Sanders novels are usually fast paced exciting reading. His books are filled with interesting likable characters involved in fascinating situations. That sadly, is not the case here. “Guilty Pleasures is the story of the wealthy Folsby family from the ‘70s to the ‘90s. Emmet Richard Folsby, founder of a huge publishing firm is the patriarch of the family. He has a wife, Constance Louise, and two children. Barbara Ann and Brett Sherwood. The book centers around the Barbara and Brett relationship. Barbara is an aggressive ambitious businesswoman while Brett is a lazy dashing playboy with strong sexual needs. He is also Barbara’s worst enemy. A more interesting part of the book is the relationship between Judge Seth Parnell his housekeeper and her son Noah. He takes care of them and becomes somewhat a father figure to Noah. He also seems to know many secrets of the Folsby family. With this mix of characters one expects the novel to be an exhilarating thriller that the author is known for. But something is wrong here. The characters are flat, boring and unlikable while the writing is slow and very uneven. Nothing really exciting ever happens. The author plays on a relationship between Barbra and Noah that goes nowhere. Brett is wearisome as he has wild sexual escapades and the book would have been a lot more interesting if it had been about the Judge. There is no mystery or humor like the author’s “Deadly Sins” or “McNally” series that are so much fun to read. What is also lacking here is the wit Sanders usually provides in his novels. “Guilty Pleasures” doesn’t even have the class of his novel “Capital Crimes” in which an evangelist advised the President of the United States on policy. Sanders, who is no longer with us, should have gone out with a bang, instead he left with a whimper.
Guilty Pleasures
Lawrence Sanders
Berkley Books
375 Hudson Street , New York, New York 10014
www.penguiin.com, 9780425166390, $7.50, www.amazon.com
