The Phantom of Fifth Avenue: The Mysterious Life and Scandalous Death of Heiress Huguette Clark - Hardcover

Meryl Gordon is the author of Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach. She is an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in Vanity Fair, the New York Times, and New York Magazine, and the director of Magazine Writing at New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. A native of Rochester, New York, and a graduate of the University of Michigan, she lives on Manhattan's Upper West Side with her husband, Walter Shapiro.

"[Gordon] is a tender and clear-eyed biographer; "The Phantom of Fifth Avenue" teases out the ways in which some human relationships, at their core, may always be transactional."―New York Times

"How a vibrant young woman morphed into a doll-collecting recluse who spent her afternoons watching The Flintstones sounds like a dreary tale...But as Gordon's fine reporting reveals, it's also a deeply fascinating one."―Entertainment Weekly

"[E]xcellent."―The Wall Street Journal

"A thrilling read...Meryl Gordon delivers quite a page-turner for this true-life mystery."―USA Today

"Insightful and intriguing, Gordon's book offers a rare glimpse into a privileged world--and twisted personal psychology--beyond imagining."―Kirkus

"A perfect choice for the Grey Gardens set."―Booklist

"Meticulously researched, Gordon's account catalogues every juicy detail and eccentricity amassed over a century....a rigorous, authoritative account of a 20th century enigma."―Publishers Weekly

"An engrossing account for those interested in the lengths that family, professionals, and others will go to appropriate the wealth of a seemingly desolate heiress."―Library Journal

"[F]ascinating...Gordon's research is impeccable."―Sacramento News and Review

"Meryl Gordon masterfully depicts the life and times of one of New York's most eccentric millionaires...you won't want to put this book down."―HamptonSheet.com