Private Means

A deliciously compulsive first novel from the critically acclaimed author of the memoir Lights On, Rats Out, Private Means follows two married intellectuals who find themselves at odds with one another and dare to look elsewhere for thrills. With their daughters fully grown and their relationship fraying, Upper West Side–based couple Alice and Peter are further agitated when Alice’s beloved dog, Maebelle, goes missing. As Alice mourns the loss of her dog and struggles with her own sudden infidelity, we witness Peter’s psychiatric ethics unraveling as he lusts for a young patient. Tensions rise to the surface as Peter and Alice escape the heat of New York City to visit wealthy friends in the Hamptons, on Cape Cod and in the Berkshires. At once dark, funny, sexy and suspenseful, LeFavour’s debut is a rare find: a tart literary indulgence with depth and intelligence.