Review - the Understudy by Sophie Hannah, Clare Mackintosh, B.A. Paris and Holly Brown

The Understudy by Sophie Hannah, Clare Mackintosh, B.A. Paris and Holly Brown

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Release date: 3 October 2019

Back cover blurb: HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO PROTECT YOUR DAUGHTER? Carolyn, Bronnie, Elise, and Kendall are bound together by one thing - their four daughters are best friends at the highly competitive Orla Flynn Academy for the Performing Arts. Imogen Curwood is a new girl at the Academy and her behaviour is odd from the start. On the day she arrives, bad things start to happen. As one threatening incident follows another, the four mothers begin to ask themselves: are their girls in danger? When an attempted murder rocks the school, Imogen is pleased to report that she has an alibi. If she isn't the guilty party, someone else must be. Carolyn, Bronnie, Elise and Kendall are determined to uncover the truth and protect their daughters. But are they prepared to risk their own secrets being exposed?

The Understudy is the first collaborative novel that I've read in a long time. Written by four amazing authors, I had been looking forward to it's release for a while, and I wasn't disappointed.

Carolyn, Bronnie, Elise and Kendall are four very different women, with only one thing in common; each of their daughters attends the Orla Flynn Academy for the Performing Arts, and wants to be a star.

Unfortunately is it impossible for all four girls to get the female lead role in the academy's productions and this causes natural rivalry and jealousy amongst the girls (and the parents). 

In the opening chapters of 'the Understudy', we learn that the previous academic year was difficult for two of the girls, one's natural talent far outshone the others limited ability and caused some rather nasty bullying.

In the present day, things seem to be ironed out between them, the error of their ways learnt, and reluctant apologies accepted. But then a new student arrives, and old insecurities and jealousies arise once more.

One Mother calls for the exclusion of one of the students, but she is adamant that it wasn't her. The finger points to the new girl, but what could she possibly have to gain, when she doesn't know the other girl's history. As incidents escalate and no-one is found guilty, the girl's mothers must all pull together.

The majority of the characters in this novel are not particularly likeable, but I think that is intentional on the authors' behalf. They do not want, or need our sympathy, they just need to figure out what the hell is going on!

The Understudy is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review - The Confession by Jessie Burton

The Confession by Jessie Burton
Publisher: Picador
Release date: 19 September 2019
Back cover blurb: The sensational new novel from the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse. One winter's afternoon on Hampstead Heath in 1980, Elise Morceau meets Constance Holden and quickly falls under her spell. Connie is bold and alluring, a successful writer whose novel is being turned into a major Hollywood film. Elise follows Connie to LA, a city of strange dreams and swimming pools and late-night gatherings of glamorous people. But whilst Connie thrives on the heat and electricity of this new world where everyone is reaching for the stars and no one is telling the truth, Elise finds herself floundering. When she overhears a conversation at a party that turns everything on its head, Elise makes an impulsive decision that will change her life forever. Three decades later, Rose Simmons is seeking answers about her mother, who disappeared when she was a baby. Having learned that the last person to see her was Constance Holden, a reclusive novelist who withdrew from public life at the peak of her fame, Rose is drawn to the door of Connie's imposing house in search of a confession . . . From the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse, this is a luminous, powerful and deeply moving novel about secrets and storytelling, motherhood and friendship, and how we lose and find ourselves.

The Confession is another beautifully written novel by Jessie Burton. It centres on the lives of three very different women, Elise, Constance and Rose.and spans two timelines; the 1980's and the present day.

1980's London; a chance meeting with novelist Constance (Connie) Holden leads Elise Morceau into a thrilling world of authors, publishers, film studios and the Hollywood elite. Elise although happy at being in LA with Connie, starts to feel out of her depth, she is constantly reassured by Connie, until one night an overheard conversation changes everything.

In the present day Rose is visiting her Father, when everything changes.

Rose's Mother, Elise left when Elise was a baby. Seemingly disappearing without a trace. It is something that her family don't talk about and she has always been reasonably happy with her lot. Until her Father mentions Elise out of the blue, and Rose decides she must know the truth.

When she learns that Constance Holden was the last person to see Elise, Rose decides that she must meet her and attempt to uncover the truth surrounding her Mother's disappearance.

What starts out as a simple plan, quickly becomes a tangled web of secrets and lies, and Rose must tread carefully if she is to learn anything at all. Although they do not know each other Elise and Rose are very similar, and I think it would have been interesting to explore their relationship further.

Maybe a sequel could be on the cards, I would love to know what the future holds for these characters...

The Confession is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.