The Mentalist – ReCap - Season 1, Episode 15 – Scarlett Fever – air date 8/20/09 In this episode Jane and the CBI crew investigate the death of the wife of a real estate magnate at a party in their home (in a gated community). She is poisoned, and ends up taking a nosedive off of the balcony right straight into the party!

This was such a great show! We have the incredible Simon Baker (Patrick Jane), along with a to die for Yancey Arias (guest starring as Victor Marquesa, the victim’s husband). Throw in young Brandon Waters (guest starring as the victim’s son, Oscar Marquesa), and this was just an incredible hour of television.

The Marquesa money comes from real estate dealings – which were going well, and then dropped off with the economic crisis. This had a little help, although Victor does not know this, from his female accountant, who “borrowed” money from his account to make personal investments that turned out – well, they turned out not so well.

Then there is his wife, who designs jewelry. But perhaps the money she is bringing in is not just from jewelry? Could she also be fronting prescription drugs to her elite friends?

Oh, and the “second in command” at the country club (the victim being the one in command). She was jealous, and is a fierce competitor.

Gated community, elite country club, exclusive lipstick as a clue – what more could we ask for! Hmmm The accountant turns up missing, her house vacant, her accounts wiped out. But wait – she is found, in bed with another woman from this “elite” community!

Then the second in command turns up dead – in the spa, with a knife in her chest. It turns out she had been spreading the word about taking over the victim’s drug business, which is all well and good, except that another member of the elite country club is grieving for a daughter that died in a car accident under the influence of drugs that her friend stole from her mother.

Yes, the grieving mother killed both women.

Oh, one more thing. At the end of the show Grigsby takes one of the elite women to dinner! Yes, she is single. And the reason that she is still in the community is that she cannot sell her house – she owes too much on it.

I liked what the writers did here – they gave us glamour with a dose of reality. I give this a resounding ten!