I was pleasantly surprised at the ending. With only a few pages to go and Dee talking of marrying someone else, I was giving up on Dee and Spandau being together. And I thought if Daniel got them together in the few pages left, it would be unrealistic. So I was expecting an unsatisfying ending either way. But....those last three paragraphs... I read them over and over and found them so gentle, so sweet, so touching, so meaningful. That last sentence, "She held him tightly and allowed the man she loved the small dignity of not looking up." said it all about them. Their situation is not resolved, but there is hope....because there is love.

As the ending was coming - I could see that Spandau had protected Bobby - but Bobby made his own decision as to his career direction. Spandau had done his job. As for the last paragraphs with Dee - how sweet this was and how it left the reader wanting more. As you said Betty Sue - there is hope when it comes to love.

Oops! Ladylinn's response reminds me that there was more to this book than the love story. I forgot. Soooo, I was surprised and disappointed when Bobby turned his back on Spandau but probably should have seen that coming. Bobby got himself into a position where he didn't have many choices left. And I was surprised to find Locatelli in control of everything. As an infrequent reader of detective stories, it may have been easy to surprise me.

The ending left me sort of up in the air. As in a T.V. series. Setting me up for more? I don't want to risk any spoilers here, but, was the name of the movie mentioned at the award ceremony some sort of clue??? Did it reveal some sort of scam? The titles Crusoe and Wildfire were prevalent through out the story. Maybe my imagination is running away with me. Again, I can't go into detail because of spoilers...HUH??

The only thing that surprised me about the ending was the name of the movie. But I didn't think too much of it since we don't know if the movie being shot during the course of the book is the movie that won the award; or possibly the title of the movie in the book was changed to Loser's Town before release. We never did (I don't think) find out exactly what the movie that Richie wanted him to make was and it appears that Richie was an underling to Locatelle, who got out of control and was "offed".

Loose ends were mostly tied up but enough were left untied for the sequel. Bobby definitely sold out and found the fame and acclaim he wanted. We are left to hope for the possibility of a Dee/Spandau reunion. I'm not sure what to make of the name of the movie so I'm interested to read everyone else's thoughts on it. Was he saying that the success Bobby achieved proved the point that he had to sell out to achieve it and that made him a loser and showed Hollywood to be the loser's town we saw in the story? Not sure.

Shadowydog, wasn't the name of the movie being filmed Wildfire? Of course they could have changed the name before it was finished.

Or..was it the script that Stella had in mind for Bobby?? The movie he wanted Bobby to make?? Stella said it was financed. Jurado got credit as producer. The film was reputed to be a struggle to get made. Pg 289.. description of the film about a movie about a racketeer trying to force his way into Hollywood was verboten, that it was professional suicide, that nobody would ever finance it. Maybe I'm off base...but, there must be some meaning for referring to the film as "loser's town". Or was it a synopsis of the story? HELP!!

The film named was LosersTown and that threw me. What happened to Wildfire, did a different film win or did they change it so much it needed renamed? They thanked Bobby when they collected the award but was he used to promote Crusoe? Remember when the producer's security was responsible for Bobby being mobbed at the premier and not getting out to chat with the fans?
I think not only was the romantic life of Spandau and Dee, Potts and Ingrid left up in the air but what happened with Bobby and the film was also left "up there". He was at the awards with a new girl and we were lead to beleive he was in love with Irina? I hate endings with more questions than answers!
We need a detective to figure out this detective story. It wasn't a who done it but a what happened?

Good one, gemini!

I was very surprised with the ending and it left me feeling kind of dirty. I think it's so ironic, and extremely hilarious, that Richie desperately wanted to break into the film business and Locatelli had an entire movie studio. He could have just asked him for a job. But my jaw dropped when Spandau found Bobby and Jurado having dinner with the mobster. To say I was disappointed that Dye could so easily turn his back on the man who risked his life to protect him, and better yet befriend the actor, is an understatement. And Spandau loses his friend in the process. I guess it's true no good deed goes unpunished. It's heartbreaking when Dee can feel Spandau crying. The moment is ripe with emotion. I felt bad for him.