12. Too Much Money by Domenick Dunne

I am a huge true crime buff and can't get enough of those types of shows on TV. I've been a fan of Domenick Dunne's show on Tru TV and even own a few of his books though I haven't read any. When I read a review of his newest, I decided to place a hold on it through my library. I quickly read it and enjoyed it. I give it a B.

From Amazon:
My name is Gus Bailey…It should be pointed out that it is a regular feature of my life that people whisper things in my ear, very private things, about themselves or others. I have always understood the art of listening. The last two years have been monstrously unpleasant for high-society journalist Gus Bailey. His propensity for gossip has finally gotten him into trouble—$11 million worth. His problems begin when he falls hook, line, and sinker for a fake story from an unreliable source and repeats it on a radio program. As a result of his flip comments, Gus becomes embroiled in a nasty slander suit brought by Kyle Cramden, the powerful congressman he accuses of being involved in the mysterious disappearance of a young woman, and he fears it could mean the end of him. The stress of the lawsuit makes it difficult for Gus to focus on the novel he has been contracted to write, which is based on the suspicious death of billionaire Konstantin Zacharias. It is a story that has dominated the party conversations of Manhattan's chattering classes for more than two years. The convicted murderer is behind bars, but Gus is not convinced that justice was served. There are too many unanswered questions, such as why a paranoid man who was usually accompanied by bodyguards was without protection the very night he perished in a tragic fire. Konstantin's hot-tempered widow, Perla, is obsessed with climbing the social ladder and, as a result, she will do anything to suppress this potentially damaging story. Gus is convinced she is the only thing standing between him and the truth. Dominick Dunne revives the world he first introduced in his mega-bestselling novel People Like Us, and he brings readers up to date on favorite characters such as Ruby and Elias Renthal, Lil Altemus, and, of course, the beloved Gus Bailey. Once again, he invites us to pull up a seat at the most important tables at Swifty's, get past the doormen at esteemed social clubs like The Butterfield, and venture into the innermost chambers of the Upper East Side's most sumptuous mansions.

I so love diving into a juicy story of the rich and famous, and though this book is fiction, I did see a lot of similarities to cases I have heard in the news. Mr. Dunne also adds in real people into the story such as Laura Bush and Prince Charles which helps add to the believeble factor. This story has all of the backstabbing, gossip, and child like behavior of those who are richer than anyone could ever imagine being. With days filled of lunches and then preparing for the party at night, I never get sick of reading about the wealthly. I probably would have graded this book higher, but a lot of useless information was repeated more than once and it grated on my nerves a bit. I also felt like the ending was rushed a bit, but I do know Mr. Dunne died late last year, so I wonder if perhaps his health took a turn for the worse and it impacted the story. All in all, I enjoyed it and am probably going to dust off the other books I have by Mr. Dunne.

Today I went to the library and picked up 6 books, most of them having to do with New York City in one way or another. I feel a binge of NYC books coming up, which is something I tend to do once in awhile. Mid-winter break is next week, so hopefully there will be plenty of time to read and organize and clean around here. I enjoyed my snow day yesterday which is when I finished Too Much Money, but didn't get much done, so I have to make a list of things I want to finish. I hope everyone is enjoying their week! Happy Reading!