Equal to Princes: A Hollywood Novel

The Diamond family, entrenched in the sometimes torrid and almost always treacherous world of Hollywood, is the focus of this lengthy novel. Gregory (who has written films, three prior novels and a nonfiction book, Making Films Your Business knows her Hollywood, and she knows what makes commercial fiction tick. The novel follows the lives of the three Diamond brothers from 1947 to 1971. Arrogant Sheldon, head of a large movie studio, plays the role of villain. David, the youngest, is a victim of the blacklist in the late '40s, goes to Australia to make films and falls in love with Sheldon's wife. Mel, the pathetic middle brother, is responsible for a good many of the novel's steamy sex scenes. A horde of Diamond relatives, friends and enemies flesh out the talesometimes literally. The story's stereotypes and sensation aside, Gregory must be praised for her extensive research and careful retelling of the proceedings and devastating effects of the House Committee on Un-American Activities. (March 21)