Leslie Schnur, Late Night Talking

Late Night Talking

Leslie Schnur

Atria, May 2007, $22.00

ISBN: 0743288246

Following her all-night talk radio show Sterling Behavior, Jeannie Sterling enjoys walking home. Jeannie has two things she obsesses over: first to end rudeness, especially in Manhattan, and second to find a love forever. On her way home, a stud driving a Hummer almost hits her. She calls him a turkey even as he steps out of the vehicle. They have a confrontation before she scratches the Hummer.

He thinks she is a kook, Jeannie rants about him on her radio show until she realizes he is zillionaire Nicholas Moss. Since he listens to her show as a fellow insomniac, he realizes that this hostess calling him a pig is a righteous prig who considers herself the arbiter of right and wrong. She assumes he inherited wealth when instead his parents were East Village working stiffs. His goal is get even with Jennie by buying the radio station WBUZ. Thus as her seventy-five years old dad Lou arrives to stay in her apartment with his companion Mouse the dog and her beloved reporter friend Tommy Whitney returns from overseas, Moss buys the station. Soon a new format of Jeannie and her sidekick Luce working rudeness on the street leads to a TV show, even as she begins to wonder what is right for her professionally and personally.

The concept of talk radio comes across as a winner as Jeanie is an interesting and humorous host whose tales are realistic and sadly amusing as we all have done some of the rudeness she rants against. The support cast is strong as each enables the audience to better understand the lead characters, especially Jeannie. Although, as characters like Luce point out, Jeannie's incessant rants can become irritating, contemporary fans will enjoy this romance over the air waves.

Harriet Klausner