Dizzying Heights — Bruce Ducker

This satirical comedy takes place in Aspen, Colorado, second home to billionaires and corporate titans, as well as the ski bums and service staff who keep the town running. Waddy Brush, a young computer programmer, stumbles into a new life in Aspen, falling in with Mortimer Dooberry, a best-selling author/psychologist who lives from scam to scam. Thus begins a story with many twists and unforgettable characters at every turn: a pink-Hummer-driving oil queen, a vacuous heir to a toilet maker's fortune, a cocaine-sniffing rock star, and many more. At stake is the development of the last unspoiled valley in Aspen and a get-rich-quick scheme that pushes the limits of ethics in the Information Age. A clever and entertaining read, Dizzying Heights reaches the satisfying conclusion that good guys don't have to finish last.