This is a re-post of the review which I wrote in July 2020. I enjoyed it very much and it is being published in paperback today. It is available from all good booksellers.
"England, early 1950's - I have lost everything a person can lose. And, should I ever attempt to forget, my failing body will remind me. I've lived in the cramped attic flat of this big house in Birmingham, where I work as a housemaid, since the Red Cross parcelled me up and sent me here seven years ago......"
Delia Maxwell is an international singing sensation, an icon of the 1950's glamour who is still riding high on the new 60's scene. Lily Brooks has watched Delia all her life, studying her music and her on-stage mannerisms. Now she has a dream job as Delia's assistant - but is there more to her attachment than the admiration of a fan? Private investigator Frank is beginning to wonder.
As Lily steps into Delia's spotlight, and Delia encourages her ambitious protege, Frank's own suspicions of Lily's ulterior motives increase. But are his own feelings for Delia clouding his judgement?
The truth is something far darker; the shocking result of years of pain and rage, rooted in Europe's darkest hour. If Delia thought she had put her past behind her, she had better start watching her back.
***
It came as no surprise to me to learn that the author is also a screen writer as the book has a real cinematic quality and I would be very surprised if the film rights to this book are snapped up.
The characters are very easy to engage with and are well fleshed out. The dynamic between Delia and Lily is excellently portrayed. Also, it is multi-narrated by Delia, Frank and Lily, and consequently, we see the story unfold from these three different perspectives which adds an element of complexity to both the characters and the story,
It has been well written and it has an element of gentility along with a much darker backstory. The narrative is gently paced and it is this that creates a mellow story rhythm that plays out slowly within the readers imagination. There is a depth to Ms. Grey's writing which continues throughout the whole story.
The writing is rich in historical detail and it was easy to envisage post war London in which the novel is set.
This is my first novel by V. B. Grey / Isabelle Grey and I anticipate reading more of her work. Anyone who enjoys 20th century historical fiction will love this book and I highly recommend it.
ISBN: 978 15249405392
Publisher: Quercus
About the Author:
V. B. Grey is the pseudonym of the acclaimed television screenwriter and crime novelist Isabelle Grey. A former arts journalist and feature writer, she has written for film radio and television, contributing episodes to Jimmy McGovern's award winning BBC series Accused. She is the author of two novels of psychological suspense and four books in a contemporary crime series under her own name.
On her pseudonym and change in creative direction, Isabelle says "I wanted to escape the bodies piling up around me in my television crime dramas and novels, and explore new ways to bring my love of film and television into my fiction. I've always been in awe of 1940's and 1950's noir thrillers and 'women's pictures', so turned to them, and to the stars who played in them, to inspire my new novel. It's been both exhilarating and rewarding to spend time in such a complex and glamorous world.'
Isabelle grew up in Manchester and now lives in north London.
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