Carriage Trade — Stephen Birmingham

The suspicious death of a New York retail tycoon reveals dangerous cracks in a family's foundation in this page-turning novel of wealth, jealousy, betrayal, and murder

One of New York's most elegant and exclusive retail establishments, Tarkington's has been the preferred shopping experience of Manhattan's elite for decades. But the unexpected death of founder Silas Tarkington has raised serious doubts about the future of the enterprise, and his daughter, Miranda, must weigh the pros and cons of continuing her father's legacy. Then, at the reading of Silas's will, disturbing questions arise about the tycoon's past and suggestions of a dark, secret life threaten to tear the family apart. For Miranda; her elegant socialite mother, Consuelo; her estranged son, Blazer; and Diana, the fieriest and most recent in the late entrepreneur's long line of mistresses, the truth could destroy much more than the family business -- especially as it becomes more and more likely that Silas's death was no accident.
 
Author Stephen Birmingham has spent his career documenting the lives of the wealthy and powerful in his bestsellers “Our Crowd” and “The Rest of Us”. Putting his unique inside knowledge of the privileged world of the upper crust to excellent use, he has devised a thrilling story of money, power, deception, and treachery that will keep the reader eagerly turning its pages.