Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the copy of The Hurricane Blonde by Halley Sutton. I was enthralled from the start and I liked the exploration of powerful men and how women are affected by them. The characters were interesting, but none of them was very likable except maybe for Emerald, a Black woman trying to make it in Hollywood. If you’re looking for a well-written beach/vacation book this is it! Murder, Hollywood and movies are a great combination and this book delivers.

With a title like The Hurricane Blonde and a novel that centers on a former child star, and the murder of her movie star sister, in Hollywood, you might expect this book to be vapid. It was anything but—it’s a well-researched read that feels very real and is well-plotted and deeply emotional.

For me, it was also a satisfying read with an ending that truly felt right, and I loved protagonist Salma’s character development.

The Hurricane Blonde is a thoroughly enjoyable, excellent modern noir novel that goes beyond the glitter of Tinseltown to shine a light on the flawed people at the heart of the industry. Although the main characters in this novel were fictional, their story felt incredibly authentic, a testament to the author’s deep research and stellar writing. Highly recommend!

This was a really fun read and as a lover of all things Hollywood I really enjoyed the mystery and layers of Hollywood history. Any listeners of You Must Remember This, especially the Dead Blondes season, will find a lot of references and easter eggs to enjoy. While the actual mystery itself is fairly standard, I'm giving this an extra star for its use of Hollywood history and setting-as-a-character.

Thank you @putnum @thrillerlovers for the #gifted e-ARC copy of this book!

🌟If you’re a lover of Hollywood, actors and actresses, or have ever thought of dropping everything to move to Cali where people become stars this book is for you!

I thought this book was very unique in its premise and to be quite honest made me really reflect how lonely Hollywood likely really is. It may seem like famous people have it all but as we see in this book, glitz, glam, money and attention doesn’t exactly equate to happiness. To me this book felt a bit like watching an unsolved murder mystery show where you follow the colorful and addictive past of a burnt out child star. Her familial history wasn’t quite what it seemed and I found someone the revelations quite shocking. Many of the events seemed very close to reality which is why I found this book a little sad. I felt bad about the corruption of power in Hollywood and struggled a bit to connect with some of the characters because of this. I found most of the characters unlikeable which I think worked for this book. I was completely surprised by the end and how this wrapped up which is always a fun way to end!

This book was very riveting! It had me hooked from the very beginning. Plot twist! I hope there will be a sequel!

The story in The Hurricane Blonde was unique but didn’t hold my attention. I was bored with a lot of the repetition and started skimming to get through the book.

I have a mixed review on this one. First few chapters sucked me in, then I got bored, then it sucked me in again around the 60% mark. I hated all the characters but it worked for the story. Overall a good read!

I love a good murder mystery, and one set in Hollywood certainly had my attention.

Salma Lowe, former child star and youngest daughter in the Hollywood royalty Lowe family. Since her sister was murdered, Salma has had a tough life. In and out of rehab, now driving a tour bus around Hollywood Murder sites for tourists, including the one of her own sisters, Tawny. One day pulling up to the same house Tawny died in, she sees a woman in the pool and tries to save her. This woman looks like the mirror image of Tawny. Salma knows that there has to be a link here. Her sisters killer has never been found and she is determined to find them.

This is a book full of juicy gossip and behind the scenes look on a film set. Salma is a mess of a woman but her heart is in the right place. She loved her sister more than anything. I was hooked from the start.

Thanks to Putnam, Penguin Group, Thrilling Book Promotions and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on August 8th.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn't my favorite mystery/thriller but I still enjoyed it. It did have some fun twists and turns throughout it (even one that I gasped at) but the big end twist I saw coming.

My main thought coming from this book was about the character Cal. I haven't disliked a character this much in a while. I don't even want to imagine directors in Hollywood actually being like him, but I'm sure there definitely are.

Salma Lowe''s family is Hollywood royalty, but after a tumultuous young adulthood, she's trying to live an under-the-radar life giving bus tours of famous murder sites... including the house where her sister was murdered. But when Salma finds another dead woman at the same house, she's certain the deaths are related and her investigation leads her to the twisted roots of her family's deepest, darkest secrets.

I LOVED this book. It had Hollywood glamour and rot and awful men behaving terribly and getting away with it because it's for their "art" and a lovable main character self-consciously working through her own redemption arc. It was funny, dark, twisty, and excellent. READ THIS.

What a page turner! This book had the emotional pull of Malibu Rising and growing up in a famous family but it had the thrill to keep you on the edge of the seat. I loved how each cliffhanger was resolved and actually had a point to the story- it wasn't throw in just for plot points. It was expertly interwoven with 20+ years of secrets that you couldn't put down the book to find out.

Although I was able to figure out who killed Tawny almost immediately after the family's big secret was revealed, this book never lost its steam or its intrigue. The descriptions of the behind-the-scene movie making made me feel as though I were.actually on set, and descriptions of scenery, places, and people were so on point that I felt as though I were a ghost, walking unseen amongst the cast of characters. I wasn't positive that I'd like this book, but it was truly much better than I anticipated. I feel that oftentimes books based in Hollywood verge on being cheesy or redundant, but the author managed to avoid becoming either. I will absolutely look for future titles by this author, and will gladly recommend this book. Perfect for the beach this summer

This book held my attention from the very beginning. I’m in the middle of binge watching Law and Order SVU and this true crime / cold case was right up my alley. It was an interesting view into Hollywood and an aspect I’ve not yet had in a thriller. I loved the ghost tours touch they added as I’m definitely one to do one any time I travel. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! I will be looking out for other books by this author! Thank you NetGalley and Putnam books!

Salma is an ex-child star turned tour guide in Los Angeles. When giving her tour one day, she comes across a dead body, and it is eerily like her sister’s death and at the house her sister lived at. Her sister was dubbed the Hurricane Blonde and her killer was never caught.

Even though the police try to convince Salma the death was a accident, she’s haunted by the investigation. As the case goes on she begins to think that the new death could lead to exposing her sisters killer.

This sophomore novel did not disappoint – it was really interesting and held my attention. I really enjoyed Salma’s character, she was beautifully flawed and well written. I loved delving deep into the secrets of Hollywood – it was so fun. There were several twists, and I feel that the execution between them could have been a little better. The choppy and knee jerk feeling did get a little much, but the story worked overall despite this.

I would for sure read more books by this author and can’t wait to go back and check out her debut!

Thank you so much to Penguin Group Putnam, @putnambooks, and NetGalley, @netgalley, for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A pretty standard who-dun-it couched in the glitter, terror, and hypocrisy of Hollywood stardom. The protagonist is a former child star whose world-renowned actress older sister was murdered in a famous unsolved case. Now, Salma is a recovering addict running macabre tours featuring murdered starlets, nursing the pain of the loss that shattered her family. I found Salma to be tough, dogged, and ultimately sympathetic, even if I struggled to understand some of her convictions. Most cathartic, however, is Sutton's deconstruction of old Hollywood violence and privilege, fueling the debate of whether it is possible to separate art and artist, and exploring the insidious cost of prioritizing legacy over life. There are direct comparisons to draw between each fictional character and real-world victims and perpetuators of abuse within the entertainment industry. Sutton names a few names, but largely leads it up to the reader to consider how these questions relate to complicity, misogyny, and corruption in the City of Angels.

My one issue was the handing of Salma's privilege throughout the story. Although there are some soft nods towards her status as a rich white woman and how those identities shield her from atrocities, it came across as a weak attempt to cover all bases rather than something that is adequately explored. True to fashion, the most reaction from Salma to Emerald's direct statements about her privilege is squirming discomfort that ultimately proves little to no change in how she uses Emerald for her own gain.

A sensationalized true crime cold case. The seedy underbelly of Hollywood. Family secrets and blinding loyalty. THE HURRICANE BLONDE has it all. The façade of glitz and glamor for the Lowe family with a legacy of Hollywood royalty came crashing down with the unsolved murder of their starlet daughter Tawney in the mid-90s. Tawney’s younger sister Salma is a former child star and a recovering addict working for a true crime Hollywood tour when discovers a body in the same pool Tawney was murdered in twenty years earlier.

Convinced that the killings are connected, Salma’s determination to find justice for her sister is reignited. Her search for the truth leads her to question the pedestals she once held the Hollywood elite on. Themes of obsession with true crime, the lengths people will go to achieve stardom, and the exploitation of child actors were explored in a compelling way in this slow burn suspense novel.

With the vivid Hollywood setting and multiple mysteries to solve, THE HURRICANE BLONDE will be a sizzling summer read you won’t want to miss.

READ THIS IF:
Themes of loyalty and fascination with true crime sound intriguing
You’re curious for an inside look at Hollywood and movie-making
You love the juicy behind the scenes of stardom

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: August 8, 2023

Many thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Salma Lowe (also known as sloppy Salma) has been sober for years after the death of her big sister, actress Tawney Lowe. She was born into Hollywood royalty, and she gives tours of deceased and murdered Hollywood stars. The murder of her sister still eats away at her, and she finds out her sister’s ex is making a movie about her death.

This book had a lot of twists and turns. I found it to be a real page turner. I suspected nearly everyone at one point! It was a quick read, and by the time it ended, I understood why Salma made the choices she did. I did like it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Los Angeles, a former Child star, and a dead girl. Always a potent combination.

It transcends the tropes with an extra dose of creepiness and twists. The ghost tors were a fun touch. I’ll definitely look for more from this author.

The Hurricane Blonde
By: Halley Sutton
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you love old Hollywood full of glitz, glamour, seedy secrets and murder this novel has is all and is FABULOUS!!

Salma Lowe comes from Hollywood royalty. Her parents were well known and loved in Hollywood. After her sister Tawney, also an actress is killed Salma’s life spirals even more. She was a wild child, and now trying to make ends meet she is doing tours as a guide for Stars Six Feet Under. One of the stops involves the place where her sister was killed. All these years later Tawney’s killer has not been named.

Tawney’s boyfriend was the prime suspect according to Salma, but she needs to prove it. Cal is now producing a film about Tawney’s death and she manages to get work on the film.

I could not turn the pages fast enough as more secrets were discovered which led to many who could have killed Tawney.

Will the killer be brought to justice? I could see this as a movie and visualized this fast paced novel which goes between the past and present. Absolutely RIVETING and shows you what lengths a family will go through to protect their secrets.

Thank you Thriller Book Lover Promotions, Netgalley and author Halley Sutton for this advanced copy. This novel is available August 8, 2023.

#thehurricaneblonde, #halleysutton, #putnam, #thrillerbookloverspromotions, #netgalley, #bookreview, #bookstagram, #booksconnectus, #stamperlady50

𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒚𝒘𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍. 𝑺𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒄.

THE HURRICANE BLONDE read like a mix of a tawdry tabloid with a dash of Inside Edition, and I loved every second of it! Salma Lowe was once a promising child star living in the shadows of her father, who was Hollywood royalty, and her gorgeous older sister Tawney. Salma's life derailed in the 90s and she now spends her days running the macabre Stars Six Feet Under tour, leading eager tourists through the glittering streets of Los Angeles to the sites where the promising lives and careers of actresses were snuffed out.

Incredibly, Salma discovers a dead body in the middle of one of her tours on the property where her sister once lived AND in the same place where her sister died. Even more chilling is the fact that the dead woman looks just like Tawney.

I love stories about the rot and ruin that lurk under the bright lights of Hollywood. The lengths Salma goes to discover the link between this murder and her sister's will force her to confront some very dark truths about the people closest to her and her sister. The climax was perfectly executed, and I wasn't prepared for that twist!

Thank you to @thrillerbookloverspromotions and NetGalley for this early read. THE HURRICANE BLONDE will publish August 8, 2023.