In my quest to read as many books as possible to stay on top of what’s hot and what’s selling, I’ve had to suffer through a lot of ‘bad’ books. I am very happy to report that Lolita Files’ sex.lies.murder.fame was not one of them. I love love loved this book. It was dark, disturbing, and utterly hilarious in some points. A quick-read but totally smart and literary (I had to bust out my dictionary on more than one occasion, and I consider myself well-read). And an ending that had my jaw on the floor like whoa. Four glowing stars and my most enthusiastic recommendation.
Set in the book publishing industry, the novel depicts the wreckage that occurs when a narcoleptic editor looking for love crosses paths with bitter genius who’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants (basically a book deal, followed by world domination). The sociologist in me was most struck by the way Files crafted the dark satire to be a scalding critique of society’s obsession with fame and celebrity, to the point where it pretty much lobotomizes the masses. In addition to entertaining the reader, it critically examines the downside of hyper-consumerism and unchecked greed while highlighting everything that’s wrong with society. The book made me laugh AND think, which to me, is time very well spent.
Files’ characters are so vivid and memorable that they stay with you long after the last page has been turned. (Penn Hamilton is evil incarnate!) It is an author’s triumph when they leave readers wanting more, and Files has accomplished that. I’m anxiously awaiting the sequel Lo 
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