Almost Paradise - by Kieran Crowley (Paperback)

About the Book

Crowley covers the true story of the murder of multimillionaire Ted Ammon in the Hamptions, and the involvement of Ammon's wife, Generosa, and her lover, Danny Pelosi. The case was recently dramatized in a Lifetime Original Movie. photos. Martin's Press.

Book Synopsis

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, to unsuccessful 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.

From the Back Cover

HE WAS A MULTIMILLIONAIRE...
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.
BUT EVEN HIS WEALTH AND POWER...
A talented interior 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...
COULDN'T SAVE HIM...
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 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.
"Crowley writes in measured, albeit frightening terms, making no call, letting the facts and his investigative reporting speak for themselves."
--"Kirkus Reviews"

Review Quotes

"An in-depth investigation...truly appalling all around: a story seemingly without goodness, except in the telling." --"Kirkus Reviews"

"A fast-paced account of the sordid circumstances surrounding the brutal October 2001 bludgeon murder of multimillionaire Ted Ammon." --"Publishers Weekly"

About the Author

Kieran Crowley is the New York Times bestselling author of THE SURGEON'S WIFE and BURNED ALIVE, and an award-winning reporter for the New York Post. His investigative reporting on a series of dismemberment murders of prostitutes helped lead homicide detectives to serial killer Robert Shulman, who told police after his arrest that he halted his killing spree when he read a description of himself and his car in one of Crowley's stories. His investigative reporting into the crimes of the Zodiac Killer helped crack that unsolved case and resulted in Crowley's book, SLEEP MY LITTLE DEAD. Crowley has covered hundreds of trials and thousands of murders, including the assassination of John Lennon, as well as the cases of Amy Fisher, Katie Beers, the Long Island Railroad Massacre, and serial killer Joel Rifkin.