Suzanne Finstad
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Suzanne Finstad (born Suzanne Elaine Finstad September 14, 1955 in
Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
) is a bestselling
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author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...
,
biographer Biographers are authors who write an account of another person's life, while autobiographers are authors who write their own biography. Biographers Countries of working life: Ab=Arabia, AG=Ancient Greece, Al=Australia, Am=Armenian, AR=Ancient Rome ...
,
journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
,
producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
, and
lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
.


Work pre-1990

Finstad received the Frank Wardlaw Prize in 1984 for literary excellence for her first book, ''Heir Not Apparent'' (1984), drawn from her experiences as a young law clerk and trial attorney investigating claims to the billion-dollar estate of industrialist, aviator and filmmaker
Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...
, who appeared to have died without a valid will. ''American Cinematographer'' described ''Heir Not Apparent'' as a "spellbinding account of intrigues by lawyers, relatives and fortune hunters for a share in the Hughes estate." ''Kirkus Reviews'' praised the book, which was excerpted in ''
Penthouse Penthouse most often refers to: *Penthouse apartment, a special apartment on the top floor of a building *Penthouse (magazine), ''Penthouse'' (magazine), a British-founded men's magazine *Mechanical penthouse, a floor, typically located directly u ...
'', as "immediate and engrossing." Other critics called it "strikingly literate," "a detective-story lovers dream . . . the stuff good novels are made of." Her second book, ''Ulterior Motives: The Killing and Dark Legacy of Tycoon Henry Kyle'' (1987), took her into the genre of the non-fiction true crime novel created by
Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics, ...
's ''
In Cold Blood ''In Cold Blood'' is a non-fiction novel by American author Truman Capote, first published in 1966. It details the 1959 murders of four members of the Clutter family in the small farming community of Holcomb, Kansas. Capote learned of the qua ...
'', centering on a spectacular murder trial which revealed that self-made millionaire Kyle, shot by his older son, had a violent Jekyll-Hyde personality and a lifetime of secrets, including a hidden wife and daughter. ''Ulterior Motives'', which began as a ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' assignment into Kyle's mysterious murder in his rundown
Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in t ...
mansion, presents a true tale of "money, greed, family discord, drugs and a bigger-than-life cast of characters," according to the ''Houston Post''. "She handles the story deftly and sensitively," wrote the book critic for the ''Dallas Morning News'', "with touches of irony and humor."


Work since 1990

Finstad wrote the national bestseller ''Sleeping with the Devil'' (1991), a
non-fiction novel The non-fiction novel is a literary genre which, broadly speaking, depicts real historical figures and actual events woven together with fictitious conversations and uses the storytelling techniques of fiction. The non-fiction novel is an otherwi ...
about the murder-for-hire of Barbra Piotrowski, a
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
beauty queen in a destructive love triangle with a married
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
health club tycoon named Richard Minns, who was alleged to have hired the assassins who shot and paralyzed Piotrowski. The book was excerpted in ''
Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...
'' and published in France, Italy, and Germany. One critic called ''Sleeping With the Devil'' "a true American tragedy". Others described it as "hypnotic," ". . . a disquieting book about adultery, scams, misuse of power and attempted murder . . . a must-read." The paperback includes details about Minns' arrest for felony passport fraud, assisted by information provided by Finstad, who, reported the ''Dallas Morning News'',"fearlessly dug into the story about the brilliant, complex man who has stayed beyond the reach of the courts and the Houston police." '' Sleeping With the Devil'' was made into a movie for CBS that aired in 1997. Finstad was an Associate Producer. In 1988, Finstad wrote a cover story on
Queen Noor Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
of Jordan, the beautiful blond American who married
King Hussein Hussein bin Talal ( ar, الحسين بن طلال, ''Al-Ḥusayn ibn Ṭalāl''; 14 November 1935 – 7 February 1999) was King of Jordan from 11 August 1952 until his death in 1999. As a member of the Hashemite dynasty, the royal family of ...
after graduating from
Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...
's first class to admit women ("The Incredible Odyssey of Lisa Halaby"). It led to a contract for Finstad to write a biography of Queen Noor for
Villard Books Villard, also known as Villard Books, is a publishing imprint of Random House, one of the largest publishing companies in the world, owned by Bertelsmann since 1998 and grouped in Penguin Random House since 2013. It was founded in 1983. Villard beg ...
after the
Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
. Finstad made numerous trips to the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
and elsewhere for her research. The manuscript was set aside for political reasons. CBS later optioned the magazine piece. Finstad spent the next three years researching and writing '' Child Bride: The Untold Story of Priscilla Beaulieu Presley'' (1997), the first biography of
Priscilla Presley Priscilla Ann Presley ( Wagner, changed by adoption to Beaulieu; born May 24, 1945) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the former wife of American singer Elvis Presley, as well as co-founder and former chairwoman of Elvis Presley ...
. Finstad offered a detailed account of Priscilla Beaulieu's childhood, including Priscilla's discovery of her true father at eleven, her courtship by
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
when she was 14 years old, their marriage, and her management of Elvis Presley Enterprises after their divorce and his death. ''Child Bride'' was based on extensive interviews with Priscilla Presley, her family, her close friends, her classmates, her co-stars and numerous members of Elvis' circle in
Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...
and
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, including Currie Grant, a former Army buddy of Elvis, who introduced Priscilla to Elvis. Harmony/Crown published ''Child Bride'' in 1997; Century London published the book in the U.K. While ''Child Bride'' was on several cities' bestseller lists, Priscilla filed a lawsuit against Currie Grant, denying his claim that she had sex with him in exchange for introducing her to Elvis Presley. In the book, Finstad included excerpts from her taped joint interview with Grant and Priscilla Presley, who disagreed with certain points that Finstad had independently documented. Priscilla's suit resulted in a default judgment against Grant, whom Priscilla had sued for at least $10 million. He was ordered to pay $75,000. However, neither Finstad nor her publisher was a party to the lawsuit, and Finstad and her publisher say they stand by their account of the affair in the book. "Priscilla's secrets come rolling out," ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' stated in its feature review, "...backed up by interviews with scores of sources." Crown re-released ''Child Bride'' in 2005. "Finstad's research and her analysis of Priscilla's complex character make for a riveting read," Liz Smith wrote in the ''New York Post''.".


Work since 2000

In 2001, Finstad wrote the ''New York Times'' bestseller ''Natasha: The Biography of
Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...
'', published by Harmony/Crown and released in the UK by Century London. ''Natasha'' was named the Best Film Book of 2001 by the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' and it was also named one of the Top 10 Books of 2001 by the ''Economist''. ''Natasha'', excerpted in ''People'', was hailed as "the definitive Natalie Wood" by Premiere Magazine. The ''Chicago Tribune'' called it "an insightful, haunting page-turner of a book;", "remarkably researched," stated the ''Baltimore Sun'', ". . . certain things stay with you." "The information Finstad has discovered about Wood's horrific childhood, her anxiety-ridden stardom, and her mysterious death is deeply disturbing," noted ''Variety''. "Heartstopping," proclaimed the ''Toronto National Post''. "...a life entangled in mystical oddities, described with academic flair...the climax -- death by drowning -- is reached with a
Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...
ian inevitability." The film rights to ''Natasha'' were purchased by ABC in 2001 before the galleys were released.
Peter Bogdanovich Peter Bogdanovich (July 30, 1939 – January 6, 2022) was an American director, writer, actor, producer, critic, and film historian. One of the "New Hollywood" directors, Bogdanovich started as a film journalist until he was hired to work on R ...
directed the adaptation, which aired on ABC as a three-hour movie and was shown as a four-hour miniseries in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. Finstad was Co-Executive Producer. ''The New York Times'' review of Finstad's book called ''Natasha'' "a sad, penetrating portrait that juxtaposes the storybook myth . . . and the real story of what happened once the cameras stopped rolling.". In his review for the'' Washington Post Book World'', Jonathan Yardley observed, "Finstad has a keen sense of how that city's dream factory simultaneously turns women into stars and leaves them bereft." Finstad's editor at Harmony/Crown suggested that she follow Natasha with a biography of actor-producer-writer-director
Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...
. The result was ''Warren Beatty: A Private Man'', published in the US in 2005 by Harmony/Crown and published by Aurum in London. It was chosen as one of the Top Five Entertainment Books of 2005 by ''The Sunday Times'' (London), which described it as a "seductive study of a perfectionist and overachiever," "well-researched and absorbing . . . undoubtedly the best star biography of the year.".'' USA Today'' called it " compelling biography;" another reviewer described it as "an engrossing account of a complex individual ... periodically referring to the parallel lives of the brother-sister duo of Beatty and
Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...
. The impact made on their astonishing lives by a
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
background along with their upbringing by an emotionless father (who blamed marriage for his lack of success) and a Canadian drama-teacher mother is ... fascinating." "Award-winning biographer Suzanne Finstad doesn't shy away from Beatty's womanizing ways," wrote the critic Allan Hunter. "She does, however, realize that they are only part of a much bigger picture ... Finstad builds a very substantial portrait of what makes Beatty tick."Allan Hunter, ''Glasgow Herald'', 11.12.05


Film adaptations

''
Sleeping With the Devil ''Sleeping With the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude'' is a critique written by former Central Intelligence Agency officer Robert Baer regarding the relationship that exists between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Baer asser ...
'' and '' Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood'' were adapted for television.


References


External links


Random house - picture
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Finstad, Suzanne 1955 births Living people 20th-century American lawyers American women biographers Celebrity biographers Writers from Minneapolis 20th-century American biographers 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American biographers 21st-century American women writers Lawyers from Minneapolis 20th-century American women lawyers