ONE FIFTH AVENUE. By Candace Bushnell. Voice. 464 pages. $15.99

Candace Bushnell spins this tale filled with death, deceit, love, theft, fame, fortune and, of course, sex around its most important character -- the apartment building at One Fifth Avenue.

Schiffer Diamond, a famous movie star, seems to have it all. But she's tired of dating and yearns to finally fall in love.

Mindy Gooch is a career woman. She's so driven that she'll never give up searching for more power and money.

Lola Fabrikant just arrived in New York City and thinks that fame and fortune are at the top of her list.

For decades, One Fifth has drawn only the most creative residents -- dancers, artists, actors and writers. And then Louise Houghton dies, leaving the top three floors of the building available.

With more than 17,000 square feet of prime Manhattan real estate, this will be hard to sell. The building's residents become concerned that a money-hungry financial guru will swoop down and change One Fifth from something they knew into something else entirely.

As the residents search for that perfect resident, a mystery emerges. And many of Bushnell's characters figure out how far they would go to ensure all their dreams come true.

-- AMY HANEK is a freelance writer in Franklin County.