Champagne Kisses, Cyanide Dreams

by Ralph Graves

Growing up in Manhattan and attending Groton and Harvard, I learned to tolerate many frightful people. But you have to draw the line somewhere. I drew the line at Mildred Silk. Thus are we introduced to Jason Arnold, occasional writer, bon vivant, and acerbic observer of life on Martha's Vineyard - the exclusive preserve of the rich, the privileged, and the famous. And few of the island's denizens are more determinedly rich, privileged, and famous than Millie Silk. Famous most of all for her acid tongue and general mean-spiritedness, Millie is about to publish her most extravagant no-holds-barred celebrity expose ever. But the presses may never roll once she is murdered at her own party, in plain sight of nearly two dozen witnesses. All the island - enemies and admirers alike - is aghast. Rounding up the suspects is easy; the killer must have been present at the party, and every last one of the guests seems to have had an excellent motive. But as the police begin to investigate, the most likely suspects also begin to die, one by one, and all by cyanide. Champagne Kisses, Cyanide Dreams is a frequently sarcastic, often hilarious, and unflaggingly thrilling tour through the celebrity mansions and gardens of a Vineyard most tourists never see. Ralph Graves is a suave and civilized writer who manages to by very funny, very suspenseful, and very entertaining.

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2001

About the author

Ralph Augustus Graves was an American reporter, editor, and writer. He authored several novels and edited and contributed to famous periodicals such as Life magazine.Graves was employed as a writer and reporter at Life magazine from 1948 to 1958. He steadily rose through the ranks at Life magazine, serving as the articles editor, the assistant managing editor, and the managing editor before leaving the publication in 1972. Graves moved to Time, Inc. where he served as the senior staff editor and editorial director, among other positions.

Reviews

[John W.]

A quick read. Starts off well but then peters out.

[Godine Publisher & Black Sparrow Press]

"I salute Ralph Graves for his nifty detail and his consummate gift of surprise."
— Norman Mailer

"Rich, sophisticated, vivid: the kind of sweeping, lusty adventure novel we never get anymore."
— Shana Alexander

"Share of Honor is a rousing book, fiction made especially vivid by Ralph Graves's respect for historical truth, his absolutely sure sense of place."
— David McCullough

[Judith]

A good airplane book. Nothing memorable. Liked the Martha Vineyard setting for the story.

[Barbara]

A great whodunit....light reading, fun.