Park Avenue Rich

Rating:
Summary: Two extremes of the self-indulgent spectrum meet
Review: The main characters of this book are all self-indulged and self-absorbed personalities. One is a drop-dead attractive international con man whose goal is to steal from wealthy people and perfectly capable of killing without remorse if necessary. The others are extremely rich, spoiled brats who think the world exists solely to satisfy their childish whims. Jimmy Cavanaugh is the current name that the con man is going by and the book starts with his flight from England, where he has just fleeced an older woman of her money. However, she discovered his theft before he could get away, so his last act was to kill her.
Jimmy arrives in New York and immediately makes contact with Freddie von Eckhardt, a billionaire heiress who is as spoiled as a person can be. She is immediately captivated by him and enlists her similarly rich and spoiled friends to invest in his plans for a club. Of course, they think nothing of throwing thousands of dollars into his scheme without asking for any particulars or plans for the project.
One man, an art dealer named Stuart is the only one with the sense to perform the most elementary of background checks and learns that Jimmy is not from a wealthy Canadian family and his namesake recently died after living into his eighties. Unfortunately, Stuart?s sense leaves him after learning this information. Rather than informing on Jimmy, he attempts to bribe him into sex, which gets him killed. Being the pro that he is, Jimmy manages to clean up the crime scene so that he cannot immediately be traced to the murder. However, there is enough to link him to the crime and the police are in hot pursuit. Jimmy flies off to the Caribbean with Freddie, ostensibly to get married, but in reality so that he can dump her far away from her friends.
This was a story that was better than I thought it would be at first. The self-indulgence of the major characters is disgusting and turns you off. Their stupidity in managing money is beyond belief. However, the author is able to overcome those hurdles, constructing a tale that kept me very interested, although the ?conclusion? was unsatisfactory. I won?t state what it is; other than to say that it leaves open the possibility of another book of the further adventures of ?Jimmy Cavanaugh.?


Rating:
Summary: really good book
Review: if you want action,money,etc.. this book provides it all.anything goes&Yet you are wonder what might happen next in certain parts of the Book.this is the Kind of Book that if Donald Trump was a Film Director He would try to create&Make.the Rich&The Powerful always make a Good Read at any cost.

Rating:
Summary: A wild child heiress becomes the target of a devious schemer
Review: On Monday, August 20th (in either the year 2001 or 2007), a flight from Britain to Newark International Airport brings Jimmy Cavanaugh to the New World, a handsome young man who has come to take New York on his terms and squeeze from it the riches he so greatly desires. Meanwhile, a Gulfstream is headed by LaGuardia returning Freddie von Eckhardt to her New York home and as we alternative in the first chapter of "Park Avenue Rich" between Jimmy and Freddie reaching their immediate destinations it becomes clear that R.J. Revaitis has put these two on a collision course. When the chapter ends with Jimmy in the Presidential Suite at the Pierre Hotel on Fifth Avenue looking at a magazine article entitled "Who are the Twenty Most Eligible Women in Manhattan" we have our first indication that this meeting might not be a good thing.

This second novel from Revaitis is set among those people who are known as Manhattan's beautiful people (by their own admition). Wild child heiress Freddie von Eckhardt is the target of whatever devious scheme Jimmy is up to and the first challenge of this book is to decide with which of the two main character do our sympathies lie with in this story. But then as we meet more of the cast of characters we come around to the conclusion that maybe nobody in "Park Avenue Rich" deserves that honor.

My thinking on this matter is colored by the fact that in terms of real world touchstones for the likes of a spoiled heiress like Freddie von Eckhardt the obvious choice today is Paris Hilton. On the one hand in comparison to Paris anybody is going to come out ahead, even if they are a fictional character. I swear the idea for the second season of "The Simple Life" was that if those two drove around the country sooner or later they would have to run into something along the lines of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or a less horrific comeuppance, and it is hard not to look at Freddie's character and not think she deserves a similar sort of fate. But as we find out more about Jimmy's past, it seems that Freddie is indeed going to be dealt a harsh lesson beyond what she might deserve because of her own behavior.

"Park Avenue Rich" is a quick reader, the sort of past paced thriller that serves a reader well as reading material for a weekend at the beach. Ironically the best parts of the novel suggest that Revaitis might be better served in the future to slow down and try for something bigger. Revaitis has written several screenplays and for this novel clearly has that sort of economy. But then we are suddenly treated to an extended look at Stuart Duncan, one of the supporting characters that provides more depth and insight than we really have for Jimmy and Freddie. The same can be said for Alexandra Munroe and Asia Jerome, both of who are ultimately more interesting that poor little rich girl Freddie. The biggest irony of the novel is that the two main characters might be the least interesting.

Along these lines the book's epilogue is the strongest "chapter" in the novel and along with the final twist Revaitis gives Jimmy's scheme gives evidence of what Revaitis can do in a more substantial novel. He is a lot better when he takes his time and tells us about his characters than when he is moving his plot along towards its climax. I can almost draw a line of demarcation through the novel that would prove any section longer than two pages shows more style and substance than those falling short of that mark. But there are more than enough of the good parts to keep you reading this one and with this strong ending you will have enjoyed the journey.

Rating:
Summary: Jackie Collins meets Mr Ripley
Review: PARK AVENUE RICH by R.J. Revaitis
August 10, 2004

R.J. Revaitis' novel, PARK AVENUE RICH, is a combination of Jackie Collins and a touch of Mr. Ripley (Patricia Highsmith). A good looking con man works his way through the rich and famous, blending in without a care in the world, pretending he is one of them, befriending them, and then taking as much as he dares from them without getting caught.

The main target of this scam in PARK AVENUE RICH is Freddie Von Eckhardt, an heiress to a multi-million dollar empire. She jets around the world at a whim, and so does her sister Ursula. Freddie is into partying non-stop and is known to have a very promiscuous love life, but she is hoping to find that dream man one day, someone that will put a stop to her roaming and convince her to settle down.

When Freddie meets Jimmy Cavanaugh at a bar, she's instantly smitten. He's good looking, and "obviously" he has money. He buys her drinks, and before she knows it, she's in Jimmy's bed. She has no idea that Jimmy had drugged her cocktail and never suspects a thing. Jimmy, however, is already planning the next step.

He introduces Freddie to his idea of a chain of nightclubs, the first one to open up in Miami. But he needs some backers. She is so infatuated with the con man that she does not see him as anything but legitimate. They get to know one another, and she learns that he is from a very wealthy family from Canada, a family as wealthy as hers. What she does not know is that in truth, he grew up poor and learned his skills of a con man through his parents. As far as she can tell, he's belongs with the rich and famous, one of her kind and he's legit, and in her excitement she immediately sells his idea to her friends. And they all buy it. No one suspects he's anything but who he says he is.

Across the Atlantic in merry old England, Chief Inspector Ian Chesterman is trying to solve the case of a missing heiress, Lady Margaret Pembroke, and her current lover Mr. Roger Barrymore. There appears to be no connection to this story with that of the action happening in New York, and the novel bounces back and forth between the two plots. I found this irritating at first, but knew that there had to be a connection in order for this book to work. And there is! It does take quite some time to find the connection, but for some readers it may turn out to be obvious.

The novel is filled with characters that would feel at home in a Jackie Collins novel. Lots of drug use, sex and a little bit of violence are thrown into the story. And the character of Jimmy Cavanaugh is very reminiscent of the famous Mr. Ripley character created by Patricia Highsmith. Although the book was well-thought out, I couldn't give this book as high marks as I would have wished, due to the fact that the author took concepts that have been done before. A lot of the book was formulaic in the style that I have just mentioned, and the ending was pretty predictable, since he seemed to be imitating a Mr. Ripley story. I could almost envision Matt Damon in the role as Jimmy. This reviewer gives PARK AVENUE RICH three out of five stars.

Rating:
Summary: A fast-paced, entertaining read
Review: R.J. Revaitis' Park Avenue Rich is an entertaining read that perseveres through a few speed bumps here and there and manages to impart a dose of the magical elixir of expectation and suspense on the reader as he/she nears the end of this relatively short novel. The author gives you a heavy dose of the stuff too hot for TV's Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, rich brats doing what they do best and lecherous entertainers engaging in all manner of ribald debauchery (you know - sex, drugs, that whole scene). There are no innocents in this lineup. Naiveté does exist in copious amounts, however, and that's where a handsome stranger named Jimmy Cavanaugh comes in. Young heiress Freddie von Eckhardt has just returned home to New York from a jet-setting week of rich-former-boyfriend-forgetting. Before she can get back into her old hedonistic groove, however, she agrees to accompany her best friend Alexandra to a charity soirée. Bored out of her pretty little mind, she encounters handsome young Jimmy Cavanaugh and soon escapes the stifling benefit with him to partake in some adults-only clubbing. So begins the love affair of poor dumb Freddie's young life. She is always wary of men trying to woo her for her money, but she knows Jimmy is filthy rich already. How does she know this? Why, because that is what he tells her. That's all the proof Freddie seems to need. After giving her a big shuck and jive about his filthy rich origins in Toronto, Jimmy happens to mention he's in town raising money for a kicking new club in Miami Beach. Soon, Freddie is convincing friends and acquaintances to buy into the project. Jimmy says it's going to be a really great club, and that's all it takes to part several fools for their money.

While Jimmy is building up a potentially big nest egg for himself, Scotland Yard is on the case of a missing wealthy woman and her younger lover. The chief detective is not Sherlock Holmes; he's not even Inspector Lestrade. Eventually, though, he learns that his suspect is a notorious con man who has been fleecing (and now, for the first time, killing) his way through Europe. All roads lead to a potentially exciting conclusion, and I found myself worrying about Freddie despite myself. The ending turned out a lot differently than I expected, so that's a point in the author's favor.

The style of this novel is interesting in a couple of ways. First, it is a novel devoid of a single good guy; I guess the cops are good guys, but they are just bit players in this drama. More strangely, however, there really doesn't seem to be a true protagonist here. One could perhaps pick Jimmy or Freddie as the main character, but I never really felt the type of connection to either of them that I would associate with a true protagonist. In places, the author chose to abandon his lead characters all together and delve into the details of secondary characters' lives, past and present; I'm not sure the story as it is required such a high degree of detail in these areas. Still, the novel was an entertaining and reasonably quick read, and the author always managed to recapture my attention after my emergence from each little detour along the way.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining look at the idle rich
Review: Wallowing in wealth, as "Park Avenue Rich" reveals in intimate detail, can cause all sorts of problems. When you are an heiress to a billion dollar fortune, people around you expect certain things. For example, one does not deign to work as normal people do. Rather, boring old charity fundraising parties fill the days and nights of your life. Occasionally, you can shake things up by hopping around the globe in your own private jet, dating the latest movie star, or head out to the trendy nightspots for a few drinks and some rambunctious fun, but this type of behavior is generally frowned upon. You probably come from a family that is slightly odd, a family wracked by divorce, illicit behaviors, and frequent mentions in the high society columns of the New York City tabloids. The worst, absolute worst part of sitting on a boatload of bucks is dealing with shady characters on the outside that constantly attempt to intrude on your sheltered existence. These people, of whom there are many, usually try to steal your money by ingratiating themselves into your fancy set. Oftentimes, they take more than a few million dollars; they may take your life. R. J. Revaitis's book exposes the idle wealthy and a man who preys on them in this entertaining tale of money, murder, and debauchery.

Frederica "Freddie" von Eckhardt is the star of the show, an archetypical billionaire heiress in the vein of the ubiquitous Paris Hilton. A beautiful young lady without a care in the world, Freddie spends her days and nights meeting famous men for flings, drinking, and generally raising a ruckus. She could care less about her divorced parents, a mother who inherited billions and an aristocratic investment banker father. All this girl wants to do is waste her life in the most hedonistic manner possible. Her only true friend seems to be Alexandra, another wealthy gal who once matched Freddie's exuberant lifestyle but has since married a Wall Street go getter and settled into the mundane existence of married life. Still, the two occasionally meet up to attend charity functions, which Freddie increasingly finds immensely boring. At the latest soiree, a fundraiser for lung cancer research, Frederica meets a dashing young chap by the name of Jimmy Cavanaugh while she sneaks a smoke in the foyer (!). This guy reeks of money, success, and good looks, three attributes guaranteed to send Freddie's type into a tizzy. Fortunately for our clueless bubblehead, Jimmy expresses interest in von Eckhardt and the two hit it off immediately.

Unfortunately for our clueless bubblehead, Cavanaugh isn't even close to what he seems. Turns out he's got a rap sheet longer than your arm, and he's fresh off the plane in New York after a sordid incident over in England put Scotland Yard investigator Ian Chesterman on his case. It seems Jimmy-or whatever his real name is-likes to infiltrate the upper class, woo a wealthy woman regardless of her age, and then siphon off as much money as he can before hitting the bricks. His plans work well for the most part, but several recent problems have led Cavanaugh to cover up his tracks in particularly loathsome ways. Unbeknownst to our precious Freddie, she's merely this slick con artist's latest catch. With a song and dance about opening up a club in Miami, Jimmy hopes to rip-off Freddie and a few of her friends. Not only does he convince von Eckhardt to pony up some funds, he also dupes her pal Alexandra, a famous patron of the arts named Stuart Duncan, and narcotized actor/stand up comic Jeff Strange. Before he knows it, the money pours into his bank account. Jimmy Cavanaugh stands to take away a million dollars if everything goes his way. But will it? And who will stand and who will fall in the process?

For a self-published effort, Revaitis's book is a good effort. Not everything works well, though. There's a subplot involving an adult film star turned professional gold digger named Asia Jerome that never really goes anywhere. Too, the Jeff Strange character seems tacked on and secondary to the overall plot. The same goes for Ian Chesterman's efforts to bring Cavanaugh to justice. These problems are minor, however, since what works easily outweighs the negatives. Revaitis is at his best when writing background information on the characters. Stuart Duncan, the art patron with several lascivious secrets, practically leaps off the page. The chapter outlining this man's life grabbed me and wouldn't let go. I realized after reading about his troubled life that I hadn't lifted my eyes from the book for half an hour. The author provides similar detailed backdrops for Cavanaugh and Asia, but neither is as interesting as Stuart Duncan. Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of the book is its structure; I have read several self-published novels in my day and this one looks the best in terms of editing. Very few errors pop up through the course of the novel, which is quite rare for these types of books.

The biggest problem I had with the book concerns Freddie and her rich friends. These people are so obnoxious, so oblivious to their surroundings and so sure of themselves that you end up rooting for Cavanaugh to take them down. I felt zero sympathy for what happened to von Eckhardt or her friends when she finally put two and two together, and I'm still not sure the author intended that I should feel this way. Anyway, I think I can recommend "Park Avenue Rich." Beware, however, that adult themes loom large in these pages. The book is definitely not appropriate for a young audience. If you can handle liberal doses of racy relationships, a quick pace, and interesting characters, you'll like Revaitis's book.