Madam 90210: My Life as Madam to the Rich and Famous

by Alex Adams, William Stadiem

In a provocative account of her life, the alleged Beverly Hills Madam offers an intimate, candid account of her career as the notorious "Madam to the stars," providing a behind-the-bedroom-door look at the Hollywood film world. 100,000 first printing. $100,000 ad/promo. Tour.

284 pages, Hardcover

First published October 19, 1993

Reviews

[Mark Young · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Madam 90210" is the story of Alex Adams, a former florist who bought a call-girl business from a client who was leaving the business, and through shrewd and discreet marketing, built her client list to include the most famous names in Hollywood, the richest Arab oil magnates, and all the behind the scenes "players" with the money and the influence. It's a sort of jaded American success story.

The book itself consists of just two things: pornography, the description of sex acts, and plutography, the description of lives of the wealthy and famous. The book is mostly episodic, taking us for a short time on the careers and "johns" of each of Alex's girls. There is lots of sex, drugs, rock n' roll...and lots of names for clothes, cars, jewellery, perfume, and shoes that I'd neither heard of nor cared about in my life. These are the kind of people who buy sex and cocaine the way other people buy groceries. The oldest profession, the oldest (historically, and sometimes literally) clients, and the oldest stories, are provided by a Hollywood insider who thinks we will be as fascinated with the lives of rich and famous people as they are--a peep hole for the peons; x-rated Robin Leach.

But the problem with that is that any names and "identifying characteristics" of the participants in this sex ring have been changed "to protect their privacy." In other words, readers are presented with the titillating prospect that whoever they are reading about could be the Hollywood figure of their choice: Michael Eisner, Kevin Costner, Charlton Heston, or (insert star's name here). In other, other words, this is a novel. Because it does not reveal the truth, it is rendered, in essence, a piece of fiction, and a very bad one at that.

Here is the book: "You've heard all about Heidi Fleiss, the Hollywood Madam? You want the inside story? Here is someone like her." Tellingly, the book begins and ends with segments on Heidi Fleiss and the struggle for control which resulted after Alex Adams retired. The rest is just plutography and pornography: name-dropping and pants-dropping.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard for me to say I like this book (3 stars) because frankly I can barely stomach the descriptions of barbie-like women near the beginning valued as if they are "beautiful". (insert projectile (popout?)vomit here:), and the descriptions of the hollywood/business johns feel too close for comfort as well.(shaking head...)sigh. I do find it interesting however, so on I read, though I can't figure out when I want to take the time; bedtime it's too sleazy, daytime it's too sexy.
What's a girl to do?

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

In places it got confusing, first person, third person? And it didn't drop names which would have made it more juicy. Otherwise a reasonably interesting book

[Jeanine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the book I was hoping to read, I wanted more about the day to day of a madam's life not the sex.

[Katharine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think if I’d read it when it was written it would be more sensational. I found it a difficult read mostly because it was so descriptive and forthright. I get it, but, I didn’t enjoy most of it.

[Flora · Rating 1 out of 5]

This should have been AMAZING: the "memoir" of Alex Adams, the notorious Hollywood Madam whose business Heidi Fleiss allegedly stole. Unfortunately, there are about ten pages of memoir interspersed with long swathes of speculative non-fiction by her ghostwriter -- basically, two hundred pages of uninteresting blind items (which is inexcusable). If this had been a straight-up memoir by Madam Alex, I am sure it would have taken its place beside "Mayflower Madam," the "Moby Dick" of the tabloid canon.

[DAISY READS HORROR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book. I wish there were pictures of Alex Adams. I am curious to see what she looks like. Google search didn't turn up much besides the fact that she passed a way a few years after this book was published.

[Nancy Yankowski · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quite frankly a waste of my time.

[Tiffany Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting look into the world of Hollywood escorts

[Karen]

Interesting story of crazy ladies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0oj6...