An Elvis impersonator at the altar. A madcap VIP gambles away tens of millions in a single night. Best friends helicopter to The Valley of Fire to do downward dog. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—until now.
In his propulsive new nonfiction bestseller, What Really Happens in Vegas, James Patterson tells true stories of excess, drama, and hope, from the thrill of adrenaline-fueled vice to the glitter of A-list celebrity and entertainment. It’s a far cry from the relatively tranquil life he leads in Palm Beach with his wife, Susan, and yet the author says he was drawn to the subject because “I like to alter people’s perceptions of reality—like what a mystery novel can be if you throw out all the rules.” After all, it would seem that Patterson, who has sold more than 425 million copies of his books to date—ranging from international spy series to presidential thrillers, children’s comedies to biographies—could pretty much tackle any subject of his choosing. For What Really Happens in Vegas, he teamed up with Vanity Fair Contributing Editor Mark Seal, who has written extensively about the high stakes and ugly underbellies of society. “In the case of Las Vegas, Mark and I set out to show those who love the city, as well as those who despise it, that the act of creating Vegas’s shock and awe, on a daily basis, is a fascinating story and not what readers will expect,” says Patterson.
In an exclusive excerpt from the book, a gaggle of champagne-fueled 40-somethings chopper into the desert. What could possibly go wrong?
To read the full story, purchase PALMER Volume 4 HERE.
