This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

A disturbing but compelling read, Anatomy of a Scandal reveals the arrogance and duplicity of the political and social elite.

It centres around the rape trial of a prominent MP and although the ‘twist’ is obvious from the outset this only makes the storytelling more intense.

Thanks very much to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. Many thanks, Dave

Anatomy of a Scandal has been in my Netgalley queue for an ashamedly long time but with the new series airing on Netflix and my preference to read a book before watching the adaption I thought it was about time I gave it a go.

The story follows two main characters in the present with scenes from the past interwoven throughout. I kind of guessed where it was going about half way through however that didn’t take away from the story for me. I’ve been reading a lot of genres besides romance recently so this foray into crime thriller has me intrigued for more!

I have no watched the adaption and I definitely enjoyed it. Have you read or watched this one? What are your thoughts?

This is an amazing book from an amazing author. I couldn’t put this book down at all, it completely pulled me in. Highly recommended book!

Kates life 25 years ago and what she was like then, and what she is like now.

Lies, deceit, mistrust and huge revelations are what’s on this books agenda with an almighty roar to the reader with gobsmacking jaw dropping moments.

I listened to this book while recovering from covid symptoms and I can truly say it stopped me coughing do to my thoughts being elsewhere in this book.

Why hadn’t I read this earlier.

Did he?
Or
Didn’t he?

Is she right?
Or
Is SHE right?

''Sophie’s husband James is a loving father, a handsome man, a charismatic and successful public figure. And yet he stands accused of a terrible crime. Sophie is convinced he is innocent and desperate to protect her precious family from the lies that threaten to rip them apart.''

This book was a change of genre for me, and although I enjoyed it, I have to admit to being quite disturbed by how dark and creepy it was in places, and how realistic and current the concept of a public figure being caught up in a crime and scandal was.

It was well written and compelling (if a bit confusing in places) reading and the story was a fast paced thriller.

A very well written court room thriller with unexpected twists and turns that I didn't see coming. However I wasn't completely convinced by the subject matter and considering the serious issue it was dealing with, sexual violence, I would have expected it too be more clear cut.
I would still recommend if you enjoy a legal drama

A fabulous book, expertly and delicately written. A difficult subject matter and I took time to read it because it was tough to be immersed in. It's powerful, accessible, and legally fascinating. There are enthralling plot twists to aid engagement.

V v good.

Actually enjoyed this more than I first thought, and upon reflection it has stayed in my mind for longed than I thought it would. This book analyses not only human behaviour and character, but also the dynamics of power and how this can play out. Honestly loved the depictions of Oxford too, and found the whole thing really intriguing.

For me having some of this book based in Oxford made the story more connectable.

However for me this didn't live up to the hype around it.

Good story but nothing that makes me go wow

An up and coming MP has an affair that could ruin his career. How his wife, legal team and party officials deal with the situation. This is the backdrop of the story. However there is an underlying event that happened when Kate, the barrister, James the MP and Sophie his wife were all at Oxford. Will James finally have to pay for his sexual violence to women at last?
This is a really good read and thoroughly enjoyable. Well researched and excellently written this is an author to watch out for

This book stayed with me for a long time after reading it - such a gripping narrative with a number of twists and turns that kept me gripped to the end.

Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan
Emily Bestler Book, December 2017
Disclosure: I received a review copy.

Anatomy of a Scandal is a courtroom thriller more than anything. James Whitehouse, a member of Parliament is on trial for raping a young staff member, and the story switches between Kate's(the prosecutor) and Sophie's (his wife) perspectives, with a bit from James's (the accused) point of view. The story also cover the contemporary criminal case and everyone's college years.

The cover of my review copy is misleading, a quibble I often have with books. “You want to believe your husband. She wants to destroy him.” That is not this book. There is no direct confrontation between Kate and Sophie. Vaughan does not play clear favorites between those characters. She's more interested in how everyone is affected by James, both during the criminal case as well as before and after. She's more interested in how women live in a world where men abuse women both criminally and psychologically. It's very reflective.

The humiliated politician's wife shows up in movies and in real life over and over, and this book gets at Sophie's struggle. And it's very perceptive about the slitheriness of James, the accused. The longer I am away from the book, the more impressed I am by how damning this story is to him.

Epic. Brilliant. Vital reading material. The perfect tale for current times. Sarah will be added to me trusted author list.

A good courtroom thriller/drama. Set in Oxford, England. A young experienced lawyer is set to prosecute the case. Sophie's husband James is a loving father, a handsome man, a charismatic and successful public figure. And yet he stands accused of a terrible crime. Sophie is convinced he is innocent and desperate to protect her precious family from the lies that threaten to rip them apart. Who will win Sophie or the young lawyer?

Being a big fan of legal thrillers, I was looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, it missed the mark for me. The storyline was good but it just dragged out too much and was too slow for many chapters at a time and I found myself wanting to skip ahead, and sadly had to at times, the final quarter improved for me but not soon enough to give a better rating.

Anatomy of a Scandal centres around politician James who is on trial for rape and the story is told from the viewpoint of the different people involved as the case unfolds. These characters include Sophie, his seemingly loyal wife and Kate, the prosecuting counsel determined to secure a guilty verdict.


The story jumps between the court case, back to Oxford when Sophie and James were young lovers and the present day political world where James works and all its murky goings on. All this jumping around made it quite hard to follow initially but it did all add to the context of the present situation so it is worth sticking with.


I did enjoy this book, it wasn't gripping or a page turner but it is a clever story very well told and I look forward to reading this author again.


Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Anatomy of a scandal was a good book. Great twists and turns throughout which kept me interested. A real page turner.

Thank you Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have been so obsessed with psychological books lately and this was just one of the great ones I read in 2018. It was thrilling, provocative, and very well executed. You’ll want to go into this novel knowin* as little as possible so that you can be like woah! It was quite a slow burning drama rather than fast paced suspense but I still thoroughly enjoyed it!