Gossip Hound

Gossip Hound
By Wendy Holden
Penguin Group, 2003. 304 pgs. General Fiction


Grace Armiger is a hard working publicist stuck in a sinking ship. Hatto and Hatto publish esoteric literature like “Sucking Stones”, a travelogue by good looking British explorer Henry Moon. As the novel begins Henry is already smitten with Grace. At a literary festival the two have a brief and drunken affair. Grace calls it off because she feels guilt about cheating on her current boyfriend. Hygienically challenged Sion is a member of the revolutionary socialists. Sion treats Grace shabbily yet Grace stays with him. Belinda Black, a disgusting character, is a shoddy journalist who is tired of “B” list stars. She wants to jump up to the “A” list feature of her tabloid and is looking for a big break. Lady Armiger, wife of an ambassador, invites Grace to Venice for a dinner party and everything changes. Grace dazzles a Texas billionaire who fortuitously wants to purchase Hatto and Hatto and save its fate. Shortly after Grace is called on to promote the ridiculously bad novel of womanizing movie star Red Campion. Belinda and Grace’s lives intertwine as Belinda tries to land an interview with Red. Grace starts another lusty affair, this time with Red, while Henry fruitlessly continues to pursue her. Harried Grace hires a house cleaner to help organize her house, but the house cleaner wants to organize her love life as well. At another literary festival (this one about books in extremely poor taste) Grace, Henry, Belinda, and Red all collide and the novel resolves itself.


Although Holden is supposed to be a favorite I didn’t like this book. I didn’t understand why Henry Moon, the only likeable character, was so crazy for Grace. Grace, although supposedly a smart and savvy working girl, comes off as clueless and dissolute. Much of the novel centers on meaningless sexual encounters. I didn’t find it hilarious as advertized, but trashy. Although it is catalogued as general fiction I felt like I was reading a romance, and a bad one at that.