pickI read this thriller about “black bag” PR, which means trying to hide/overwhelm/manage negative image problems, in this case in Hollywood. This is what is alleged to have happened in the Blake Lively/Justin Baldoni situation. But in this book there‘s also murder. Overall, I enjoyed the book but the pacing was a little off and the way the 14-year-old girl character was written was not believable. Even for a jaded Hollywood teenager.
Mae is a “black bag” publicist in LA, helping celebrities get out of trouble. She finally runs across a story that makes her question why she does this type of work. This book is fiction but it seems to be ripped right off social media with the Epstein/P Diddy exploitation in the headlines, and how powerful people don‘t seem to ever pay for their sins. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickExcellent, sharp thriller about a publicist in Hollywood who ends up in a murder investigation. A strong sense of place evokes the smells, textures & diversity of LA while the knowing tone gives an insight into the tough, ruthless culture. Mae is a great character. Lots of details & references drawn from Jordan Harper‘s time in Hollywood. Fast-paced & the scenes spring to life.
panAwful book club choice. You can tell this is by a scriptwriter I think, cinematic short chapters but so shallow, repeated phrases that grate, little character development. @Hooked_on_books review nails it :-)
pickChris is an ex-cop turned hired muscle; Mae is a PR flack paid to protect clients from the consequences of their bad decisions. When a murder brings them back together, they start pulling the thread on a web of secrets, hoping to punish the guilty and score big at the same time.The results are fatal. With vivid characters and propulsive prose, this LA noir thriller practically sizzles on the page--once I started it, I did not want to put it down.
panThis felt like an interesting thriller at the start, but ultimately it had too many characters, most of whom are one-dimensional and flat (and kinda all the same), making me lose interest. Fun idea, playing on topical themes, but poor execution.
🕵𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈📖
I'm completely absorbed in 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬 by 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫. He pulled me into the story on the very 1st page & is keeping me intrigued. It's been calling to me from my bookshelf for a bit & I'm glad I finally answered the call, even though I sense I'm going to stay up way too late tonight because I won't be able to stop reading! Thanks for a copy, Mulholland Books & Novel Suspects!
I knew I had to grab this one on Kindle when I saw it was getting high praise from authors such as Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Harlan Coben and S.A. Cosby (some of my favorites). Two chapters in and I can already tell that this is going to be one of the best noir novels I've read in quite a while.
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