(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Struggling to make ends meet during the Great Depression, Shelby Beckett flees the Oklahoma dust bowl to find work in the wardrobe department of Hollywood's largest movie studio. Surrounded by glamour and wealth, Shelby is charmed by box office star Flynn Sparks as well as Flynn's chief rival, fellow actor Dalton Andrews. As Shelby joins her suitors at opulent parties and intimate dinners, she rubs elbows with the likes of Clark Gable and Cary Grant and is drawn deeper into a lifestyle where her small town values are challenged or ignored.
Lurking in the shadows of this Gatsby-like lifestyle is an unseen evil force that strangles beautiful women. Suspecting a madman is connected to the studio production where Shelby works, homicide chief detective Bill Barrister believes the only way to uncover the identity of the ruthless killer is to offer Shelby as bait.

Bit of a mixed bag for me. Let's start with the positives:

I loved the setting - both location and time frame. I am a sucker for this period of American history and was dragged straight into the story. The authors knowledge of Hollywood at the time seems to be very good and can't fault him for that.
The conclusion of this book was a real winner as well. It was new and inventive and I will always praise an author for doing something a little different and pulling it off brilliantly.

And therein lies the problem for me. I liked the setting and the finish - the issue was everything else. I didn't connect with any of the characters except, ironically, for the killer, who was easily identified, despite the red herrings thrown at us. And, that obviously indicates that it wasn't much of a mystery either.

So, if you do enjoy the 30's and 40's in Hollywood, mixed with a little mystery and romance, then this could be the book for you.


Paul
ARH

Sorry I was not able to read you book but it went to archive before I could get to it. Sorry once again.