Reviews: ‘The After Party,’ by Anton DiSclafani and ‘The Daily Show: An Oral History,’ by Chris Smith

By Anton DiSclafani. (Riverhead Books, 374 pages, $26.)

Set in Houston’s glittering and claustrophobic oil-rich high society of the 1950s, and structured as a backward-looking mystery, “The After Party” breathlessly relates a tale of obsessive friendship, love and loss.

Dutiful young clotheshorse housewife CeCe and exciting glamour girl Joan have been best friends since their first day of kindergarten, through the death of CeCe’s beautiful, bitter mother and Joan’s monthslong disappearance in the senior year of high school. While CeCe has fulfilled her desire to become a wife and mother, wild Time-reading Joan chafes at conventional mores and longs to “go where the ideas are,” attracting attention, gossip and envy.

CeCe’s devotion to her increasingly unstable friend strains her relationship with her handsome oil executive husband, even while she worries about their young son, who hasn’t started speaking at age 3. Amid a heated atmosphere of lavish country club parties and sexual intrigue, Joan disappears again — has her “charmed” life taken an ugly turn?

This second novel by “The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls” author Anton DiSclafani conveys a strong sense of anticipation. You’ll be transported to a rarefied world of wealth, secrets and drama.

MARCI SCHMITT

By Chris Smith. (Grand Central Publishing, 459 pages, $30.)

Stewart’s cooperation almost guarantees that the book will slant Stewart’s way, defending time and again the boss’ iron hand. Like Bruce Springsteen did in his recent autobiography, “Born to Run,” Stewart comes across as a benevolent dictator. Not that Smith doesn’t give voice to detractors. Glenn Beck, John McCain and others are given opportunities to whine about their treatment in their show, but even they eventually come around to noting Stewart’s genius.

There is less of a presence from the Minnesotans who were instrumental in the early days. Lizz Winstead, who came up with the concept, is quoted just a couple of times. Original host Craig Kilborn is not among the interviewees. Rochester native Dan Bakkedahl, who had a short-lived stint as a “Daily Show” correspondent, is served up as an example of a comic who never quite fit in, but who, after years of bitterness, has finally accepted Stewart as a guru.

The reverence may be slathered on a bit too thick for non-fans, but those who swear allegiance to the Church of Jon will be enlightened by anecdotes that include Stewart’s behind-closed-doors showdown with Fox News honcho Roger Ailes and how close Stewart came to bolting after Comedy Central hesitated on his request to take a sabbatical to direct a feature film.