The Starlets : A Novel

One perfect island. Two rivals. A star-studded cast. But underneath the glitter, disaster is brewing. Summer, 1958. Vivienne Rhodes thinks she’s finally landed her break playing Helen of Troy in Apex Pictures’ big-budget epic, A Thousand Ships, an anticipated blockbuster meant to resurrect the failing studio. Naturally, she’s devastated when she arrives on the remote Italian island of Tavalli and finds herself cast as the secondary character, Cassandra—while her nemesis, the fiancé-stealing Lottie Lawrence, America’s supposed “sweetheart,” is playing the lead role instead. The tension on set, though, turns deadly when the ladies discover that members of the crew are using the production as a front for something decidedly illegal—and that they are willing to kill to keep their dealings under wraps. When the two women find themselves on the run and holding key evidence, Vivienne and Lottie frantically agree to work together to deliver the proof to Interpol, hoping to protect both their lives and their careers. Staying one step ahead of corrupt cops and looming mobsters, the archrivals flee across the seas. Their journey leads them into Monaco’s casinos, Grace Kelly’s palace, on a road trip through the Alps—even onto another film set, before a final showdown back on Tavalli, where the lives of the entire cast and crew hang in the balance. Vivienne and Lottie finally have the chance to be real heroines—to save the day, the film, maybe even each other—but only if they can first figure out how to share the spotlight. “A spry and suspenseful crime novel set just after Hollywood’s golden age” (starred Publishers Weekly review)Stand-alone novelBook length: 84,000 words“A sheer delight! This fast-paced caper is fresh, fun, and exactly the escape readers need right now.” —Marie Bostwick, New York Times bestselling author of Esme Cahill Fails SpectacularlyPerfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Clive CusslerIncludes discussion questions for book clubs