Mafia Moms

In Confessions of a PTA Mafia Mom, by Elsie Love, Elaine joins the PTA only to discover the reason the group is so effective: It uses “blackmail, bribes, threats and quite possibly guns” to get things done. When Elaine confides in the president that her husband is having an affair, her husband suddenly disappears, her children are kidnapped, and she’s forced to go into hiding in Las Vegas. To get her life back, Elaine has to take down the PTA mafia.

“It’s a bit of a mockery of the PTA, but nothing personal,” says Love. The mother of four is a longtime PTA member and school volunteer. This is her third novel.

Murder Mysteries

The main character of Laura Alden’s mystery series is Beth, a single mom and the secretary of a small-town PTA. In the first book, Murder at the PTA, Beth works to solve the murder of the elementary school principal. Several school parents, including the PTA president, are prime suspects.

The second installment in the series, Foul Play at the PTA, was released July 2011. In it, a dad is killed after a PTA meeting. Alden is currently working on the third book.