Lewis, Bradley (New York University, USA)

Bad Day In Beverly Hills Lewis, Bradley (New York University, USA)

Publisher Marketing: Meet the Benningers, an unlikely wealthy couple in the midst of constant emotional chaos, who find themselves investigating the world of murder in opulent Coldwater Canyon, a mystery that takes them inside the darkness that can often pervade 'Hollywood' life. With the most unusual set of characters and a nod to the The Thin Man, Bradley Lewis takes us into the rich, dysfunctional, world of Beverly Hills, where Sheila Benniger's pet schnoodle's life is even in danger inside the disordered world. Sheila schleps around her husband, Dr. Brantley Benninger, the local root canal specialist, to help investigate her amateur sleuthing hunches. Like Nick and Nora Charles, the Benningers enjoy all the perks of wealth, such as country clubs and eating in the finest Hollywood and Beverly Hills chichi locations, but unfortunately too often with Sheila's Borgia-like parents, the Stirlings. With the help of Irv-The-Shrink, the Bennigers manage to keep their marriage alive - and want to - especially since Sheila is trying to become pregnant. The perfect-imperfect couple, Sheila and Brantley are still in love, and their elegant condo provides refuge from the strange world that the Stirlings constantly try to invade. They enter the realm of macabre murders, toxic sushi poison, and police cover-ups. With lively dialogue and uniquely authentic settings, the author, a Beverly Hills resident for twenty-six years, demonstrates that he knows his subject from every angle, and exposes the extraordinary perverse insider details of wealthy families. The Benningers rub elbows with the rich and famous, while trying to solve what proves to be an off-beat, often funny, tale of mystery and socially-impaired Beverly Hills life. Contributor Bio:  Lewis, Bradley Bradley Lewis is a writer whose focus has ranged from the bizarre world of celebrity doctors and medical research to detailed histories of Jewish-American development, with particular interest to the entertainment industry. He co-wrote the bestselling biography of Milton Berle, My Father, Uncle Miltie, with the fabled comedian's son, a candid look at the irreplaceable American television icon. His Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster, The Incredible Life and Times of Mickey Cohen is the only complete biography of the charismatic and dangerous mobster whose life was a paradigm for the intermingling of Washington, Las Vegas, the entertainment business and the mob. Lewis' novel Great White Doctor is a scalpel thriller centered on the sordid lives and weird sexual habits of "celebrity doctors," exposing the seamy side of high profile specialists who perform unnecessary surgery on their female patients. The Bloomingdale Code is a well-researched page-turner about secret religious tenets, ancient medical ritual, conspiracies, and modern-day international politics. Lewis' sequel to The Bloomingdale Code, God's Helix, is a powerful reality-based roller-coaster ride that won't let you off until the very end of the ride. Another Bad Day In Beverly Hills is an enormously engaging female sleuth novel told through the eyes of an insider. Lewis has written often about the Hollywood scene, and is no stranger to celebrities and celebrity doctors. Anonymous underworld "businessmen," sometimes sent their lady friends for treatment in his offices. That experience with known mobsters contributed to Lewis' interest in how gangsters, Hollywood, and Washington somehow connect in the American landscape. As an actor, Lewis appeared on TV in As the World Turns, Love of Life, The Guiding Light, and trained at the prestigious H. B. Studios in Manhattan, with its founder Herbert Berghof and fabled acting teacher William Hickey. He appeared in many off and off-off Broadway productions. Lewis has advanced degrees from CUNY (Psychology) and New York University; a fellowship at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital. He is retired from clinical practice and has fought for the elimination of formaldehyde from pediatric medicaments. His research has been quoted in hundreds of professional journals. A popular talk show guest, he has appeared on numerous radio and television programs. Lewis is a native New Yorker.