Thus he is sued by former congressman Kyle Cramden for slander for falsely linking him to the murder of a female intern, he is facing the potential vengeance of Elias Renthal, a financier about to be released from prison, and he is being investigated by Perla Zacharias, the third richest woman in the world, who has been unhappy about Gus' interest in the circumstances of the death of her banker-husband in a mysterious fire at his penthouse.

Gus interacts with members of New York high society, among them Lil Altemus who at the age of 76 starts working as a real estate agent to improve her financial situation, Ruby Renthal, Elias' wife who prepares for her husband's return into society, and Addison Kent, the kleptomane "walker" of Perla Zacharias, and attends the funeral of its Grand Old Dame, the 105-year-old Adele Harcourt.

[3] Gus' situation reflects on aspects of Dunne's life towards its end, his legal entanglement with Gary Condit, his terminal cancer, questions about his sexuality, his dealings with Vanity Fair, and his disdain for certain social climbers, notably Lily Safra, an aim of his parting shot even "beyond his grave".

[5] Many of the characters had been described in People Like Us and having not emotionally grown, live in a world separated from main society, preoccupied with trivial gossip and fierce infighting about their standing and recognition.

[6] The final book has been found to have certain shortcomings; descriptions and characterizations are repetitive and sentences are loaded with information where items are bought and how much they cost, making for "clumsy" reading.