The Tragedy Queen

Virginia Gillham is university librarian at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Vince Carlson is, at first glance, completely amoral—a brash,
self-centred, unscrupulous, condescending con artist who exploits
financially comfortable but emotionally frustrated middle-aged women.
However, as the plot unfolds, this character becomes more sympathetic.
An emotional search for his roots begins to undermine Vince’s career
as a con artist. As he resurrects the pain of his childhood, he has
increasing difficulty sustaining his callous lifestyle. A skilfully
interwoven subplot portrays the desperation of a suburban matron trapped
in traditional child-raising isolation. Rich in character development,
this novel is a definite cut above the typical plot-driven bestseller.