Almost Paradise: The East Hampton Murder of Ted Ammon

by Kieran Crowley

Book Overview

For the audience that read Maria Flook's New York Times bestseller, Invisible Eden , this is the extraordinary story of a high-stakes murder case set in the high society world of East Hampton-the playground of New York's superrich.On October 22, 2001, handsome multimillionaire financier Ted Ammon was found bludgeoned to death in the magnificent East Hampton mansion he'd built with his beautiful-and volatile-wife, Generosa. She stood to make millions, but it wasn't the money that made Ted's friends suspicious: Generosa Ammon had a history of violent outbursts and bizarre obsessions.A talented decorator, Generosa had fashioned a lavish lifestyle for her husband and their two children, divided between Fifth Avenue, the Long Island estate, and a manor house in England. But when Generosa discovered Ted had a mistress, her demons were unleashed.She began a very public affair with Danny Pelosi, a strikingly handsome womanizer who was also her electrician. She called him her "tool belt guy." But he was also an ex-con with a mile-long rap sheet who was suspected of playing a pivotal role in Ted's murder and the final destruction of a once-perfect family.In Almost Paradise , New York Times bestselling author Kieran Crowley, who has covered the Ammon case from the time it broke, recreates the three tumultuous lives that intersected fatally in East Hampton that fall. He tracks Generosa's lonely transformation from angry teenager-orphaned, unwanted and abused-to temperamental Manhattan artist and Society Wife. He follows the rambunctious odyssey that transformed Danny Pelosi from banking executive's privileged son, to street fighter and down-on-his luck alcoholic, tounsuccessful contractor charged with murder. And he chronicles the charmed life and tragic death of Ted Ammon, whose money and status couldn't save him from the machinations of those around him and his ultimate brutal demise.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312340230
• ISBN13: 9780312340230
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Excellent

I found this book to be very good. It flows smoothly throughout and is not riddled with bias. The author did a wonderful job depicting each person. I was truly surprised at how well-written this book was and it was a real "page-turner". Ann Rule, watch out--here is an author who can actually give you a run for your money. It is mind-numbing reading about the results of two sociopaths who, through fate, end up hooking up with each other. I truly feel sorry for the two children who suffered because of the actions of the adults around them. I highly recommend this book. You will not want to put it down.

As ye sow, so shall ye reap...

Crowley spins a facinating and horrific tale of Generosa Ammon and Danny Pelosi- poster children for the madness that can occur when you combine pychotic behavior with excessive riches. Poor, normal Ted Ammon and his children! Great read. Highly recommended.

Spellbinding!

This book grabs you from the first page and just doesn't let go. In fact, it gets better and better as the story progresses. Even though you have an idea where you're going, there is so much drama that you can never be sure exactly how or when you are going to get there, and you keep on reading because you just have to know. I found myself thinking about the characters, their lifestyles, and their behaviors, even when I was not actually reading the book - it really stays with you. Mr. Crowley is brilliant in his ability to weave thousands of details, culled from hundreds of hours spent interviewing dozens of people, into a story that is not only cohesive and easy to follow, but totally engrossing. As a previous reviewer stated, this book is just about impossible to put down. I think I lost about two hours of sleep every night before I was done reading it. Well worth it though!

A real page turner

Even though I basically knew what would happen in the book, as soon as I started it I couldn't put this book down. The background information on the main characters was so interesting and I really got to "know" them. The author does not influence your opinion, as he writes objectively and obviously based on legitimate sources, not conjecture or opinion--just as a good news reporter should. The court scenes are just as interesting as the rest of the book. I highly recommend the book.

Great Detail

This book held my attention with its carefully researched details and inside peek at the Ammon murder case. I could not put it down!