Alex Brunkhorst

A modern-day Gatsby tale of forbidden love, family secrets and the true price of wealth.

The story begins with a dinner party invitation. When young journalist Thomas Cleary is sent to dig up quotes for the obituary of a legendary film producer, the man's eccentric daughter offers him entrée into the exclusive upper echelons of Hollywood society. A small-town boy with working-class roots, Thomas is a stranger in this opulent world of private jets and sprawling mansions.

Then he meets Matilda Duplaine. 

Matilda is a beautiful and mysterious young woman who has never left the lush Bel-Air estate where she was raised. Thomas is immediately entranced by the enigmatic girl and the two begin a secret love affair. But what starts as an enchanted romance soon unravels a web of secrets and lies that could destroy their lives — and the lives of everyone around them — forever.

Filled with unforgettable characters and charm, The Gilded Life of Matilda Duplaine is a sparkling love letter to Los Angeles and a captivating journey beyond the golden gates of its most glamorous estates. Timeless, romantic and utterly absorbing, it is a mesmerising and poignant exploration of life's unexpected riches.

“The Gilded Life of Matilda Duplaine is an irresistible gem of a book. Part novel of manners, part journey of self-discovery, I was absolutely swept away by this entrancing tale of love and privilege.”
—Tara Conklin, New York Times bestselling author of The House Girl
 
 "Alex Brunkhorst writes as deftly of the lives of the elite as she does of the secrets they keep to stay in power—whatever the cost." —Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, New York Times bestselling author of Bittersweet