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Hollywood Forever
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Things are not going well for wealthy, spoiled Samantha Crowley who thought her world would never collapse until her superstar novelist husband filed for divorce. Samantha's pursuit of "divorce justice" in tinsel town lands her in an even more perilous situation. Within twenty-four hours of meeting with her, the people from whom she seeks help turn up dead in dramatic fashion. Samantha, the unwanted wife, is now a wanted woman.
Her trusted confidantes, Bugsy Siegel and William Desmond Taylor, both dead and buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery where Samantha takes her daily walks, were ideally situated to listen to her problems but now her life has become a 1940's film noir and she needs a hero to act and save the leading lady. Unable to access her funds and distrustful of her closest friends, Samantha is forced to turn to a stranger for help. But that stranger comes with his own dark past and secrets. Can she ultimately trust him? How far can Samantha stray from the person she once was in order to save her life? Will her Hollywood story have a happy ending?
Samantha's harrowing and sometimes humorous journey to the truth brings more than one revelation to the surface. Sometimes you get more than you expected.
NEW! Hollywood Forever has been accepted as part of the collection of mysteries included in the Bibliotheque des Litteratures Policieres (BiLiPo) in Paris France. For those unfamiliar with this wonderful library, it is part of the Paris public library system and is devoted to only crime fiction. The library has over 72,000 novels and 6000 reference books and is one of the foremost mystery research centers in the world. It is also a meeting place for crime fiction lovers and authors. If you take a trip to Paris, check it out in the Latin Quarter at 48-50 Rue du Cardinale-Lemoine.
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Gale Group, Hardcover, January 2011, ISBN-13: 9781594149337
Excerpt
Not for the first time, he wondered what had motivated their mother to name her sons after U.S. presidents. Jack—full name Jackson—suspected she had big dreams for her boys. She always saw the glass as half full.
She had certainly tried to instill that optimism in her sons. If she had lived, maybe Jack and his brother could have made her proud. But she hadn't, and Jack was glad she couldn't see what they had become. As far as Jack could tell, he and Grant were no better than two empty glasses.
Empty glasses made him think of that Frank Sinatra song. The one where he says that it's a quarter to three and there's no one left but him and Joe. The storyteller's objective is to get his glass filled.
So set 'em up, Joe. If only it was that simple.
Praise
"Full of fun references to Hollywood's glamorous past, Goldstein's delightful fiction debut introduces Beverly Hills matron Samantha Crowley, the gutsy wife of Benjamin Crowley, a pompous, bestselling author eager to divorce her for a younger woman. Sam takes daily walks in Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where she visits the graves of mobster Bugsy Siegel and movie director William Desmond Taylor, both murder victims—and plots to kill off Hunter McCall, her husband's most famous fictional character, whom she helped create. Meanwhile, people affiliated with Benjamin who come in contact with Sam meet unnatural ends: publicist Peter Perkal, struck by a hit-and-run driver; agent Carol Haber, poisoned; novelist Jonathon Harley, stabbed. Rugged Jack Sharrow, a fellow cemetery visitor, lends support. Goldstein (coauthor of The Smart Divorce) supplies one surprise after another as the action builds to a suitable Hollywood ending."
—Publishers Weekly
"Rapidly changing events make a messy Beverly Hills divorce unnecessary... Samantha, who aptly notes that 'I'm turning into a whining divorcee,' will doubtless find a warm reception among simpatico readers."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Samantha Crowley, soon to be ex-wife of a best-selling author, decides to outdo her ex and takes up writing. Suddenly she is caught up in a number of murders, and she is the prime person of interest. VERDICT: Making her fiction debut, California lawyer Goldstein (coauthor, The Smart Divorce) introduces some cool characters and perfectly captures the Hollywood milieu—greedy divorce lawyers and real-estate agents with a nose for making a buck on marriage breakups, combined with a touch of old movie-star glamour."
—Library Journal
"This terrific suspense thriller runs on two strong elements: a twisting murder mystery and references to historical Hollywood. The spins are incredible and plausible in a case of few degrees of separation; as Sam knows this is Hollywood."
—Harriet Klausner, The Mystery Gazette
"Susan Goldstein delivers a fast-moving murder mystery, full of L.A. atmosphere, peopled with the whole Hollywood menagerie, and featuring a heroine who refuses to knuckle under. Great read for Hollywood buffs."
—Sam Reaves
"Hollywood Forever is a knockout mystery. A page turning read that will keep you guessing. Susan Goldstein is a wonderful storyteller."
—Frank Sinatra Jr., entertainer
"Hollywood Forever is a smart, witty romp filled with clever and unexpected twists. Susan Goldstein, a veteran divorce attorney, has cast a wickedly observant eye on what happens when the world of affluence meets the dark side. A terrific read."
—Charles Pignone, New York Times bestselling author of The Sinatra Treasures
Other Writings
Susan Goldstein is the co-author of two nonfiction books Divorce For Richer or Poorer and Flirting After Fifty.
For smart and helpful divorce counsel and to read and ask questions to Susan and Valerie's divorce advice column, visit our blog at www.divorceforricherorpoorer.com.
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Praise for Divorce For Richer or Poorer
"Their advice is frank and written in plain English. This is an agreeable starting place for those just thinking about a divorce."
—Library Journal
"Divorce For Richer or Poorer is the most informative and easy to read book I've ever seen on the subject. I wish this book had been around during my divorce."
—Loni Anderson
"The advice contained in Divorce for Richer or Poorer is not only smart and protective, but supportive and caring. It provides an invaluable service. It shows how to most effectively spend your money to resolve your divorce efficiently. It illustrates that divorce has predictable steps and stages, doable in small bites. But most importantly, it teaches that the smart and sane road to divorce is the antidote to anxiety and sadness."
—The Honorable Isabel Cohen, Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court (Retired), now engaged in private dispute resolution
