Diamond, Susan 1939-

PERSONAL:

Born 1939. Education: Attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Los Angeles, CA.

CAREER:

Writer and journalist. Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA, seventeen years as a columnist and feature writer; also worked for the New Yorker, Time, People, and the Village Voice.

WRITINGS:

What Goes Around (novel), William Morrow (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

In her first novel, What Goes Around, journalist Susan Diamond tells the story of the members of a therapy group who set out to discover and enact revenge on whoever murdered their fellow group member Ginger Pass. Ginger, who was married to a millionaire, had rebelled against her boring life and became a high-priced prostitute, with a clientele that included some of the most respected citizens of Los Angeles, including a lawyer, a senatorial candidate, and a land developer. The other women in the group were the only ones who knew Ginger's secret and feel responsible to avenge her death. Since the murderer has not been identified, the five women eventually decide to ruin the lives of Ginger's various clients. Although reviewers noted that the plot was sometimes slow, especially as the author filled in the background on the five women avengers, most praised the author's effort. Elizabeth Dickie, writing in Booklist, commented that Diamond "manages to keep the reader invested and rooting." Referring to What Goes Around as "a satisfying novel of revenge and female empowerment," a Kirkus Reviews contributor also wrote: "Strong, genuine characters make this more than a simple tale of murder and the clever machinations of revenge." Also noting the author's skill at character development, Harriet Klausner wrote on the MidWest Book Review Web site: "The story line is driven by the unique personalities of each member of the group."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, November 15, 2006, Elizabeth Dickey, review of What Goes Around, p. 24.

Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 2006, review of What Goes Around, p. 921.

Publishers Weekly, October 23, 2006, review of What Goes Around, p. 33.

ONLINE

MidWest Book Review,http://www.midwestbookreview.com/ (March 30, 2007), Harriet Klausner, review of What Goes Around.

Romantic Times,http://www.romantictimes.com/ (March 30, 2007), Sheri Melnick, review of What Goes Around.