Joe Keenan (1)

What a hoot! This tale of Peter Cavanaugh and Gibert Selwyn, two ambitious New York pals who find themselves entangled in the ridiculous schemes of not just one but TWO socialite/billionaire dynasties to ruin each other, is just what the blurbs promise: a thoroughly satisfying blend of farce, social satire, caper and camp.

The plot barely matters - all you need to know is that the cast of characters - besides Cavanaugh (a singularly unlucky librettist) and Selwyn (no fixed occupation) - includes a billionaire New York developer with abject taste and his former lounge-singer wife ("She can carry a tune, I'm just not sure how far"), his wife's brassy (and busty) little sister ("Her breasts jumped and strained at her low-cut gown as if they were puppies and she was taking them out for a walk"), a suave bit of British man-candy named Tommy seducing everyone in sight, a corrupt Italian vocal coach, posturing Hollywood stars and starlets, gossip columnists, socialites, a Geraldo-type "expose" talk show host, silly social causes, preposterous parties, obscenely over-decorated penthouses, insanely outfitted yachts, and a certain swimming pool with a retractable dance floor that ends up playing a memorable role towards the end. All served with a side of 1920s glamour (think Cole Porter, mink carpets, and New York's Rainbow Room) and topped by a froth of catty humor.

Those who might be wary of the hashtag #gay have nothing to fear here. Yes, our hapless heroes bat for the other team, as do many of the other male characters in the book, but there's nothing graphic and the theme blends nicely with the novel's whole irreverent attitude towards life, love, and loss.

A great read anytime and especially perfect for the beach, where no one questioned my frequent outbursts of laughter as I polished this off in an afternoon.… (altro)