That money corrupts is a cliché dear to our hearts, and the [heroine of Laura Hobson's "Untold Millions" opposes] … that corruption in varying ways.

In "Untold Millions," Jossie Stone's lover, Rick Baird, can't resist the trappings of success even though he usually can't afford them….

This is Laura Hobson's ninth novel, and it's a pleasure to be in the hands of a pro. The narrative line is tight and steady, and Miss Hobson always tells us what we want to know just before we become aware that we want to know it. There is a sort of counterpoint of numbers—the $10 raise, the debt that dwindles from $70 to $60—which carries the theme on another level, and reminds us how tied our lives are to such music….

As Rick puts one book aside and begins another, amasses more debts and starts having affairs with other women (which he justifies...