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A Season in Purgatory
They were the family with everything. Money. Influence. Glamour. Power. The power to halt a police investigation in its tracks. The power to spin a story, concoct a lie, and believe it was the truth. The power to murder without guilt, without shame, and without ever paying the price. America's royalty, they called the Bradleys. But an outsider refuses to play his part. And now, the day of reckoning has arrived. . . .
464 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
543 people are currently reading
3,895 people want to read
About the author
Dominick Dunne
46 books318 followersDominick Dunne was an American writer and investigative journalist whose subjects frequently hinged on the ways high society interacts with the judiciary system. He was a producer in Hollywood and is also known from his frequent appearances on television.
After his studies at Williams College and service in World War II, Dunne moved to New York, then to Hollywood, where he directed Playhouse 90 and became vice president of Four Star Pictures. He hobnobbed with the rich and the famous of those days. In 1979, he left Hollywood, moved to Oregon, and wrote his first book, The Winners. In November 1982, his actress daughter, Dominique Dunne, was murdered. Dunne attended the trial of her murderer (John Thomas Sweeney) and subsequently wrote Justice: A Father's Account of the Trial of his Daughter's Killer.
After his studies at Williams College and service in World War II, Dunne moved to New York, then to Hollywood, where he directed Playhouse 90 and became vice president of Four Star Pictures. He hobnobbed with the rich and the famous of those days. In 1979, he left Hollywood, moved to Oregon, and wrote his first book, The Winners. In November 1982, his actress daughter, Dominique Dunne, was murdered. Dunne attended the trial of her murderer (John Thomas Sweeney) and subsequently wrote Justice: A Father's Account of the Trial of his Daughter's Killer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 333 reviews
May 6, 2015
He could really write, Dominick Dunne, couldn't he? I know this was a fictionalised account of the Skakel murder of Martha Moxley, I know the Bradleys were the Kennedys, but still it read, at least in the initial chapters like Waugh's Brideshead. The same shining scion and his shadow, poor but in love and literate. The same feeling of anything was possible, morality was unimportant compared to riches. All that and they were Catholic too.
I advertised for a part-time clerk today. The first person to turn up was an 18 year old, she was totally unsuitable being the granddaughter of a billionaire and although she was familiar with a broom, less so with a squeegee for cleaning windows. She had given up school and been riding professionally for three years and thought she might want to be a forensic psychologist although she hadn't actually graduated from school. That didn't matter because her father could apparently get her in to college although she didn't think she could cope with the exams. The rich are really different, really really different. (She was very nice and I enjoyed chatting to her, especially when she said she preferred real books to a Kindle and bought $89 worth.)
The first time I read this book was back in 2002 and (owing to age-related memory loss, can't find keys, remember whatisname's name etc) I didn't realise that I had read it when I listened to it today. Just had that nagging deja vous feeling, then I check my book list and I find I'd read it. Does anyone else do that? If so are you all over 42?
I advertised for a part-time clerk today. The first person to turn up was an 18 year old, she was totally unsuitable being the granddaughter of a billionaire and although she was familiar with a broom, less so with a squeegee for cleaning windows. She had given up school and been riding professionally for three years and thought she might want to be a forensic psychologist although she hadn't actually graduated from school. That didn't matter because her father could apparently get her in to college although she didn't think she could cope with the exams. The rich are really different, really really different. (She was very nice and I enjoyed chatting to her, especially when she said she preferred real books to a Kindle and bought $89 worth.)
The first time I read this book was back in 2002 and (owing to age-related memory loss, can't find keys, remember whatisname's name etc) I didn't realise that I had read it when I listened to it today. Just had that nagging deja vous feeling, then I check my book list and I find I'd read it. Does anyone else do that? If so are you all over 42?
July 29, 2013
This book, as we all know, is a fictionalized version of the Martha Moxley murder. The fictional location of Scarborough Hill, Conn., is really meant to be the tony Belle Haven neighborhood of Greenwich. The murderer, Constant Bradley, is a composite character of Ted Kennedy, Will Smith (a Kennedy cousin accused of rape), and Michael Skakel (the Kennedy cousin who was eventually convicted of Martha's murder).
Martha was killed the night before Halloween in 1975. I was a young teen then and I lived in Stamford, the city next to Greenwich. There was constat media coverage and speculation, but no arrests were made. Through the years bits and pieces would bubble up through the local grapevine. I worked with a man who had lived in Belle Haven and knew Michael and his brother Tommy. He said that Michael would go out partying at local clubs and talk about how he got away with murder. Of course, this is all hearsay. Stories surfaced in the 1980s that Michael confessed to the murder while in rehab. The story remained intriguing for several decades. Dominck Dunne was fascinated with the story after covering the Will Smith rape trial for Vanity Fair. He was rigthously indignant. It just does not seem right that the Kennedy men can get away with such notorious crimes while a trail of women remain victimized.
There are parts of the book that were true page turners, but I had really hoped for more courtroom drama. Still, I am glad I found this book at the used book fair earlier this summer. Dunne's narrator is a school chum outsider who eventually becomes a true crime writer. This character, Harrison, is obviously a mix of Dunne and other friends of the Kennedy clan. I loved all the dish and character study and had fun trying to figure out which of the fictional characters could possibly be real-life Kennedys. Dunne's book, along with others, helped reopen the real case. Michael Skakel was convicted in 2002. Martha's mother was on the news that day saying, "This is Martha's day."
Martha was killed the night before Halloween in 1975. I was a young teen then and I lived in Stamford, the city next to Greenwich. There was constat media coverage and speculation, but no arrests were made. Through the years bits and pieces would bubble up through the local grapevine. I worked with a man who had lived in Belle Haven and knew Michael and his brother Tommy. He said that Michael would go out partying at local clubs and talk about how he got away with murder. Of course, this is all hearsay. Stories surfaced in the 1980s that Michael confessed to the murder while in rehab. The story remained intriguing for several decades. Dominck Dunne was fascinated with the story after covering the Will Smith rape trial for Vanity Fair. He was rigthously indignant. It just does not seem right that the Kennedy men can get away with such notorious crimes while a trail of women remain victimized.
There are parts of the book that were true page turners, but I had really hoped for more courtroom drama. Still, I am glad I found this book at the used book fair earlier this summer. Dunne's narrator is a school chum outsider who eventually becomes a true crime writer. This character, Harrison, is obviously a mix of Dunne and other friends of the Kennedy clan. I loved all the dish and character study and had fun trying to figure out which of the fictional characters could possibly be real-life Kennedys. Dunne's book, along with others, helped reopen the real case. Michael Skakel was convicted in 2002. Martha's mother was on the news that day saying, "This is Martha's day."
September 21, 2021
Pues el clásico libro en que un día estás tomando unas copas y una persona a quien aprecias mucho comenta que ha leído este libro y le ha gustado mucho. Te pica la curiosidad y vas a por él. Y sinceramente, me lo he pasado muy bien leyéndolo. Mantiene tu atención todo el rato por la historia que va contando y con unos personajes que no tienen desperdicio. Un libro para disfrutar mientras estás tumbado al lado de la piscina o con una mantita al lado de la chimenea. En ese plan :-)
September 4, 2017
La verdad es que no esperaba mucho de este libro y me he llevado una sorpresa, me ha gustado mucho. Desde que comienzas la lectura dejas que te vaya envolviendo con su forma de narrar y cuando te das cuenta no lo puedes soltar.
Estructurado en tres épocas y estas en capítulos no muy cortos, con un lenguaje sencillo; la lectura es rápida.
Muy recomendable.
Estructurado en tres épocas y estas en capítulos no muy cortos, con un lenguaje sencillo; la lectura es rápida.
Muy recomendable.
September 17, 2021
Constant Bradley es el hijo guapo y dicharachero de una rica familia de la Costa Este de los Estados Unidos. Tiene un amigo, Harrison Burns, menos guapo y dicharachero y sobre todo, pobre, al que le hace pasar las de Caín. Porque cuando uno es pobre y entra en contacto con una familia muy rica acostumbrada a salirse siempre con la suya aunque sea de formas poco ortodoxas, o tienes pocos escrúpulos y dices sí a todo o entras en una espiral de mala conciencia y paranoia como el Vaticano de grande. Y la mención al Vaticano no es baladí, la familia Bradley es de origen irlandés y muy muy católica, de los de hacer algo mal y luego confesarse mucho.
A lo que iba. Una noche, después de una fiesta del Club al que asisten las familias bien de Scarborough Hill, aparece el cadáver de la joven Winifred Utley en el jardín de los Bradley. Dilucidar quién ha sido no va a ser tarea fácil en un barrio con tantas fortunas por metro cuadrado y en el que los padres de Winifred son unos recién llegados. La policía tira por la vía de en medio y cierra el caso aduciendo que "puede ser que se sea que ha sido un vagabundo y chimpún".
"En casos como este, a menudo a aparece el típico desconocido al que culpar, el típico vagabundo. ¿Se acuerdan del intruso merodeando por el tejado de la casa de los Grenville la noche en la que Anne Grenville mató a su esposo de un disparo? Poder recurrir a ellos es una de las ventajas de ser rico. Se trata de personas prescindibles, a las que se puede acusar y sacrificar porque no son nadie"
Dominick Dunne, además de ser el autor de la novela es el padre de la actriz Dominique Dunne, conocida por la película Poltergeist. A Dominique supuestamente la mató su pareja en lo que entonces se llamó crimen pasional y hoy es violencia de género con todas sus letras. Dicen que Dunne se inspiró en lo que le pasó a su hija y también en el asesinato de la joven Martha Moxley, ocurrido en 1975 y en el que presuntamente estaban implicados unos familiares de los Kennedy. Todo está presuntamente documentado en la web y recomiendo echarle un vistazo.
Me perdí un poco hacia la mitad del libro porque me estaba aburriendo soberanamente, aunque después entendí el por qué de ese interludio "voy de visita a los Hamptons y tengo una revelación mariana". El final es muy bueno, a pesar de todo.
A lo que iba. Una noche, después de una fiesta del Club al que asisten las familias bien de Scarborough Hill, aparece el cadáver de la joven Winifred Utley en el jardín de los Bradley. Dilucidar quién ha sido no va a ser tarea fácil en un barrio con tantas fortunas por metro cuadrado y en el que los padres de Winifred son unos recién llegados. La policía tira por la vía de en medio y cierra el caso aduciendo que "puede ser que se sea que ha sido un vagabundo y chimpún".
"En casos como este, a menudo a aparece el típico desconocido al que culpar, el típico vagabundo. ¿Se acuerdan del intruso merodeando por el tejado de la casa de los Grenville la noche en la que Anne Grenville mató a su esposo de un disparo? Poder recurrir a ellos es una de las ventajas de ser rico. Se trata de personas prescindibles, a las que se puede acusar y sacrificar porque no son nadie"
Dominick Dunne, además de ser el autor de la novela es el padre de la actriz Dominique Dunne, conocida por la película Poltergeist. A Dominique supuestamente la mató su pareja en lo que entonces se llamó crimen pasional y hoy es violencia de género con todas sus letras. Dicen que Dunne se inspiró en lo que le pasó a su hija y también en el asesinato de la joven Martha Moxley, ocurrido en 1975 y en el que presuntamente estaban implicados unos familiares de los Kennedy. Todo está presuntamente documentado en la web y recomiendo echarle un vistazo.
Me perdí un poco hacia la mitad del libro porque me estaba aburriendo soberanamente, aunque después entendí el por qué de ese interludio "voy de visita a los Hamptons y tengo una revelación mariana". El final es muy bueno, a pesar de todo.
August 16, 2024
Nobody does this as well as Dunne. Spectacular, absorbing trash. Loved it.
November 16, 2021
Dominick Dunne was famous for his writing of novels about the American rich and famous. In particular he wrote about crimes committed by some members of the "upper class". The brutal murder of the beautiful teenager Martha Moxley in the 1970s is the basis of A Season in Purgatory. A cousin of the Kennedy family was charged with the rape and murder of Martha. The similarities to the actual event and the trial which occurred decades after the murder are unmistakeable. Of course all names have been changed. A recent Dateline brought this case back into the limelight.
September 22, 2021
Oh, what a guilty pleasure! This is one of those delightful, juicy stories that is all plot, part soap opera, and a total escape from your own reality. Dinner will be late tonight!
Written by Dominick Dunne, this is the story of the Kennedyesque Bradley family. Led by the multimillionaire patriarch Gerald, this Catholic family of nine children live in a posh Connecticut mansion—complete with a staff of live-in servants. Each of the now (mostly) grown children has an issue or problem. The guys are all very bad boys, while the girls are itching to break out of the Catholic school girl restraints. But the main character isn't of this family. He is Harrison Burns, a devoted friend of Constant Bradley. Constant is the youngest son, and the one whom Gerald thinks could be president someday. We meet Constant and Harrison when they are seniors in an exclusive boys' boarding school. Harrison's parents were brutally murdered, leaving little money to their only son. Harrison spends vacations with the glamorous and powerful Bradleys and watches them and their ways closely. One late April night in 1973, Constant commits an unthinkable, violent act that could forever change all their lives—but only if he is caught. The Bradley machine goes into full gear, and the consequences are astonishing.
While it's very much a soap opera plot, just sit back and enjoy this page-turning, ingeniously plotted literary ride.
Written by Dominick Dunne, this is the story of the Kennedyesque Bradley family. Led by the multimillionaire patriarch Gerald, this Catholic family of nine children live in a posh Connecticut mansion—complete with a staff of live-in servants. Each of the now (mostly) grown children has an issue or problem. The guys are all very bad boys, while the girls are itching to break out of the Catholic school girl restraints. But the main character isn't of this family. He is Harrison Burns, a devoted friend of Constant Bradley. Constant is the youngest son, and the one whom Gerald thinks could be president someday. We meet Constant and Harrison when they are seniors in an exclusive boys' boarding school. Harrison's parents were brutally murdered, leaving little money to their only son. Harrison spends vacations with the glamorous and powerful Bradleys and watches them and their ways closely. One late April night in 1973, Constant commits an unthinkable, violent act that could forever change all their lives—but only if he is caught. The Bradley machine goes into full gear, and the consequences are astonishing.
While it's very much a soap opera plot, just sit back and enjoy this page-turning, ingeniously plotted literary ride.
April 5, 2008
This is quite a good book in Dominick Dunne's style of taking a true crime and changing the names and a few of the facts so that you still know who it is based on. A Season in Purgatory is based on Kennedy nephew's Michael Skakel's murder of Martha Moxley in the wealthy town of Greenwich, Connecticutt in 1975. The story is told from the point of view of the killers boarding school buddy who was visiting that weekend. The story is about how power and privilege can prolong justice. Years after this book was published however, the Skakel murder case was re-opened and Skakel was retried. I won't give that away if you are interested in reading.
February 19, 2023
3,5 estrellas.
Una vez más, Dominick Dunne nos sumerge en el mundo de los ricos y poderosos de EEUU en el siglo XX. Las sombras de una de esas familias en la que no es oro todo lo que reluce. Se nota que como cronista del Vanity Fair, el autor conocía muy bien de qué estaba hablando. Con todo, me gustó más "Las dos señoras Greenville".
Nota: 7
Una vez más, Dominick Dunne nos sumerge en el mundo de los ricos y poderosos de EEUU en el siglo XX. Las sombras de una de esas familias en la que no es oro todo lo que reluce. Se nota que como cronista del Vanity Fair, el autor conocía muy bien de qué estaba hablando. Con todo, me gustó más "Las dos señoras Greenville".
Nota: 7
September 24, 2024
4.5 ☆
My exact kind of trash.
My exact kind of trash.
March 2, 2018
No hay duda de que Dominick Dunne sabía escribir y que cuando plasmaba este tipo de libros sobre casos judiciales, lo hacía estupendamente bien.
No sé si habéis oído hablar del caso de una niña asesinada supuestamente por un miembro del clan Kennedy... Pues en este libro se novela ese caso. Por supuesto que no os vais a encontrar una transcripción del hecho, Dunne es bastante más complicado que eso y tiene más mala baba 😁.
Aunque el supuesto culpable fue un primo de JFK, aquí, y siempre bajo nombres ficticios, os vais a encontrar con que los protagonistas son los del clan principal; se reconoce perfectamente a JFK en el personaje de Constant.
Más allá del interés narrativo, lo interesante de este libro (perdonadme la frivolidad dado el tema de la niña) lo interesante es el morbo de las vidas de ese clan, educados para ser poderosos, ellos; y esposas perfectas de hombres poderosos, ellas.
Os dejo enlace donde podréis saber más de este caso y del autor, que también lleva su historia detrás.
https://elpais.com/cultura/2017/01/17...
¿Recomendaría este libro? Sí, sin duda alguna. Una novela que narra un caso que a día de hoy, aún no está cerrado.
No sé si habéis oído hablar del caso de una niña asesinada supuestamente por un miembro del clan Kennedy... Pues en este libro se novela ese caso. Por supuesto que no os vais a encontrar una transcripción del hecho, Dunne es bastante más complicado que eso y tiene más mala baba 😁.
Aunque el supuesto culpable fue un primo de JFK, aquí, y siempre bajo nombres ficticios, os vais a encontrar con que los protagonistas son los del clan principal; se reconoce perfectamente a JFK en el personaje de Constant.
Más allá del interés narrativo, lo interesante de este libro (perdonadme la frivolidad dado el tema de la niña) lo interesante es el morbo de las vidas de ese clan, educados para ser poderosos, ellos; y esposas perfectas de hombres poderosos, ellas.
Os dejo enlace donde podréis saber más de este caso y del autor, que también lleva su historia detrás.
https://elpais.com/cultura/2017/01/17...
¿Recomendaría este libro? Sí, sin duda alguna. Una novela que narra un caso que a día de hoy, aún no está cerrado.
March 28, 2019
Mi primera impresión es de satisfacción lectora. Quiero decir que la novela me ha resultado muy entretenida por varias cosas: la primera por el universo que crea alrededor de ese líder, ese gran hombre cuya riqueza tiene oscuros orígenes, que es Gerald Bradley. La numerosa familia que ha creado junto a su esposa Grace Molloy está formada por toda una serie de diferentes caracteres caminando todos en una misma dirección, la marcada por el patriarca: el triunfo socioeconómico, el poder; y de ahí su deseo máximo de que sus hijos varones medrasen en la política y que sus hijas casas en con excelentes partidos en lo social y en lo económico.
El segundo motivo por el que me parece una buena novela es por ser una novela de muchos personajes, cada uno de ellos con una clara individualidad. Tenemos en ellos dos claros grupos, al estilo de la serie inglesa "Up & Down", es decir, mundo de los señores (los Bradley y sus vecinos, los Somerset, los Utley...) y el de los criados que trabajan en las enormes propiedades que para hacerse notar, como si de un gran Gatsby se tratase, se ha hecho construir Gerald Bradley (la cocinera Bridey, las chicas del servicio como Rosleen, Colleen o Debbie siempre controladas por la señora de la casa, Grace Bradley, y por último aunque en una zona más cercana a los negocios del Sr. Bradley situaría a Charlie, el chófer, a Johny Faselli, el encargado de la parte oscura de los negocios, a Isis , el abogado, etc.) Y entre medias de estos dos claros estamentos encontramos al narrador de la 1a y 3a parte del relato, Harrison Burns, así como a la familia pobre de los Bradley por parte de Grace Molloy (Sis y Fatty concretamente)
Todo este inmenso universo de personajes se individualiza y concretiza en personalidades muy diversas en todos ellos, tanto en los ya citados como en los hijos de la pareja formada por Gerald y Grace: Jerry. Maureen, Agnes, Mary Pat, Desmont, Charlotte y especialmente Constante. que es quien junto a Harrison Burns soporta la trama que se presenta en esta novela. Todos los personajes están perfectamente caracterizados. Pese a las diferencias que existen entre ellos hay un factor de unión indeleble: la Familia. Cuál sí de un grupo mafioso se tratase ( la verdad es que tampoco están tan distantes de serlo) hay un sentido de pertenencia al grupo que ninguno traicionará jamás. E incluso a esta lealtad vienen a unirse las parejas, sí bien a veces es el dinero, el soborno mediante grandes cantidades de dinero, el pegamento que sirve de unión entre todos ellos.
Si alguna vez alguien no se dejase comprar por dinero el edificio de innoble dignidad edificado por Gerald Bradley se vendrá abajo. Y eso es a lo que probablemente vayamos a asistir en esta historia. ¿Caerán los Bradley porque alguien o algunos se niegan a ser comprados? ¿No caerán de ninguna manera pese a ello? Hay que leer la novela para enterarse y disfrutar de ella.
Todo sucede en un periodo de 20 años que van dela adolescencia de los dos amigos que son Harry y Constant hasta la edad adulta veinte años más tarde en que cada uno de ellos ha triunfado socialmente. Sin embargo a ambos -en especial a Harry- les persigue el sentimiento de culpa por hechos ocurría noche del día de la graduación veinte años atrás. El catolicismo y la culpa cumplen un importante papel en la novela.
[reseña completa en mi blog: http://bit.ly/2V1qOBk]
El segundo motivo por el que me parece una buena novela es por ser una novela de muchos personajes, cada uno de ellos con una clara individualidad. Tenemos en ellos dos claros grupos, al estilo de la serie inglesa "Up & Down", es decir, mundo de los señores (los Bradley y sus vecinos, los Somerset, los Utley...) y el de los criados que trabajan en las enormes propiedades que para hacerse notar, como si de un gran Gatsby se tratase, se ha hecho construir Gerald Bradley (la cocinera Bridey, las chicas del servicio como Rosleen, Colleen o Debbie siempre controladas por la señora de la casa, Grace Bradley, y por último aunque en una zona más cercana a los negocios del Sr. Bradley situaría a Charlie, el chófer, a Johny Faselli, el encargado de la parte oscura de los negocios, a Isis , el abogado, etc.) Y entre medias de estos dos claros estamentos encontramos al narrador de la 1a y 3a parte del relato, Harrison Burns, así como a la familia pobre de los Bradley por parte de Grace Molloy (Sis y Fatty concretamente)
Todo este inmenso universo de personajes se individualiza y concretiza en personalidades muy diversas en todos ellos, tanto en los ya citados como en los hijos de la pareja formada por Gerald y Grace: Jerry. Maureen, Agnes, Mary Pat, Desmont, Charlotte y especialmente Constante. que es quien junto a Harrison Burns soporta la trama que se presenta en esta novela. Todos los personajes están perfectamente caracterizados. Pese a las diferencias que existen entre ellos hay un factor de unión indeleble: la Familia. Cuál sí de un grupo mafioso se tratase ( la verdad es que tampoco están tan distantes de serlo) hay un sentido de pertenencia al grupo que ninguno traicionará jamás. E incluso a esta lealtad vienen a unirse las parejas, sí bien a veces es el dinero, el soborno mediante grandes cantidades de dinero, el pegamento que sirve de unión entre todos ellos.
Si alguna vez alguien no se dejase comprar por dinero el edificio de innoble dignidad edificado por Gerald Bradley se vendrá abajo. Y eso es a lo que probablemente vayamos a asistir en esta historia. ¿Caerán los Bradley porque alguien o algunos se niegan a ser comprados? ¿No caerán de ninguna manera pese a ello? Hay que leer la novela para enterarse y disfrutar de ella.
Todo sucede en un periodo de 20 años que van dela adolescencia de los dos amigos que son Harry y Constant hasta la edad adulta veinte años más tarde en que cada uno de ellos ha triunfado socialmente. Sin embargo a ambos -en especial a Harry- les persigue el sentimiento de culpa por hechos ocurría noche del día de la graduación veinte años atrás. El catolicismo y la culpa cumplen un importante papel en la novela.
[reseña completa en mi blog: http://bit.ly/2V1qOBk]
August 8, 2009
This book grabbed me from the beginning and sucked me into the Bradley's world. I loved the way that Dunne developed each of the characters so that you could see how and why each was unable to stand up to Gerald's tyranny or Grace's religious manipulation. I really wanted to like the Bradley family but they all were dispicable in their own way. The exception was Agnes who was shuttered away in an institution and never discussed by the famiy until Constant needed her for his defense. Everyone in this book seemed weak and lacking character until Harrison does the "right" thing and tells his story. I loved this story, loved Harrison Burns, and loved to hate Constant - who had glimmers of likeability. For me, the mark of a good story is one that makes you feel something - love, joy, sadness and even hate. I felt all of those things during my journey through this novel - it was a pleasure.
July 5, 2013
Had two copies of this book in two different bindings. Loved the story but donating now as clearing bookshelves for move.
June 17, 2022
I have had this book a very long time. I don’t know what made me read it this time around. As I peruse my bookshelf, I have consistently overlooked it.
So…..I read a bunch of reviews before I even got started. A few things stuck out. This book is supposedly about the Kennedy family. And it isn’t a happy story of the rich and famous. Dunne took some of the legal tragedies related to the family and created a fictional account of a combination of them. The phrase “based on a true story (or stories)” comes to mind. Michael Smith, Cousin Michael Skakel and Ted Kennedy and their legal problems were the “true stories” used to create this fictional account.
The book was well written. The author is known for writing about legal cases where money helps the accuser get a lessor punishment or no punishment at all, as in this case.
The character is really Dunne. I liked the change from a quiet shy teenager/young adult to a seasoned, mature man who became less intimidated by the “Bradleys”.
This was a decent read. Not particularly one of my favorites, but I would consider reading another book by this author.
So…..I read a bunch of reviews before I even got started. A few things stuck out. This book is supposedly about the Kennedy family. And it isn’t a happy story of the rich and famous. Dunne took some of the legal tragedies related to the family and created a fictional account of a combination of them. The phrase “based on a true story (or stories)” comes to mind. Michael Smith, Cousin Michael Skakel and Ted Kennedy and their legal problems were the “true stories” used to create this fictional account.
The book was well written. The author is known for writing about legal cases where money helps the accuser get a lessor punishment or no punishment at all, as in this case.
The character is really Dunne. I liked the change from a quiet shy teenager/young adult to a seasoned, mature man who became less intimidated by the “Bradleys”.
This was a decent read. Not particularly one of my favorites, but I would consider reading another book by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2021
It’s hard to read any other “true crime” book after reading this one. Now, technically this is not a true crime because the names have been changed. But, this book is about the murder, coverup, and lack of justice in the Martha Moxley murder perpetrated by Michael Skakel. The book is told in the voice of Michael’s best friend who blows the entire truth out of the water. Unfortunately if you know anything about this murder the proper justice wasn’t served and this book explores the story from beginning to end. I honestly could not put this down at all. The voice in which it was written was almost addictive. You feel like a voyeur into a branch of the world you never thought existed. If you love thrillers, true crime, and excellent timeless writing this book is everything.
July 25, 2023
I couldn't put this down!
September 3, 2024
he priorizado este libro a salir más rato en feria… creo que lo dice todo
August 27, 2022
I picked a very old copy of this book from a "little library" in a touristy town France, which was conveniently located at the entrance of a parking lot. There were a lot of books in many languages that people left for fellow travelers. I picked this one, because I used to read Dominick Dunne's pieces in Vanity Fair, which told me that he was connected to celebrities and was interested in crime stories. I didn't know whom this book was about until after I finished it. However, it was obvious as I read it, that the book was based on a real event.
I liked the novel. It is a good summer read, if you are into crime stories. Dunne manages to keep it interesting, with a rich gallery of conflicted characters.
I liked the novel. It is a good summer read, if you are into crime stories. Dunne manages to keep it interesting, with a rich gallery of conflicted characters.
March 19, 2023
Buena lectura, mucho entretenimiento. Observar a los ricos salirse con la tuya es tan repulsivo como atractivo.
January 29, 2016
I decided to read this book because I had just finished watching a documentary about Ann Woodward and remembered that Dominick Dunne had written a fictionalized book based on her life called “The Two Mrs. Grenvilles”. (She, along with several others, makes an appearance in this book too.) Since I had thoroughly enjoyed it, I decided to try this one.
I was not disappointed!
Half the fun of this novel is trying to identify who all the real life players are in this fascinating roman à clef by Dominick Dunne. Some characters are a compilation of different people, others are dead ringers! It seems odd to say that reading a book about murder is “fun”… absorbing might be a better word.
NOTE: The novel is loosely based on the murder of Martha Moxley – here is some information about the crime:
I was not disappointed!
Half the fun of this novel is trying to identify who all the real life players are in this fascinating roman à clef by Dominick Dunne. Some characters are a compilation of different people, others are dead ringers! It seems odd to say that reading a book about murder is “fun”… absorbing might be a better word.
NOTE: The novel is loosely based on the murder of Martha Moxley – here is some information about the crime:
August 16, 2012
"You're different," said Constant.
"Oh, I hope so," replied Harrison.
"This is a tough guy...I don't mean tough, like in the boxing ring...I mean a tougher kind of tough, like integrity tough."
"If I had it to do over again, would I do what I did? I would like to say, "Oh, yes, yes, yes," but, in truth, I wonder."
"Purgatory is a place for contemplation of what is ahead, for atonement for what is behind, for purification, for expiation. It is a preparation for the sight of God."
"...truth will always find it's way. Always."
I liked it very much.
What makes one who they are?
Is it based on what has happened to them? Is it the choices made? Actions taken or regrets of inaction? Can we change who we are? Do we make it, whether actively or passively?
And after asking that one must be forced to decide-Who do I want to be?
Certainly not for young or sensitive readers.
June 9, 2008
Heard this book is a fiction story based on the 1975 Martha Moxley murder in Greenwich. That story always fascinated and scared me because I was a teen during that time and realized it could of happened to someone I knew!
The book got off to a slow start, but then the character development and intertwining of the years and lives became very interesting and fascinating. Dunne portrayed the character relationships very well. You wanted to love the Bradleys for their money, power and outwardly perfect life, but you knew they were scoundrals and did not deserve the limelight they received. Harrison Burns was from Ansonia so it was fun to see your home town mentioned although it alluded to the his poorness and ranking below the Bradley clan power. If you like to read about the rich, famous, murder and American dreams, you will greatly enjoy this book!
The book got off to a slow start, but then the character development and intertwining of the years and lives became very interesting and fascinating. Dunne portrayed the character relationships very well. You wanted to love the Bradleys for their money, power and outwardly perfect life, but you knew they were scoundrals and did not deserve the limelight they received. Harrison Burns was from Ansonia so it was fun to see your home town mentioned although it alluded to the his poorness and ranking below the Bradley clan power. If you like to read about the rich, famous, murder and American dreams, you will greatly enjoy this book!
February 18, 2018
Crimes of the rich. Dominick Dunne's novel documents the real crime of Micheal Skakel who was accused and convicted for killing Martha Marloxey. He was blamed for instigating his trial and conviction. And, in his book, Constant Bridely, the son of a wealthy investor, Gerald Bradley murders Winfred Utley in Scaborough Hill. After trying for years to cover up for his son's crimes, the law eventually catches up with him. Following Harrison Burns courageous break of the events that took place in the Bridely family on the day of the incident, Constant is indicted and charged for the crimes. It is a book that will keep you glued to its pages throughout the day and night. The crimes and lifestyle of the depicted family will leave you wondering just how far people are willing to go in order to keep themselves away from the law.
January 17, 2020
If I am ever tempted to forget that the rich really are different, I must remind myself to pick up a Dominick Dunne book. My, the things that unimaginable wealth can buy. Even so, I wonder if even Dunne could have predicted a Donald Trump presidency.
There are skeletons in the Kennedy family's closets...literally, as in, actual skeletons. We know of two, for sure: Martha Moxley's, and Mary Jo Kopechne's. This book is Martha Moxley's story, as much as Black Water, by Joyce Carol Oates, is Mary Jo's, though neither girl is mentioned by name.
Are there skeletons in Fred Trump's closet? Hah! Don't make me laugh. And in President Trump's closet, the man who buys off prostitutes with his pocket change? We know of at least 176 so far, those dead innocents aboard Ukraine Flight 752. But it's all okay. He has, no doubt, a very large closet.
There are skeletons in the Kennedy family's closets...literally, as in, actual skeletons. We know of two, for sure: Martha Moxley's, and Mary Jo Kopechne's. This book is Martha Moxley's story, as much as Black Water, by Joyce Carol Oates, is Mary Jo's, though neither girl is mentioned by name.
Are there skeletons in Fred Trump's closet? Hah! Don't make me laugh. And in President Trump's closet, the man who buys off prostitutes with his pocket change? We know of at least 176 so far, those dead innocents aboard Ukraine Flight 752. But it's all okay. He has, no doubt, a very large closet.
March 28, 2009
I read this book a long time ago, but have followed the real-life Skakel murder it was based upon. I'm a faithful reader of Dunne's Vanity Fair dispatches and found the book to be a faithful representation of what allegedly happened in this upscale place. Using money and power the family in the book, and in real life, covered it up and Dunne identities well with the murdered girl's family since his own daughter was killed and her attacker received a slap on the wrist. Well-written, great characters and will make you want to learn more about the crime.
March 21, 2017
Completely engrossing. Loved how it was from the perspective of the accomplice and the toll the crime took on him and all those affected. How easily we can get swept up with the wrong crowd albeit innocently, or so it seems at the beginning. With a mix of crime, wealth, vanity, religion and family, this book covered it all.
August 8, 2009
Twenty years after the murder of a young girl by a member of a wealthy New England family, a prep school friend threatens to expose the family cover up. This is a real page turner based loosely on a true murder case.
August 16, 2022
Excelente novela sobre el inmenso poder de las familias más adineradas de Estados Unidos, capaces de eludir cualquier responsabilidad sobre sus actos. Trama absorbente y unos personajes y diálogos soberbios.
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