Author Gay Talese disowns his new book: 'Its credibility is down the toilet'

Author Gay Talese has denounced his upcoming book, "The Voyeur's Motel," due to what he considers a credibility crisis.

The book chronicles the strange story of Gerald Foos, who allegedly spied on guests at his Colorado motel from the late 1960s to the mid-1990s.

But Talese says he began to doubt Foos after property records revealed that he sold the motel, located in Aurora, Colorado, in 1980 and didn't reacquire it until eight years later, the Washington Post reported. The time gap raised questions as to whether Foos told the truth about other key facts.

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"I should not have believed a word he said," Talese, 84, told the Post after the paper divulged details of the property records.

"I'm not going to promote this book," he continued. "How dare I promote it when its credibility is down the toilet?"

Due to be published on July 12, "The Voyeur's Motel" was excerpted in the New Yorker magazine in April, sparking widespread media attention and prompting Steven Spielberg to buy the movie rights. "American Beauty" director Sam Mendes was expected to helm the production.

Talese described Foos, 82, who built a hidden walkway above some of the rooms at the Manor House in suburban Denver, as "certifiably unreliable."

"He's a dishonorable man, totally dishonorable … I know that … I did the best I could on this book, but maybe it wasn't good enough," he continued.

The respected journalist denied being party to any deceit, however. "I can swear to this, and I can say this unequivocally and without recourse, that I have never purposely told a lie," he said. "Everything I said in that book is the truth."

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