The Last of the Duchess

Rating:
Summary: Little known last act to famous life
Review: The long coda to the life of one of the twentieth century's most famous (infamous?) figures was played out in a French villa in an atmosphere of secrecy and intrigue that was at times bizarre. This book is extremely sharply written and is a reminder that the gothic mode is not the exclusive preseve of either fiction or the nineteenth century.

Rating:
Summary: It's a mystery! No, a biography! It's both and it's good.
Review: This book is a mystery novel, journalist's feature story and biography all in one. Telling the story through the author's attempts to uncover the truth surrounding Wallis' life after the death of the Duke keeps the suspense-level high. It grabbed my interest and held it to the end. If you are at all interested in the Windsors' story, this book completes the story of Wallis' life and gives a few more details about their lives that previous books have not.

Rating:
Summary: If you are intrigued by Wallis, read this!
Review: This was a truly bizarre, and sad, story of the final days of this larger-than-life woman. Maitre Blum was a woman obsessed by, and in love with, the Duchess. The amount of control M. Blum held, and the ferocity with which she held on to it are truly scary forces to see. As a follow-up to the death of the Duchess, read the essay in Dominick Dunne's collection about the disposition of her estate by the hand of M. Blum.