This was clever and utterly compulsive. I loved the glimpse at the dark underbelly of the glitzy 50s Hollywwod scene and many of the twists I did not see coming - unusual for me. Still thinking about this book several days after finishing it.

Wow. Okay. What can I say? This book is GOOD.

I didn’t expect to feel the way I was left feeling when I closed the book but after the twist near the end, I felt all kinds of ways. OUTRAGE & ANGER mainly, firstly with the author 😂 because I didn’t want ‘THAT’ to happen 😭

But then … with those in power in Hollywood throughout history.

The author poignantly brings it to the reader’s attention the heinously corrupt nature behind the glitz and glam of the film industry. Whilst fictional, this story is based on TRUTHS that needed to be written about. An exposè if you will, that’s also a thoroughly researched historical fiction novel and a deliciously yet dark twisty mystery/thriller. What’s not to like?

What to expect from, ‘A Beautiful Way To Die’

- An unexpected ending with twists and turns toward the end (that WILL stir emotion)
- Extremely interesting author’s notes at the end of the book that shine the light on true stories that her character’s stories were based on/inspired by.
- Good pace throughout
- Connections easily made with the characters
- Based on/Inspired by true stories
- Historical fiction novel based on the Hollywood film industry
- Mystery/Thriller elements
- Reinvention, making a comeback, resilience and determination
- The dark side of chasing fame

The bar is pretty high for me to give a 5 star rating to a book so I have given it a 4 but I would definitely say that this was a GOOD read and well worth giving it a look. A special thanks to the author @elenikwriter for writing about this topic, I believe this book is an important one to read for women particularly to feel SEEN. Women that have experienced abuse from those in positions of power in all walks of life, not just in Hollywood. It’s still RIFE and oftentimes it’s at the hands of a man, there are ‘Stan Fishers’ and ‘Fixers’ everywhere, we just don’t hear about it.

Thanks to @netgalley and @headofzeus
publishers for an advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

Expected publishing date : 8th May 2025

I really enjoyed this! I thought that it has very similar vibes to that of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, with the Hollywood 50s glam and the struggles that women experienced while chasing their dreams. There were a couple of unexpected twists, and I think it was written in a way that was very clever and allowed for twists to continue twisting. I loved the main characters, I loved the ending, I loved the development and the friendship. The only thing that I was a little uncertain about was the timeline - I was a little bit confused about when these events were taking place in relation to each other, but that may have just been me. Would happily recommend this book to others, especially if they were a fan of the Evelyn Hugo book! 4 stars.

Book Review: "A Beautiful Way to Die" by Eleni Kyriacou

Eleni Kyriacou's "A Beautiful Way to Die" transports readers to the glamorous yet shadowy world of 1950s Golden Hollywood and London. From the outset, Kyriacou paints a vivid picture of the era, immersing us in the allure and darkness of Hollywood's backlot, where dreams can quickly turn into nightmares.

The characters are exceptionally crafted, each layered with complexity that keeps you guessing. Stella, reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe in her beauty, undergoes a profound character arc as she navigates the harsh realities of fame. Meanwhile, Ginny emerges as a strong, intelligent rising star in Hollywood, representing the fierce determination of women fighting against a patriarchal system that seeks to suppress them.

Kyriacou's writing flows effortlessly, making the novel a breeze to read while maintaining a gripping mystery that intertwines the characters' lives. The noir themes create a palpable tension, echoing the moral complexities of the time. The dual timelines of 1953 and 1954 enrich the narrative, revealing how the past shapes the present and highlighting the enduring struggles for power and agency.

In "A Beautiful Way to Die," Eleni Kyriacou masterfully blends mystery, romance, and social commentary within a beautifully rendered historical setting. Her gorgeous prose and strong, multifaceted characters make this novel a must-read for anyone who appreciates rich storytelling in a world where glamour often conceals deeper truths.

Eleni’s writing is compelling, she lures you in with her vivid, rich descriptions and keeps you hooked with the plot. This addictive thriller kept you holding on til the very end.

I enjoyed the dual plot line between Ginny and Stella and was invested from start to finish.

Remember.. play the game, do as they say.. or they’ll bury you

The gorgeous cover of 'A Beautiful Way to Die' by Eleni Kyriacou immediately caught my attention but the description made me immediately want to read it!
Following young stars in old Hollywood, we learn about the true darkness intertwined with the lives of the rich and famous. Not everything is as it seems for each of the characters in the story and each chapter immerses you in a new deep secret.
It felt like I was watching a murder mystery movie instead of reading along with it. The detail in the book made it easy to picture each scene of Hollywood and the time frame in the 1950's. It was easy to follow along and every chapter left me wanting to read more.
Although for me it was slow in the beginning but at around 60% through I couldn't put it down. I liked the different POVs of each characters story and how they seamlessly intertwined with each other. It put into perspective the dark side of Hollywood in the 1950s and how it exploits the young women rising to fame and how easily these young actresses could be pushed aside...but how much has really changed since then? I was rooting for Stella and Ginny the whole time. This book is one that you definitely want to add to your TBR if you enjoy reading thrillers and historical fiction!

I can't wait for A Beautiful Way to Die to be released! I'll immediately be adding it to my shelf!

Thank you to the publisher Head of Zeus and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC for this book!

I absolutely loooooved this book!

So let's start with pointing out that the only similarities between "the 7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo" and this book is the glitz and glamour of old Hollywood that it's set in, that's it, they are completely different, both fantastic books in their own right.

We follow a few characters through the story, all of whose lives intertwine, it works well, I didn't feel confused or overwhelmed when following all the characters. Very nicely done.

The characters themselves aren't deeply written, I didn't feel closely attached to one over the other, but they were all written well to be liked... Or disliked as they should.

The story itself was a refreshing take on a murder mystery, because we followed a few characters, we had extra multiple layers and branches to the mystery. The twist and turns had me gasping... My wtf meter was on high! Soooo bloody good! Did.not.expect.any of it!

I believe the amount of research the author did to make this story come alive clearly showed throughout the book and just dragged me into old Hollywood which we see was not in any way the glitz and glam it's been made out to be... By Hollywood!

Fantastic read, highly recommended. Would love to see this as a film tbh! This needs to blow up this year!

Thanks to Netgalley, Eleni Kyriacou and Head of Zeus of the Arc copy, brilliant.

In 1954 Hollywood, Ginny is an English ingenue who won a one-way ticket to LA and is desperate to prove herself... so when she meets movie star Max and is offered a contract with his studio, she jumps at, well, the contract and Max. There's just one small problem: Max is one half of the biggest celebrity couple in Hollywood, although he swears he and his wife, Stella, are pretty much finished. But Ginny isn't just a beautiful ingenue; she has talent and is willing to work hard to earn her own opportunities while she waits for Max to come through.

Several months later, legendary movie star Stella Hope is on loan to Ealing Studios following the bad publicity surrounding her break-up with Max. Lonely and a little lost, she befriends make-up artist Maggie... but it soon transpires that Maggie has questions of her own about just what happened back in Hollywood.

If you've read The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou, this book is as dark as that, but in a different way - with a glamorous, knife-sharp Hollywood edge. (There's also at least one enjoyable Easter egg in this one for Zina fans to pick up on.)

The narrative twists between all three female leads, switching from past to present, Hollywood to London with great effect. Eleni Kyriacou has quietly forged a career out of writing about solidarity between interesting female characters, and she's outdone herself with this novel. Ginny, Stella and Maggie are not perfect, but they all know what they want, and they all have a strong moral core that keeps them just the right side of the line (mostly). I really loved watching the friendship between Stella and Maggie develop, and the parallel friendship between Cynthia and Ginny makes a nice foil for the sordid Hollywood lifestyle, in which women are subjected to an endless parade of indignities in the service of powerful men. The depth of the research is clear - but that doesn't mean it's a slow read. After trying to savour the early chapters, I flew through the last two-thirds of the novel in a day. I'm still thinking of these characters, and I think they'll live in my head beyond the closing chapters for quite a while yet.

If you like books with multiple female main characters, if you like thrillers, if you like historical novels... don't pass up on this one!

Oh my god! No seriously, wow. I just sat for an entire day and completely devoured this book.

Where do I even start? First of all, if you’re a fan of Evelyn Hugo, this is absolutely for you. Old Hollywood vibes and glam, mystery, secrets, wild parties, overindulgence, blackmail, cover ups - it seriously had it all!

The multiple character POV’s meant not only did I get a greater understanding of our main characters and their motives, but also that the story moved incredibly fast. Just when I thought I knew what was about to happen, Kyriacou had another plot twist up her sleeve that left me genuinely shocked..

Amongst the differing POV chapters, you also get magazine/news articles and radio broadcasts which add so much to an immersive reading experience. Such incredible writing by Kyriacou will make you feel like you are IN this 1950’s world, gossip mag in hand, watching the Oscars on TV, star struck by your favourite Hollywood stars.

Set to the backdrop of real corruption and events that occurred in Hollywood from 1920 to the mid-1950’s, Kyriacou’s novel is not only thoroughly researched but utterly compelling and unputdownable. You’ll feel genuine rage for the real life women that Kyriacou based this novel on, the injustice of Hollywood during that period and the inexplicable cruelty of men in positions of power.

The first book I’ve read by Eleni Kyriacou but certainly not my last.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus. I absolutely loved A Beautiful Way to Die - and congratulations to Eleni on a stunning novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the free eARC!

I love a good thriller about the Golden Age of Hollywood. Stella Hope is one of the most famous actresses on the planet. She is going through a divorce with one of the most famous actors on the planet, Max Whitman. They live in separate residences. Enter Ginny Watkins. A young woman who moved to Hollywood from England to try to become the next big thing. The story really picks when their lives start to intersect, and she forms a relationship with Max. I don’t want to give anything away sadly this one. It was soooo good. Couldn’t put it down! There were some similarities to “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”, but this may have been even better than that!

One thing that drove me nuts was that the whole time I was reading it, I kept thinking to myself, “man…1950’s Hollywood was crazy with all the harassment and other nonsense that women had to deal with”, and then it dawned on me that not much has really changed since then, and they really sucks. I can’t recommend checking this out more! Just a great story about one of the most fascinating periods of Hollywood.

Set in 1954, A Beautiful Way To Die, follows the story of Stella Hope, a star who has fallen from grace after a car accident left her ex-husband, Max, disfigured. Now, making low-budget films, she’s trying to reclaim some of her former glory. Earlier that year, Virginia Rose, a naïve English actress, finds herself caught in the charm of a handsome star—none other than Stella’s ex, Max. But as is often the case in this world, nothing is as it seems.

The pacing of the book is fantastic. The way the author shifts between perspectives keeps the story moving at a perfect speed—enough to keep you hooked and wanting more. What I really appreciated was how the author balanced the glamour of Hollywood with the industry's darker, more corrupt side. It’s an honest look at how power, fame, and the people behind it all can be dangerous, especially for women.

The characters are incredibly well-developed, particularly Ginny and Stella. Both women are complex—sympathetic yet deeply flawed. Watching them navigate an industry built on manipulation and exploitation is both engaging and eye-opening.

And then there’s the twist—something I didn’t see coming at all. I spent much of the book wondering who would end up in a certain position, but the way things unfolded left me with a rather shocking—and somewhat bittersweet—reveal. I liked the twist, but wow, it was so unexpected in the best way.

This was my first book by this author, and I’m definitely excited to read more of her work. From start to finish, A Beautiful Way To Die is an unforgettable and captivating read, filled with suspense, emotion, and plenty of Hollywood secrets.

'A Beautiful Way to Die' is written with verve and a large dollop of Hollywood glamour. It felt like an ideal beach/holiday read - so much so that I longed to be lying on a sun-lounger by a pool as I read it. 🍸 If James Ellroy's 'LA Confidential' and Jackie Collins' 'Hollywood Wives' were put in a blender and then sprinkled with Kenneth Anger's 'Hollywood Babylon', it might be something like this

My favourite quote was the passage the title is taken from: "It was a tightrope, this town, she thought. Just one huge balancing act. Keep going, one foot in front of the other, even if you're exhausted, no matter. Take these pills, don't look down, don't complain, look straight ahead. The alternative was not to try at all. And if you fail? There's no safety net, but at least you gave it a shot. If you made it, the rewards were so high. And if you didn't, well it was a beautiful way to die."

Lastly, kudos to the cover designer - the book looks absolutely stunning. ❤️

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

A Beautiful Way to Die is a must-read for any fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and books by Gill Paul.
Set in the glitz and glam in Hollywood in the 1950s, we follow a young wannabe starlet Ginny Watkins as she pursues an acting career in the movies. We all now know the dark side of Hollywood, especially back in those days and about the male predators in the industry and what women were forced to do to get ahead, so this book was another interesting glimps into the dark side of the rich and famous. Ginny begins turning heads and catches the eye of Max Whitman - the biggest actor in Hollywood. Max strikes up an affair with Ginny and tells her he's divorcing his wife Stella Hope despite the fact that the pair are Hollywood's power couple.
Stella is the dual POV in the story, and her POV is a year ahead of Ginnys, so the story goes back and forth over the period between 1953 and 1954. Stella has been ousted from the studio after her divorce and placed on loan to a production company in the UK where she meets a makeup artist who seems to have a secret agenda. This book was such a woven, twisty read with events and revelations I didn't see coming. I read this book in one sitting as I could pull away from the story, suspense and drama and still can't stop thinking about it now. This is the first book by this author I've read, and I'll definitely be checking out her backlist!

Set in the glamorous yet cutthroat world of Hollywood and London during the 1950s, A Beautiful Way to Die by Eleni Kyriacou is a historical crime mystery that immerses readers in the decadence and dark underbelly of the early film industry. The story unfolds across two timelines, each focusing on a woman caught in the tangled web of stardom, power, and deception.

In Hollywood, 1953, young actress Ginny Watkins has rapidly become the hottest new starlet. With beauty and ambition in spades, she quickly catches the eye of legendary actor Max Whitman, who promises her everything she desires in exchange for a "favour." The dynamics of power, manipulation, and exploitation are on full display as Ginny finds herself entangled in the dangerous games of the rich and famous.

A year later, in London, we meet Stella Hope, a former Hollywood icon whose life has taken a sharp downturn after a bitter divorce from Max. Now relegated to Ealing Studios, Stella must come to terms with her fall from grace. But things take an even darker turn when she receives an ominous letter threatening to expose a long-buried secret from her past.

The novel brilliantly weaves these two women's stories together, highlighting the contrast between their careers and the sinister forces lurking behind the glittering facade of fame. As both Ginny and Stella find themselves drawn into Max's orbit, their lives inevitably collide in a moment of shocking violence at a glamorous Oscars afterparty.

Kyriacou’s writing brings the 1950s film world to life with vivid descriptions of Hollywood decadence, social hierarchy, and the harsh realities faced by women in a patriarchal industry. There is a palpable sense of nostalgia in the setting, combined with a thrilling and suspenseful mystery that keeps the reader on edge. The novel's tone is both seductive and unsettling, as it unravels the complex relationships between ambition, betrayal, and survival in a world where nothing is ever as it seems.

The characters are multifaceted and complex, particularly Ginny and Stella, who are both sympathetic and flawed. While their desires for fame and success are relatable, their willingness to compromise their integrity makes them fascinating to watch as they navigate the toxic systems of power and control. Max Whitman, a man of charm and manipulation, is a compelling figure who plays the role of both villain and catalyst in the story’s tragic unfolding.

If you enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, A Beautiful Way to Die will undoubtedly appeal to you with its exploration of old Hollywood's allure and its dark, suspenseful narrative. The novel blends mystery, drama, and a touch of glamour to create an unforgettable story of ambition, betrayal, and the price of stardom.

Overall, A Beautiful Way to Die is a captivating historical crime novel with richly drawn characters and an intriguing plot that dives deep into the shadows of fame and fortune. Kyriacou has created a story that will leave readers eagerly turning pages until the shocking conclusion. Fans of vintage Hollywood, suspenseful drama, and complex female characters will find this book a thrilling and irresistible read.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

fantastic book, i read most of it while getting a tattoo and it was so engaging i couldn't put it down, the story is so captivating i loved the characters and the inner monologues. the twists in every second of this book make it just that much better and i've already recommended it to 3 of my friends!! would read by the same author again.

This book was clearly well researched by an author with an obvious love for the period she is writing about. However I felt the characterization a little flat and failed to really engage with the story. Readable but not gripping

Do not underestimate a person who seeks the truth and justice . A book about young aspiring women in the 50’s trying to establish their careers in acting in a male dominant environment. This book shows the ruthlessness of some people but also shows the caring and humane side of others . A historical account of Hollywood and London in the acting world in the 50’s with some murder and mystery . An ok read .

This book follows young aspiring actress, Ginny Watkins as she tries to navigate Hollywood. When she catches the eye of married actor Max Whitman he promises he can give her life she desires.

At the same time you read about experienced actress Stella Hope as she comes to terms with being shipped to London after divorcing from her husband.

Despite never meeting, both women will find their lives changed forever in a single night at an Oscars after party.

I was found this to be quite slow to begin with and it took me a few chapters to get used to the switching POVs. Once i hit about 40/50% I was gripped, I couldn’t stop reading, I needed to know all the details and I really felt like I was there both with Stella and with Ginny.

A beautifully tragic tale that exposes the dark side of vintage Hollywood.
A perfect read for history and thriller lovers.

Wow - this was unexpected, in the very best way.

When I read the description for this book, it reminded me of a dark Evelyn Hugo-type of situation.

However, it was much different than expected, but I LOVED it. I read it in about 3 sittings because I couldn't stop. It's much of a thriller than I thought it would be, and it had more twists and turns than I ever thought. It made me question who to trust, and who was reliable when it came to the storytelling, but it all came together in the end very nicely.

I feel like I may need to re-read it at some point with the knowledge I have now to get the full impact. It was very well done, and it was niche enough that I fear I won't find another like it for now - but that just means it stands on its own.

Highly, highly recommend to history and thriller fans.

A historical mystery crime novel based in the mid 1950's, A Beautiful Way to Die is wonderfully old glam Hollywood mixed with unscrupulous people who use and abuse others. Loosely based on events and people that, past and present, have occurred in Hollywood, such as Harvey Weinstein, this is an entertaining and often disturbing piece of literature. The tone set was perfect, the writing felt vintage and a touch noir. I loved this book completely.

***Just a little note, 911 wasn't a thing until 1968***

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.