Restaurant: A Novel of Suspense

by Parley J. Cooper

Celebrity-exploitation trivia -- as a Grand Hotel cast of glamorous stereotypes gathers at The Restaurant, a ritzy watering hole in Saratoga, California. And none of them knows that a Mafia assassin has planted a bomb in the banquet hall. There's celebrating governor-elect Raymond Fedder (hello, Jerry Brown); his castoff mistress and now publicity agent Faye; and the gov's new young mistress, opportunist popsinger Belinda Oliver (read Linda Ronstadt), who is splitting from her poor mangled secret lover, alcoholic pianist Stephen Webb. (Belinda lusts for the security of being First Lady and enjoying Raymond's ""old California dollars."") Nearby, kept man Trevor James wakes up with twice-divorced Joanna (echo on Jackie Susann), the wildly successful novelist who drives a white Rolls Royce when not being scolded by her agent (""Joanna, you're letting this man destroy your career""). And another room is shared by the aged ex-movie star sisters Jeanette and Martine Devote (read the de Havilland sisters, Olivia and Joan Fontaine), who are at their lifelong catfight, now focusing on their recently buried mother, Martine's forthcoming movie comeback, and her premonitions of doom about tonight's banquet-hall celebration. She needn't worry. When the explosion comes, the hand of God winnows the goodies from the baddies . . .

301 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Parley Cooper is the author of over twenty-four novels, including the bestseller Dark Desires. He also writes under the bylines Jack Mayfield, Alex Nebrensky, William Freytag, and Dorothy McKinney.