The Gatecrasher is a 1998 novel by English Chick Lit author Madeleine Wickham, better known as Sophie Kinsella of Shopaholic fame.
Everything's coming up roses for Fleur Daxeny, as she goes through more rich men than she does designer hats. Beautiful, unscrupulous and utterly irresistible, her success at crashing funerals and memorial services to prey on rich, vulnerable men is remarkable. She charms her way into their lives and onto their platinum credit cards, takes what she can, and then moves swiftly on.
When Richard Favour, a dull but wealthy businessman, meets Fleur at his wife's memorial service, he's bowled over. His household is caught up in a whirlwind as their father's new girlfriend descends on the family estate. Gradually Fleur works her spell on Richard's family—transforming their lives while she moves in on their wealth. But she finds herself lingering longer than she meant to…
The novel provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Emily was emotionally abusive to both her children, browbeating her daughter and neglecting her son due to his 'unsightly' birthmark.
- Accents Aren't Hereditary: Fleur and her daughter are English, but Zara purposely speaks with an American drawl, because one of the very few facts she knows about her father is that he's American.
- Affair? Blame the Bastard: Averted. Zara's stepmother is initially upset that her husband had a child she never knew about, but she quickly comes round and wants Zara to meet the family, being supportive of her husband going back to England to find her. It helps that Zara is thirteen and it's unknown if her father was even married during his relationship with Fleur.
- Beta Couple: Antony and Zara get together, regardless of the fact that their parents are also dating.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Emily was far from the perfect mother everyone thought she was. Richard, hoodwinked throughout their marriage, is horrified to eventually discover the extent of the emotional abuse and manipulation she inflicted on their children and on her own sister.
- Boarding School: During the events of the novel, Antony and Zara are both home for the holidays from their respective schools.
- Broken Pedestal: Richard is utterly devastated when Gillian reveals the truth about Emily's cruel nature. She later warns him not to repeat his mistake with Fleur, although she's referring to general personality flaws and doesn't yet know about Fleur's schemes.Gillian: You thought Emily was perfect. Now you think Fleur's perfect.
- Cain and Abel: Emily was a cruel woman who fooled nearly everyone into thinking she was a perfectly charming society lady, all while manipulating and emotionally abusing her children and sister under her husband's nose. Her sister Gillian is awkward and stern but well-meaning, and she loves her nephew Antony even more because she knows his mother doesn't.
- Can't Get Away with Nuthin': The one time Zara and Antony share a bed, they're discovered by Fleur. Cue "It's Not What It Looks Like!" before Zara is dragged away.
- Cliffhanger: The novel ends with Richard escorting Zara to finally meet her biological father.
- Comforting the Widow: Fleur has seduced and scammed many a wealthy widower, although she doesn't target them exclusively.
- Driven to Suicide: Phillipa overdoses on pills due to her despair over her abusive marriage and her unfulfilled life controlled by her mother. Thankfully, Gillian finds her in time to call an ambulance and save her life.
- Easily Forgiven: Fleur seems to face no repurcussions for her con artist history by the end, and Richard welcomes her back knowing that their relationship was mostly a lie and that she nearly swindled him out of millions of pounds.
- False Widow: Fleur lets Richard believe she's a widow. Zara theorises that this is so he'll find her more relatable than if he knew she was an unmarried mother.
- Gaslighting: Gillian once confronted Emily over her cruelty to little Antony. Emily responded by accusing Gillian of being mad with jealousy and wanting Antony as her son instead, which shocked Gillian and preyed on her insecurity and doubts so much that she stopped trying and let Emily do as she pleased.
- Glamorous Single Mother: Fleur doesn't appear to have ever let motherhood get in her way, although this is largely because she doesn't pay much attention to her daughter at all, usually sending her to boarding school so she doesn't have to look after her.
- Gold Digger:
- Fleur's practically made this her career—her modus operandi is to seduce a rich and vulnerable man, convince him to give her a credit card under his account, withdraw as much as she can get away with and disappear. She prides herself on her ability to estimate the maximum sum she can steal that will make her victim accept the loss and refuse to prosecute out of pride.
- Not only did Lambert marry Phillipa for money, Emily encouraged him to do so and hinted at a massive inheritance from Richard.
- Karma Houdini: Fleur gets no comeuppance for her years of swindling, apart from an unwanted reunion with her daughter's father that had nothing to do with her crimes anyway.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Fleur is an elegant version of this for the Favour family, although it's largely part of her charming act.
- Mistaken for Romance: Antony gets jealous when the usually apathetic Zara is excited to receive a call from Johnny, a family friend. Zara thinks it's hilarious and informs him that Johnny is a fifty-year-old gay man.
- Parent with New Paramour: Adult Phillipa is nothing short of thrilled to have another woman around the house, as the only other woman around is her disinterested aunt Gillian. Teenager Antony is briefly resentful when his father's new relationship becomes the subject of local gossip, but is otherwise neutral or too weirded out to have an opinion. Both of them are quickly charmed by Fleur when they actually meet her in person.
- Parental Neglect: Fleur treats her daughter Zara like an afterthought, not even bothering to let her know where she'll be staying until Zara finds herself effectively homeless during the school holidays. The only time she seems to remember Zara is when she's using her as a passive tool to manipulate men (e.g. faking Zara's birthday to have an excuse to 'borrow' money for the supposed party).
- Rejected Marriage Proposal: Fleur turns down Richard's proposal at the end of the book, but agrees to stay with him and commit to their relationship for real.
- Second Love: Surprisingly, Fleur enjoys great success with widowers who genuinely loved their wives, because when they fall for her they're convinced that it must be true love.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Gillian seems disinterested and irritable to everyone, but secretly adores her nephew Antony with all the love her abusive sister never gave him. Fleur's influence gradually helps her to open up again and regain some of the warmth she had before Emily trapped her.
