Robert Metz's 'Sandcastles in Disguise' Satirizes Condo Life

Author Robert Metz invites readers behind the polished lobbies and closed boardroom doors of New York City condominium life in his new book, Sandcastles in Disguise, a character-driven satire told through two interconnected novellas, "Slam Dunk" and "Brick Fall." The first novella centers on Dr. Lester Stupnagel, an ambitious condominium owner whose Manhattan purchase draws him into a battle for influence on the building’s board. His path intersects with resident manager Timothy O’Shea, whose efforts to keep the Broadway Condominium functioning are complicated by demanding owners, internal politics, colorful staff, and his growing relationship with office manager Mello Monte. Their personal and professional lives entwine with a memorable cast, producing verbal sparring, romantic tension, rivalry, and absurdity.

The second novella, "Brick Fall," expands the world and raises the stakes, bringing back familiar personalities while introducing new conflicts around inheritance, loyalty, family history, relationships, and building management. Throughout, condominium governance serves as a miniature society where ambition, ego, affection, insecurity, money, and bureaucracy collide. Metz draws humor from board elections, building rules, repairs, neighbors, staff disputes, pets, property values, and personal alliances. Behind the comedy lies a serious observation: a condominium may appear permanent and secure, yet poor decisions, neglected maintenance, financial shortcuts, and dysfunctional leadership can quickly undermine that stability. The manuscript opens against real-world concerns about aging condominium buildings, giving the fictional conflicts added relevance. With playful chapter titles, eccentric personalities, rapid-fire dialogue, romance, and boardroom maneuvering, Sandcastles in Disguise offers an unconventional look at what happens when private lives and shared property become impossible to separate. For review copies, interviews, or author appearances, contact [email protected].