James has it all. He’s married to lovely Sophie, he has two beautiful children and he’s a successful member of parliament. He’s handsome and could have any woman he wants, even if Sophie weren’t the love of his life, which she is, so why would he commit rape? Yet he stands accused and faces a trial that could destroy his family, reputation and career.

Kate is the lawyer who is prosecuting the case against James. She’s sure that he’s guilty and she’s determined to prove it to the jury. But this case is turning into one that she may not be strong enough to endure as it has dredged up old memories that still haunt her.

At the beginning of this book, I thought, OK, here’s another book about a possibly philandering husband, same old, same old. But it turned into something much deeper. The author did an excellent job in describing how hard it was for the woman accusing James of rape to testify at the trial – or is she just a woman scorned? - and the difficulty of finding justice in such a case. How can a jury decide who is telling the truth when it’s really one person’s word against the other’s? Is it really all down to how well either attorney presents his/her case?

The author also presented Sophie’s situation very well. She loves her husband and wants desperately to believe him. But hearing the testimony at trial and reading the papers where their marriage and life together is being scrutinized just tears her apart and causes confusion and distance in their marriage. Even the strongest marriages could be strained to the breaking point under such an accusation.

A well-thought-out, heartfelt novel which I recommend.

I started off lost in the prickly, weedy dark craggy coulee with four of my Traveling Sisters reading Anatomy of a Scandal with only one of us staying in this coulee and the rest of us leaving to find a grassy spot to take a nap.

Anatomy of a Scandal is a slow-burning, intelligent legal thriller that explores a scandal amongst the privileged and the women involved. For most of us, we struggled with this one grabbing our attention from the start and had to fight the urge to crawl into a nice grassy spot and have a nap. As we started to doze off Sarah Vaughan caught our attention with a very clever twist however the legal procedure weighed the story down for us and we gave in and drifted off in our grassy spot.

For most of us, we needed a faster more action-packed thriller to keep our attention and to keep us engaged enough to really appreciate this story. We recommend to readers who like legal thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Sarah Vaughan for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Traveling Sisters Review also can be found on our sister blog:
https://twogirlslostinacouleereading.wordpress.com

To say that Anatomy of a Scandal is timely is an understatement. Why don't women come forward when they have been assaulted, and how does society continue to let rapists get away? Vaughan conveys the central trouble with getting a conviction in a rape case, particularly when the accused has political power and may be seen as "too big to fail".

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Well, talk about perfect timing. The Me, Too movement is the one constant on the news nowadays. And here comes a novel about a junior minister in the British government, a dear friend of the PM, accused of the rape of his research assistant. The book is told from multiple POV -Sophie, his wife, Kate, the prosecutor, James, the man himself, as well as Holly, a girl from their days at Oxford, and her friend, Ali.

Let me say straight off, I have no tolerance for anyone committing adultery. So, in my eyes, James is a total sh**. Proud of himself that this was the first time he’d cheated on Sophie, well since they’d been married. Can’t count their engagement or when they were dating in college… This is a man used to getting his own way - tall, handsome, Oxford educated, adored by his family.

And poor Sophie is the true politician's wife. She barely allows herself the thought that she didn’t have to stand by his side. She thinks it’s because of the kids, but is it really? This is not a woman I had much sympathy for at the beginning, as I felt she knew what she was signing up for.

As the book moves into the trial, we start to hear more from Kate. She is a lawyer first and foremost. No husband, no kids, she is married to her job. “Like a lover intent on seduction, I will use the tenor and tone of my speech and the way in which I hold their attention to persuade them, I will use every trick in the book.” I wish I understood more how the British legal system works. Because I don’t think the case would have been pursued in the US system. It’s all pretty much he said/she said.

The book moves at a good steady pace. And there are twists I never saw coming. Vaughan does a great job of maintaining the tension, of keeping you guessing. Lots of meat. This would make a great book club selection.

My thanks to netgalley and Altria Books for an advance copy of this novel.

A smart, well put together, legal thriller that is very timely in today's world. Told in three voices, Vaughan weaves together a story that is hard to put down. A slow burner of a story with some parts being much more interesting than others, but when they are all woven together, it is a very good read!

First I would like to warn that Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan is a legal thriller that centers around rape so for those that are sensitive to the subject you may want to give this one a pass as there are a few scenes in which it will be described.

The story is told from multiple points of view and also by alternating between current day and by going back into past events when key characters were in college and the events that happened then. This would be one read that I can say that with all the switching it stilled flowed rather nicely and was easy to follow along with the story.

What we have in this book is a very high profile case being tried and all of the participants and their ties to one another. I would say one thing that gave me pause with this story was hearing the details of the rape case being tried. I couldn’t help but think to myself that I really didn’t see the case ever making it to court. Now the book does give some reasoning to why it might but I still was a bit iffy on if it was believable or not to center around those particular details. Rape is a very he said/she said crime and very hard to convict with often bringing in a lot of victim shaming/blaming and having read the statistics before I had wished the case had any different kind of set up.

However, even with my doubts of the believable nature of the setting of the crime and it making it to court I still decided to keep an open mind of the rest of the book. With the ease of engaging myself into the characters and their stories I really did like the twists and turns and how the story turned out overall. Sarah Vaughan turned into an author that I’d definitely pick up something else from again in the future with this legal thriller keeping my attention to the very end.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Another one I can’t believe I waited so long to read, there are so many more layers to this story than I expected, now I understand what all of the buzz is about!! I’ll definitely be recommending this one!!

Like many Anglophiles, I tend to enjoy stories about the British elite, especially if there is a mystery or (even better) a juicy scandal involved. So I was happy to receive a copy of Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan (thanks to Atria/Emily Bester Books and NetGalley) in return for my honest review.

We first meet Kate, a criminal barrister who has just lost a case. She is eager to get back to winning, and is assigned the prosecution of a sexual crime – her specialty. The accused is an important public figure: a Junior Minister in the House of Commons named James.

We then meet Sophie, whose husband James (aha!) seems to be perfect: he is handsome, a loving father, and a successful public figure with am important government position – but he has been accused of. a terrible crime (one that sort of cries out “ripped from the headlines”). Sophie is convinced he is innocent and she is desperate to protect her family from what she is sure must be lies that are threatening to destroy her carefully constructed existence. She and James are members of the upper class, and in “…their set, where success is understood as inevitable but naked ambition considered vulgar…” they are extremely aware of their position and public image.

Kate is the consummate professional, fully aware of appearances: “Chatting with fellow counsel, or clients, with ushers, with police, we all look down from time to time, so as not to appear confrontational.” She is a single woman in her early 40s with a keen insight into the ways her position and career have impacted her as an individual and women in general. “But the truth is, women are often scared of antagonizing their assailants or they feel conflicted; not so very long ago they may have been charmed by them. And we women aim to please. It is hardwired into us that we should placate and mollify—bend our will to that of men. Oh, some of us have fought against that, and we’re seen as hard-nosed, difficult, assertive, shrewish. We pay the penalty. Why don’t I have a proper, live-in partner? It’s not just because I’m unsure if I can trust anyone sufficiently. It’s because I refuse to compromise. I refuse to woman up, you might say.” Kate ALWAYS wants the truth, and she is certain James is guilty and that she will be the one to be sure he pays for his crimes.

In flashback, we also meet Holly, an extremely bright student at in the early 1990s, who is even as a teenager is revealed to be an extremely bright woman who sees the struggles ahead for her: “If there was a crime worse than being bright, it was failing to disguise the fact under layers of sarcasm and thick mascara.” She goes to Oxford, and then…

Who is right about James, Kate or Sophie? Sophie has led a privileged life, yet she is well aware that her carefully managed life can be in danger. She has experienced this kind of risk, back in the days when she and James were at Oxford and she saw firsthand how easily a “prefect” existence could turn into tragedy.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s well written, and despite the slightly soap opera-ish tone, it touches on important issues, especially in the time of political scandal and #MeToo. Highly recommended. Five stars.

4.5 Stars!!

With everything that has been going on in the world recently, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this timely novel.

Kate Woodcroft’s work is her life. Divorced with no children, she’s practiced law for many years. She specializes in prosecuting sexual crimes and she is no stranger to difficult cases. However, today she is in a bad mood after losing a case. But then her long time clerk, Brian comes to see her.

“What you need, is something that will take you to the next level. That will completely make your career.”

He has her attention now…

“ I’ve got just the sort of case you need.”

Sophie Whitehouse and her husband James have been married for twelve years and have two children together. Both grew up in affluent households and first met while attending Oxford. James is now a Junior Home Office minister. She watches her husband and the children, as they leave for the day. Her family. Her world. A world that crumbles at 8:43 that evening.

James is late and when he finally gets home from work and he tells her they need to talk. She tenses as she sees the look he gives her. It’s the same look he gave her twenty-three years earlier, right before he confessed to something that damaged their world. What he tells her now breaks her heart. But Sophie tells herself that they can get through this… they have been through worse. But it seems this is only the beginning, that the worst is yet to come, when he says....

“The story’s about to break”

Her husband has been accused of a heinous crime; Sophie is convinced he’s innocent. She’s desperate not to let these vicious lies break her family apart.

Kate is the prosecutor in the case against James. She’s determined to win and becomes obsessed with the case. It’s all she can think about. She’s usually able to remain detached but this case is unnerving her.

Will Sophie be strong enough to ask herself the hard questions? Even though she may not want to hear the answers to them?

So what happened all those years before?

So many secrets ….so many lies. But who is lying?

We learn about the characters lives through flashbacks and their individual perspectives. Hints about trauma and other incidents are slowly revealed.

“Anatomy of a Scandal” is a slow burning, character driven novel. In the beginning, there were times that my attention waned. There was a lot of legal jargon and details about the judicial system etc., but I realize that the author was trying to set the scene. I’m glad I stuck with it because before I knew it, I was fully immersed in the plot and the lives of the characters.

All in all this I thought this was an intelligent, impressive, thought-provoking and timely novel. A cautionary tale that shows we may not always know as much about someone as we think we do. A story about sex, entitlement, power, and as the author says -- “ venturing into dark places most of us would prefer not to think about”.


Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.

This book started off strong - interesting characters with questionable pasts, secrets and lies - setting it firmly in the suspense genre. But around the half way mark it turned into more of a contemporary fiction/weak legal thriller.

I liked the premise of the book but, besides the slight twist in the middle, this was more of a boilerplate read -- nothing too jarring, assumptions were proven true and nothing caused me to reconsider my initial assumptions about the characters, many of whom remained stereotypical.

With the number of men who have recently come forward about their sexual misconduct (or worse) in the media, the topics discussed in this book (consent and women's rights) are quite timely. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like Vaughan followed through with enough depth with these issues or her characters leaving me without a connection to any of them.

I'm a big reader of suspense books but unfortunately this book fell short for me. While this book gives readers some food for thought about sexual consent it fell short for me in suspense, character development and a hard-hitting ending.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

Anatomy of a Scandal is another one of those books that is rather hard for me to review. While I did like the book, I found myself wanting to skim a few times. The writing was impeccable, and you can tell that Sarah Vaughan really knows her stuff (I can't even imagine how much research she had to put into this book for all the legal jargon alone). However, this read was a bit procedural for me. It's definitely a slow burn, character-driven plot, so don't expect intense thrills and chills. However, it was done well and held my attention fairly well. It is also very in line with the current times, and is the perfect contemporary novel.

The novel is set in London and all the terms for the legal system (among other things) over there took me a bit to get used to. For instance, I had to figure out what a parliamentary researcher is. I have to admit I am very in the dark when it comes to how other countries work. That is me though, and in no way affects how I felt about this novel. I was just continually impressed with how much detail Vaughan went into.

It had a very TV courtroom drama vibe to it, only with lots of backstory (as I said, it is very character driven). I felt that the characters were all very well fleshed out and you really get to know most of them as the story pans out. I also liked seeing how Sophie ended up growing as a person and Kate started to really come into her own.

Anatomy of a Scandal does switch between a few different points of view throughout the book. At first it was just Sophie, Kate, and James; but then you also get introduced to the viewpoints of Holly and Ali (Kate's friend). I'm a sucker for multiple POV's, I just don't like when there are too many and they get confusing. I didn't have any of that confusion with the 5 viewpoints; plus Ali and Holly aren't mentioned as often as the rest.

I also liked that the novel switches between time periods as well as viewpoints. The novel jumps between past and present which was very intriguing (and helpful for character development). I liked that it was how we got the story of Holly, and James' and Tom's big connection.

Unlike a few other reviewers, I didn't mind how the novel ended. I don't think it was tied up that neatly, and it didn't feel any more detailed/procedural from the rest of the book. I also liked that even though this was a very serious subject matter, there were still a couple funny lines in this book. I always think it's nice when an author can incorporate some sort of humor into a very heavy book.

Final Thought: I really don't want to say anything else about the plot, but there were a couple of surprises that threw me a bit. Overall the book was just a bit too procedural for me, and was a little slow, but I couldn't give it any less than a 4/5 because of how well it is written. If you like slow burning, character driven novels then you should definitely check this out. It kind of reads like a courtroom drama at times, which I actually kind of liked even though I don't actually watch those shows. I will definitely be willing to check out more from Vaughn as well.

*This book is set to be published on 23 Jan 2018*

*HUGE thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an electronic ARC of this book via NetGalley. My review is completely honest and unbiased*

Great read. Kept my attention from the start and i couldn't put it down. Kept me up way past my bedtime because I had to keep reading!

3.5 stars. The story is one that could have been plucked from the headline in any major city's newspaper. James, a young, good looking politician who is married with two young children has been caught having an affair. What he claims was one last consensual tryst, she claims was rape. This is the classic story of he said she said. And, how much can you get away with because of wealth and privilege? Unfortunately, this is something that we see far too much of in this day and age.
The story slowly unfolds from the point of view of both the wife and the lawyer who is trying the case. The premise of this book is very relevant. It is well written and well researched. I think I expected the story to be more fast paced and at times I felt like it was a little bit too long. There were some definite surprises along the way; however, I don't think I felt connected enough to the characters to be shocked. I didn't like Sophie (the wife) or Kate (the lawyer) so I felt like I wasn't rooting for either of them. The only person that I was concerned about was the woman accusing James of rape. Unfortunately, we did not hear from her point of view.

Kate Woodcroft is a London lawyer (barrister) who prosecutes--almost exclusively--crimes of a sexual nature. So when a highly publicized case comes across her desk, she looks forward to trying it. The defendant is James Whitehouse, a wealthy and successful politician who has been best friends with the Prime Minister since their university days. James stands accused of rape, but he claims it was a consensual incident with a young woman with whom he was having an affair. The trial causes James' loyal wife, Sophie--the mother of his two young children--to question whether her husband truly committed the heinous act of which he is accused. Kate, meanwhile, is convinced James is guilty, and she'll do everything she can to make sure he's convicted.

This was a rather fascinating novel. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I picked this one up, but it wasn't what I read, yet I really enjoyed the book. It wasn't a fast read for me, though in its defense, I read it over the holidays and while moving, but there's a sense of foreboding while reading it that completely sucks you in.

The book is told via various points of view. We hear from Kate and Sophie, as well as a young woman named Holly, and once in a while, James. We also get their takes from both the present and the past, when all attended university. It's an effective narrative technique, although the novel can be a bit slow at times. I was drawn to all the women narrating and found it particularly interesting to get a wife's take on James' various alleged indiscretions and crimes, for the heart of the novel is the reader trying to discover exactly what he has done.

The novel is very British -- lots of description of the courts, Oxford and its various colleges, and just the language used. It takes a little getting used to, but you definitely get caught up in James' trial. And, of course, the plot is rather timely, with the subject of rape and sexual assault (unfortunately) being in the news so often right now.

The book itself, as mentioned, is a slow read. I wouldn't describe it as a thriller myself, but it's interesting and it grabbed my attention. James is certainly a cad, but the women are intriguing. The discussions of class and race in Britain are fairly nuanced too (and if you enjoy them, you should check out anything written by Gilly Macmillan, whom I thought of several times while reading this.) There are definitely a couple of good twists, which I always appreciate.

Overall, this was a different book--but in a good way. Certainly worth a read.

2.5 stars

This novel follows the aftermath of and investigation into a sexual assault scandal involving a high power politician and one of his employees.

I found the storyline intriguing enough to keep me curious until the end, however, this novel really dragged for me. I found the pacing slow, the characters unlikeable and the content jumped all over the place. I had a hard time staying focused and felt that there were several parts of the book that could have been omitted while not taking away from the story (in fact, it may add to it).

Perhaps it was just a timing thing after finishing a few really great reads, but this one just didn’t work for me. There are many glowing reviews out there so I strongly suggest reading those before making a decision on this book!

This was a Traveling Sister Read with Brenda, Susanne, Diane and Deanna. As much as the book didn’t work for several of us, it was still a pleasure to read together and discuss.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Sarah Vaughan for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I came across Anatomy of a Scandal on the BookishFirst website, where chapter two was offered as a sampling. The author's writing style immediately sucked me in, and I couldn't wait to read the book. Unfortunately, while there are flashes of greatness, the book in its entirety didn't hold up to the promise.

This story has several narrating characters, alternating throughout. Most are written in the traditional third person. Kate's part is written in first person. These switches are handled well.

The main problem for me was the fractured timeline. We start out in the present. Chapter two takes us back six weeks. Chapter three has us back a full year. A few chapters later, we go all the way back to 1992. In that distant past, we keep switching narrators and spending time with them all through their college years. This was where the story lost its footing for me. We meander through each character's drama, with far more detail than needed. These sections tend to drag the story down rather than build suspense. We continue on, switching from the distant past to the recent past. About halfway through, we finally spend a chunk of time in the present. The jumbled timeline made the story as a whole feel jumbled.

The section of this book pertaining to the trial is compelling and captivated me in the way of that early chapter I'd previewed. I felt the immediacy of the emotions and the turmoil of the situation.

For the most part, the plot is straight forward and the characters behave in exactly the way we'd expect. The strength of this book is in the way the author lays the emotions bare, so that we have no choice but to experience them along with the characters.

Brilliant...brilliant...brilliant...A wonderful courtroom drama set in England that was not only erudite but very suspenseful in terms of courtroom logistics. Reading it I felt I was involved in a real court room drama and was holding my breath for the final verdict. There are many words peculiar to the British language but it was easy to decipher their meaning from the overall context.
The story begins with the elucidation of the stories behind James, a sauve British minister, his adoring wife Sophie, whom he met in college and Kate, the lawyer who was hired to prosecute a rape case against James. Told mostly in alternating chapters between Kate and Sophie, we peer back into their college days when they all attended the same college and then to the present day. Questions arise as to who is the most truthful, and the power of the barrister 's persuasive abilities to influence the final outcome of the jury. Does truth really matter? Ethics play into the role as well, as well as individual responsibility to ferret out the truth in spite of moral dilemmas. I truly loved this book and will recommend this to anyone who is looking for a terrifically written and satisfying book.

This is a book full of suspense. I read it in 1 day and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! The amazing characters, development of those characters, and the gripping storyline would make this book an excellent choice for a book club selection! In fact, I think I will recommend it to our adult services librarian the next time I see her!

3 Stars.

James, Junior Minister of England, and his wife Sophie are caught in a fierce legal battle against Kate, a barrister who represents Olivia, in a case in which James has been charged with sexual assault. Olivia and James had an affair and James swears that what happened between them was a consensual act. For Jame’s wife Sophie? Well, her world comes crashing down before her. Kate knows that James is guilty and she is going to make him pay.

Every character in this book had something to hide and in a lawsuit, secrets don’t stay hidden for long.

“Anatomy of a Scandal” is a slow paced suspense novel filled with pomp and circumstance, which sometimes dragged on. In my opinion, the authors strong suit is her character development and that is what kept my attention.

This was a Traveling Sister Read. It included: Brenda, Lindsay, Diane and Deanna.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Sarah Vaughan for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 12.30.17.
*Will be published on Amazon on 1.23.18.

Anatomy of a Scandal is an enthralling political scandal read that I could not put down!

I usually stick to romance novels and needed this change of pace. This book left me shocked several times as the author surprises you with plot twists as the story develops. I thoroughly enjoyed the several different points of views this story took on and seeing into each character's headspace. The story also goes back in forth from present day and the characters' college life.

The book takes place in London and I did find some of the terms confusing when it came to their court systems, but I was still able to fully understand the story.

If you love a crime thriller and political scandal pick up this book its so good!