Published By: Aries
Pages: 416
Released On: 08/05/2025
PLAY THEIR GAME
Hollywood, 1953. Young actress Ginny Watkins is turning heads. Even the legendary – and married – actor Max Whitman can’t resist the allure of the hottest new starlet. He promises Ginny the world, in return for the right favour.
DO WHAT THEY SAY
London, 1954. Stella Hope, once the most famous actress in Hollywood, has been ousted to Ealing Studios after her divorce from the powerful Max. Just as she accepts her fate, she receives a letter, blackmailing her for a mistake she made many years ago.
OR THEY’LL BURY YOU
Two women on either side of stardom find themselves in the orbit of the same beguiling man. And one night, in the shadows of a glamorous Oscars afterparty, their lives are changed forever…
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Aries for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I LOVED Eleni’s previous book – The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou – and I was so excited to see a new one and so it had a lot to live up to. It also had an intriguing cover so I was really keen to get stuck in.
This was completely different to Zina Pavlou, which I was a bit concerned about to begin with, as that was such a spectacular novel. But where it does compare is in Eleni’s ability to create female characters – strong women, but not always in the physical sense.
Whereas Zina was an out-and-out thriller, this felt more of a historical, golden-era, contemporary novel, with elements of a classic crime mystery.
Eleni does a great job at showing the good and bad bits of fame, especially in Hollywood in the 50s, where women were expected to do things they didn’t want to do to ensure they got jobs. It really shows that fame isn’t all its cracked up to be.
It flits from Stella’s story to Ginny’s story and back and forth. This took some getting used to, especially as they’re so similar in themes (acting, Hollywood, women, the 50s, glamour, Max…). I was having to keep reminding myself to see who it was talking. But it soon became unnoticeable; yes the themes are similar, but Stella and Ginny have such distinctive voices that it was quite easy to figure out whose story you were in.
Interspersed are some scenes focussed on an unknown individual in somewhere that looks like a mental hospital or suchlike. But we don’t know who it is, why she’s there, or what’s happened. It is these chapters that added the mystery element to the whole story.
Another review said this book reminded them of Jackie Collins books, and I think I’d have to agree. That glamorous side of life, but with the hidden dark and dirty bits underneath.
I found it a little slow to begin with. Obviously she has to set the scene, the background etc. so you will invest in the characters as it goes along so I understand why it needed that time. But I would say if you feel it’s a bit slow to begin with, please do continue because it doesn’t last long and soon you’re stuck in this fascinating glamorous, but dirty world. I took it to bed with me thinking I’d just read a chapter or two, and then I was halfway through, and it had completely grabbed me. And I raced through the second half once it got more thrillery.
I believe this is Eleni’s third book, but it’s my second one. Authors worry about having books live up to the success of their first novel, and whilst this was very different to her first book, I still think it’s a very good book and Eleni is sure to have success going forward, and I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for that third book of hers that passed me by because she is an exceptional storyteller.
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