Bad Business

I picked this up because I liked the books the author had written with her husband on their exploits in the book collecting world ("Used and Rare," et al.). Their previous novels were, of course, listed at the front of each book. This is a comic novel of the advertising industry. Main character Julie Wilson's boss was just demoted and she inherited all his accounts. Her being a junior associate has done nothing for her standing in the company, the rest of the associates (practically) being all seniors that seem to think they know everything about the industry. In order to cement her reputation, she comes up with an idea: since the public knows nothing about the U.S.'s economic practices up to and including the name of the Secretary of the Treasury, she decides to propose a plan to the Treasury Department. They should advertise. A little Public Relations would go a long way for the government. So she sets up a meeting with the Secretary, and, of course, is shunted down to meeting his assistant (after she had told everyone that it was assured). And her life begins to change from that point on.This is a funny book, although not laugh-out-loud funny. It feels like one of those stage farces in that strange things happen only in order to keep the story moving. It is amusing, however, and well-written. Goldstone knows how to craft a sentence, and how to juggle multiple plotlines within a chapter. The book is an enjoyable journey, but doesn't leave you with much. I would recommend it only for light reading.