From Publishers Weekly
With this fast-paced, glittery mix of mystery and romance, newcomer Lange gives Judith Krantz a run for her money. Laden with powerful politicians, glamorous movie stars and trendy Los Angeles hot spots, the narrative bristles with insider detail and gossip. Devin Yorke, the unloved Bel Air "trophy wife" of clothing tycoon Paul Bradshaw, has decided to get a divorce-a wish that ironically comes true when Paul is shot to death. The police think Devin may have pulled the trigger; also under suspicion are Paul's rejected mistress, Alex; his envious, ineffectual brother, Sam; and Billy Hilgarde, an African American who works in a slum-area factory owned by Bradshaw. Devin, trying to regain her self-esteem through the kind of independence and success she once enjoyed, takes control of the factory, improving working conditions and enhancing the clothing line even as she copes with hostility from Paul's family and trickery by Sam and Alex, who have joined forces. She also begins a love affair with a lawyer/workout expert, but suspicions threaten to derail it permanently. A second murder, revelations of fraud by Paul and vigorous servings of sex propel the plot toward a conclusion that should satisfy readers as much as the rest of this lively, knowing tale. Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternates.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Subtitle this first novel from the evening news coanchor for NBC's Los Angeles station "Murder on Mulholland Drive." Before his red Ferrari Testarosa crashed over the side of the scenic L.A. highway, Paul Bradshaw--the arrogant, hard-driving founder and CEO of hip clothing manufacturer L.A. Garb--had a gash over his left eye and a bullet in his chest. Crowds of people who hated or feared Bradshaw were nearby at the right time: his ex-wife; the former mistress and personal assistant he had just fired; relatives whose L.A. Garb jobs were threatened by a secret consulting report; two African Americans, a gangbanger and an employee trying to organize a union at the subsidiary Bradshaw won national praise and awards for opening in South Central after the riots; and Devin Yorke Bradshaw, his "trophy wife," who had decided to leave her megarich husband after a disastrous dinner party (the tropical fish in the centerpieces died!). Lively and gossipy, Lange's narrative mixes fashion glitz with corporate grime, the woes of a very dysfunctional family with the survival skills of strong women. An alternate selection of the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club, so expect requests.
Mary Carroll
