Elizabeth Savage – författare

Brazen, candid, and always willing to take chances, the unnamed and not entirely trustworthy narrator of The Last Night at the Ritz celebrates her birthday with three old and dear friends. Two of them, Gay and Len, are a long-married couple and her best friends from college. The third, Wes, was once her lover.

Organizing a luncheon at Boston’s esteemed Ritz Carlton—an old favorite of the group’s—the narrator expects the occasion will be an excellent chance to catch up with her friends and enjoy each other’s company. But almost immediately upon arriving at the hotel, she senses things are different, though she can’t quite put her finger on what’s wrong. Even the Ritz has changed, no longer displaying the lion—its trademark symbol of hospitality—on its ashtrays.

As the afternoon gives way to evening and as the drinks flow, the past and present intrude upon the festivities and the atmosphere turns somber. Before the night is through, truths and secrets slip out that will change their relationships forever.

Back in print for the first time in a generation, The Last Night at the Ritz, a masterfully written novel of friendship and love and the ways we deceive each other and ourselves, is quite simply unforgettable.

Five girls. Five dreams. Five destinies.

Determined to climb the social ladder in Missoula, Montana, Hilary knows appearances are crucial to getting ahead—but she’s in for a rude awakening. With a rough home life, Doll seeks every chance she can to escape and hang out with one of the local bad boys, but her need to be noticed may land her in serious trouble. Janet hasn’t inherited the smarts of her doctor father, but she’s content to let life lead her rather than grab the steering wheel. Kathy’s the smartest of the group, but her know-it-all attitude can be a real turnoff. Amelia has her mother’s drop-dead gorgeous looks and blue-blood Montana roots, but with a handicapped sister and an absent father, her world is waiting to shatter.

As the leader of the group, Hilary doesn’t make any decisions without carefully calculating the potential outcome. She’s chosen the others to be her friends in order to help her achieve her goals, but each of these young women is about to discover there’s little they can control when it comes to what fate has in store.