Kieran Crowley's book "Almost Paradise," focuses on an event that happened in New York, around the time of 9/11. Just a month roughly after that horrible day, a murder took place in that state. Big deal, most would say. Yet this one has all of the elements of  wealth, a shady contractor with a motive, along with a wife that may just have been behind the murder of her husband. Sadly, this involved also young children, who now are without their father and mother, who succumbed to cancer. There are still questions to be answered, but this is a story, that shows what one upscale family contends with. It also leaves its readers wondering, perhaps having a whole lot of money, might lead to additional stress. This isn't to say that I or others should be envious of them, but rather people of all economic backgrounds have issues, and this family certainly did and so much more.

Ted Ammon, a wealthy financial businessman, was found beaten to death. His wife and the house "handy man", Danny Pelosi, were thought to be a part of this event. I will not give away the conclusion of this book, because for those who like true crime books, this might be one right up your alley. Money is involved, a marriage involving that contractor and Mr. Ammon's wife Generosa is part of it, along with affairs. Both sides did not apparently fulfill their marital vows in accordance with Biblical and state guidelines, and this adds a bit of sizzle to the story. This marriage was anything but a normal one, as Ted and Generosa's relationship is described aptly in the book. I find her to be interesting, although at the same time, her background and her "issues" are deeply troubling.

Winston Marsalis Jr is in here too, although in a supportive role. That is because Ted, prior to his death, was friends with him and others who were preserving history and jazz. Ted was doing a lot to help give back, and at the same time was, what most of us would describe as "being loaded." The family lived in very high standards, as of course, a closet in the Hamptons is probably worth more than years of my mortgage payments. You learn from turning the pages, about what the social life is like in this region, along with what it is like to attend events of what often has been described as "blue bloods." I do not think I'd feel comfortable here, but at the same time, you do learn about people doing work in their community and having good values.

As far as crime books, this one is alright. Its not spectacular, and you learn about the main characters, the children, and then finally the murder of Ted Ammon. Then comes the court trial, surprises of health and other concerns, along with sadness for what the children of Ted and Generosa now must be certainly facing. They are now adults of course, so I hope that they are able to have some quality of life, even without the loving guidance of parents to be there for them. Danny Pelosi seems to be right out of "central casting"  for these types of books. I got sickened by reading about him. His behavior and just how he carried himself, both made my skin crawl and irritated me.

Regarding the pacing of this book, it has some issues. It bounces around a lot, and does have some organizational problems. While I do admire how the author is able to cover the backgrounds of each person so well, the crime scene work and court room details were lacking. There's a lot of speculation, but its hard to even come to a conclusion of some relevance, due to so many unknown facts. Instead, this is more of a book of learning about people with odd lives, and also they do have traits that all of us will identify with, no matter what our background. Its a tragedy no doubt, and I'm glad to have read it. I will recommend it due to Crowley's ability, to really show people for who they are, along with painting a picture of their lives.              

Recommended: Yes