I only give four stars as this book has little or no humour in it. It is however a book which I very much enjoyed, with believable characters who were very diverse. It's sometimes a difficult read as it involves a rape case, but the writer handles it well.
At times I didn't know who to root for - but it becomes clear as the book goes on.
I wish I could be more descriptive, but don't want to give too much away! You get the gist of the story from the summary given by the publisher so just read and enjoy it

I found this a really interesting discussion about privilege at a time when this is also a news topic, particularly referenced with university entrance and expectations.. The apparent right to access privileges in education having been born into a life of wealth and ease is interesting. The reactions and feelings about this privilege are explored.
I enjoyed the twist developing the barrister's previous interactions with the main character and the potential revenge later in the story.

A really fast paced story - I finished this in one day as I just couldn’t put it down!

A brilliant read that fans of the Apple Tree Yard will enjoy. The husband is accused of a crime that his wife is sure he is innocent of and a barrister who is sure he is guilty. A book full of secrets unravelling, compelling writing and a page turner. Thanks to Netgalley and the publusher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good courtroom drama and this one is certainly that – and much more. Political intrigue, class distinction and abuse of power by an arrogant, privileged elite are just some of the surrounding legal, moral and ethical issues of a serious case of sexual assault, brought against a prominent British MP. The narrative style deploys several points of view and the use of flashbacks, building up nuanced psychological profiles of the main characters. Apart from the compelling storyline, we are given very useful insight about the British legal system and the difficulty of proving non-consensual sex, where it is a case of one person’s word against another’s.
Two quotes sum up the main themes: ‘Truth is a tricky area. Rightly or wrongly, adversarial advocacy is not an enquiry into the truth.’ And: ‘hang around any court for a while and you will see just how precarious life can be.’
This page-turner of a novel could not be more topical and relevant to current well publicised cases of the abuse of power over young vulnerable women by men in positions of authority. I can see it becoming a huge best-seller and being adapted for a televised series.

Good thriller. Plenty of twists in the plot. Good strong characters. A real page turner.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Sarah Vaughan for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

James Whitehouse is an accomplished man at the top of his career with a beautiful wife and family and now stands accused of raping his mistress. The story however centres around his wife Sophie and the prosecuting barrister Kate. Sophie has to decide between accepting the mistress' story or standing by her husband in the public eye. Kate has her own vested interest in the case and it is very interesting to hear their back stories. I really enjoyed looking at their history and seeing how they both came to be where they are now. The big question for me at the end of the book is "can a leopard change its spots?" My thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and to Sarah Vaughan for the opportunity to read Anatomy of a Scandal for an honest review.

This is a powerful novel, very reminiscent of Apple Tree Yard and just as good. The main characters of Sophie, Holly and Alison are realistic and James and Tom are truly believable in a horrific way. The settings of Oxford and London are very evocative and the abuse of privilege and power is a bit scary to those of us lower in the pecking order. The court scenes make fascinating reading, and the conclusion is satisfying. I would love to see a T.V. drama of this. Well done, Sarah!

Excellent read. Couldn’t put it down once I started; perfect for lovers of Alex Cross and Chris Carter novels

I am pedantic when it comes to novels with a legal slant. I want them to be accurate. I was not disappointed. This is a page-turner which was realistic and thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. Excellent!

Was completely gripped by this. I worked on Sarah's last book so I knew she was a brilliant writer, but I wondered how she'd tackle a complete change of genre. Exceptionally well, as it turns out. I was blown away by the sense of character and scene she created, seamlessly incorporating big issues like class and politics, and keeping me guessing until the very end. I hope that there's lots more like this to come from Sarah!

This is the first book I have read from this author and I am sure it won't be the last. Took me a wee while to get into the story as this was a bit different to what I would normally read once I got half way that was me hooked and could not put this down. Had to see what would happen and how the story would be left.

thanks to netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK for this copy to review honestly and voluntarily..

An utterly absorbing, captivating book. I found the characters fascinating. They covered such a range of traits and distinct personality characteristics that I felt I knew them. The depiction of the different social scenes was very well done, from the over-privileged elites the Oxford to the stress-filled courtroom, every detail rang true.
The pace of the book worked very well for me. The twist in the middle added a whole new dimension to the story, and I couldn't wait to read more! A fantastic novel; I look forward to reading more from this talented author.

I found this an enjoyable, well written, gripping book.

Anatomy of A Scandal deserves to be one of THE books of 2018. This gripping and beautifully written story tells of the privileged, handsome, charismatic MP James Whitehouse, close friend of the PM and happily married to Sophie with two young children he adores. Twelve years into his marriage his appetite for sex leads him into a five month affair with Olivia, a junior member of his staff, but after he breaks up with her they have a brief sexual interlude in a lift at the Palace of Westminster and she accuses him of rape.

So far so normal. The prosecuting counsel, Kate, is determined to do everything in her power so that Olivia has justice. But, as we read the back story to the case which involves James' time at Oxford twenty years before, we see that this is no ordinary rape trial.

Anatomy of a Scandal is perfect for readers of Apple Tree Yard and He Said/She Said. I look forward to reading more from Sarah Vaughan. Many thanks to Simon & Schuster UK Fiction and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this terrific book.

This book contains a storyline of rape, the UK legal system and it's abuse by people in high power. I was very hopeful at the outset that it could be a compelling read. However, overall I found it to be predictable and disappointing. The characters were quite one dimensional and I never really cared about any of them, despite the difficult and emotional subject matter. Also the storyline felt long and drawn out, rather then suspenseful and 'tight'.
I appreciate the copy from Netgalley, Atria and Sarah Vaughan.

An absolutely gripping tale about crime and justice told from the perspective of the main characters. James is a charismatic and entitled Member of Parliament who is accused of rape by a young research assistant. Kate Woodcroft is the QC tasked with representing the victim and I loved this character particularly during the trial scenes.
We also follow the story through the eyes of Sophie, James' wife who has complete confidence in her husband's innocence.
This novel is so much more than a "He said/She said" tale as many more past secrets come to the fore and is ultimately an examination of the British justice system and how the scales of justice are not always equally weighted.
Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the advance review copy.

Have achieved very little else these past couple of days as I've been utterly glued to this book. The kind of book "page turner" is meant for.

Anatomy of a Scandal gives you the the inner workings of the Eton-Oxford- Conservative MP establishment ( Think The Party by Elizabeth Day for comparison), crossed with a very fine contemporary courtroom drama in the style of Apple Tree Yard with the extra dimension of the secrets with in a marriage. It is a very powerful combination that is commmercial dynamite.

Told from multiple viewpoints, an element of unreliable narrator creeps in to keep us on edge. Whilst the twists and turns are not the most surprising, they work well and the pace is utterly maintained throughout.

This will be a big seller! Can't wait for more people to read it

There were some obvious similarities between this book and Apple Tree Yard, but to me this is a more enjoyable read. I found the characters more appealing and as a result felt invested in the outcome. The book had great pace but I didn't rush through it because I wanted to fully understand the nuances of the plot. The legal procedure aspect was interesting without being cumbersome and was clearly well-researched. This isn't an 'edge-of-your-seat' thriller but still has all the makings of a great TV adaptation.

A well written, clever debut from Sarah Vaughan. A gripping tale of politics, privilege and power.
The story involves a handsome, successful and charismatic member of parliament, married with 2 young children, whose affair with a young woman becomes public followed by an accusation of rape by the same young woman.
Although at times I felt uncomfortable reading as it delves into dark subject matter I did enjoy the book. A solid 4 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my advance copy in return for an honest review.