Putting his experience as a gossip columnist for the New York Post
's notorious Page Six to good use, Spiegelman presents a down-and-dirty insider's look at the life of a scandalmonger in his second novel (after 2003's Everyone's Burning
). Leon Koch, a reporter for an unnamed New York City tabloid owned by some unsavory figures from down under, has long lived a life of ennui, not caring much about anything. His attitude begins to change after he receives a disturbing anonymous call from a woman blaming him for the suicide of a talent agent, the subject of a recent gossip column. A homicide detective takes an interest in the case, and soon Koch and his colleagues find themselves at the center of a scandal. In order to unravel the mystery, Koch plunges into the bleak and untrustworthy world of celebrities, publicists and others who follow in their wake. While the solution to the crime is nothing special, Spiegelman has created a unique character in a searing look at the world of professional gossip. (May)
