The Gilded Life of Matilda Duplaine

The Gilded Life of Matilda Duplaine by Alex Brunkhorst

Author Alex Brunkhorst unveils her first novel with a flourish. She combines old Hollywood glamour with the innocence of pure, naive love. The result is a charming, captivating story that readers will savor long after the last page.

Reporter Thomas Cleary is a lucky man. After a controversial stint in Manhattan, he's landed a plum newspaper job at the L.A. Times. His first assignment is an interview with Lily Goldman, the daughter of deceased Joel Goldman, the legendary and formidable Hollywood mogul and studio head. The affable and humble Thomas is an immediate hit with the beautiful people, and he soon finds himself immersed in a world of opulence, wealth, and grandeur. Lily introduces him to the sultry, alluring actress Carole Partridge and her writer husband, the easy-going, Charles. He meets stars at every lavish, resplendent party he attends. When he shakes the hand of  David Duplaine, indisputably the hottest producer of box-office hits in Tinseltown, he is truly intimidated. Suddenly, he is thrown into a life that dreams are made of, and he finds himself relishing each and every moment.

Then Thomas makes a startling discovery one evening alone while visiting the secluded grounds of David's estate. A winsome, fascinating young beauty named Matilda apparently lives a lonely but privileged existence there. She's never ventured off the property in her twenty years of being alive. Shrouded in mystery, Thomas and Matilda form an extraordinary bond. After numerous clandestine meetings, the couple decide to escape the estate. Lily agrees to help. They travel to an abandoned home in Hawaii that once belonged to her father, the powerful Joel Goldman. While on this lush, tropical island, Thomas begins to see subtle changes in Matilda.; changes that make him question his devotion to her. Becoming more and more suspicious of Matilda's upbringing, Thomas begins his own investigation, unearthing clues left behind in the Hawaii home. He gradually uncovers startling lies and deceit about the young woman who has stolen his heart. Can they survive what he has discovered?

Refreshing and soothing. this novel takes a most unlikely scenario and turns it into a magical love story, one that you will enjoy watching unfold.

And you can write your own ending......