Leamer (The Kennedy Women) reveals the secrets of the Palm Beach  elite who reside behind the high walls and manicured hedges of this  exclusive enclave. A winter resident since 1994, the author gains the  trust of his subjects, playing tennis with them and attending their  parties. Such firsthand experience is supplemented by newspaper articles  and interviews with scores of men and women who, although usually  guarded, are unusually open to Leamer (the informant for the chapter  Palm Beach Millionaire Seeks Playmate gave the author access to his  personal papers, including unpublished memoirs). The book's highly  visual vignettesdominated by divorce, infidelity, excessive drinking  and violenceproduce a depressing picture of sad, angry, insecure and  frequently nasty people hiding behind empty smiles, luxury cars and  socially invisible servants. Leamer reflects: Like [Henry] James, I  found that few of the lives have the beauty of the surroundings, or the  depths of the artistic vision that inspired this island. Some readers  may find this book a penetrating portrayal of a privileged segment of  the American population; others might regard it as a book-length gossip  column.