B J. Blackledge

Alpha Women: and Their men B J. Blackledge

How do wives of prominent men respond when their husbands' careers are threatened? Will they shed ethical and moral values to protect their men and luxurious life-styles? For twenty-five years Diane, a physician's wife, monitored the behavior of doctors and their wives. In this small provincial southern town, any hint of an inappropriate liaison or a possible ominous event that might tarnish the reputation of a doctor, Diane and her two close friends, always quietly devised plans to set matters right. Diane set standards of conduct for the common good of all. At the first hint of a dark rumor, she responded wisely and she was brave. A physician, Antoine Oliveir and his wife Shelly, hoping to improve their lives, arrived from the Dominican Republic to take up residence in Diane's town. Soon, two diverse cultures clashed, eliciting a chaotic response within the medical community. Traditionally, Latinos only served as maids and waiters in this town. Shelly, the daughter of a wealthy and powerful Dominican general, responded with outrage to perceived ethnic prejudices. Dr. Oliveir, his credentials questioned, uncovers the vulnerable underbelly of this tight-knit society, giving him the means to expose scandals that would downgrade the status of the husbands of Diane and her friends. During Diane's college days, while majoring in political science, she discovered a kindred spirit in a 16th Century book written by the famous philosopher, Machiavelli. He wrote, " - be on guard lest some foreigner equal in power should enter your city --." Even though Machiavelli loved his culture more than his soul, Diane's obsessive admiration for him, guides her in developing a master plan to rid her community of the troublesome Oliveirs. Diane is successful, however, the consequences are deadly.