for the women involved in Cornell 7 and in the Hockey Canada cases.
Or, the one at LSU where the football player was allowed back on campus, and the young woman was told to take online classes if it bothered her. As long as old white men sit in judgment, women are screwed in more ways than one.
I’m so sorry, Lindy, that you had to live through that. No wonder you have trust issues if your mother wouldn’t even believe you. Of course it hits home for you. I’m sorry.
SO Angry! and getting angrier by the day.
let’s raise our glasses to The Student Journalists Who Never Let the Cornell Assault Case Go.
The student newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun, covered the allegations of rape at a fraternity house since they were first made in 2024 and led the reporting on the case.
This case, and Jane Doe, would still be swept under the rug, the rapists would remain smug and unconcerned, and every person of authority who refused to help this woman would have moved on if not for these brave and relentless young journalists.
Thank you, Lesa.
You’re right, Kaye. It took student journalists to uncover that story, and keep digging. Yes, here’s a salute to those determined women who wouldn’t let that story just disappear. And, we all know they’ll be called out on their own campus, and they knew it when they wouldn’t let up.
Kaye, as you said, I get angrier every day about that woman, and all women who have had to deal with this.
Extremely frustrating when nothing changes. Going on fifty years ago, my bucolic college campus had patrols to escort students home after dark.
More than ten years ago, Jon Krakauer wrote the nonfiction Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town. Definitely eye-opening.
Around the same time, Brock Turner sexually assaulted an unconscious woman behind a dumpster on the Stanford University campus. Two graduate students stopped the attack and held Turner until police arrived. Voters removed Judge Persky (who famously didn’t want to ruin the young man’s life) from office during a recall election in June 2018. The case led California lawmakers to pass stricter laws requiring mandatory prison. The victim later wrote Know My Name.
Unfortunately, it goes on & on.
MM, Thank you for reminding me about Missoula. I remember when it came out, but didn’t read it at the time. I have it on hold at the library now.
Yes, nothing has changed. It’s still the same. Women still have to watch out for ourselves, and each other. It does go on and on, as shown in our White House, Supreme Court, Congress.