This book was very interesting and fast-paced, the author held my attention and the plot was very appealing. I would recommend this book to friends.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

A ghostwriter in London receives an invitation to lunch. The invitation comes from a very powerful Silicon Valley CEO. He quickly accepts the invite, assuming he will be writing about the CEO, only to find out later it is about a popular actress. Not sure why the CEO has such a huge connection with this actress he agrees to write the book, and gets swept up into an incredible story.

This book was really good. I was entertained, and immediately when it was finished, I looked to see if it was a part of a series. I would definitely read a sequel!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the early copy!

I could not connect with the writing style. I decided to put it down.

I am in charge of our Senior School library and am looking for a diverse array of new books to furnish their shelves with and inspire our young people to read a wider and more diverse range of books as they move through the senior school. It is hard sometimes to find books that will grab the attention of young people as their time is short and we are competing against technology and online entertainments.
This was a thought-provoking and well-written read that will appeal to our readers across the board. It had a really strong voice and a compelling narrative that I think would capture their attention and draw them in. It kept me engrossed and I think that it's so important that the books that we purchase for both our young people and our staff are appealing to as broad a range of readers as possible - as well as providing them with something a little 'different' that they might not have come across in school libraries before.
This was a really enjoyable read and I will definitely be purchasing a copy for school so that our young people can enjoy it for themselves. A satisfying and well-crafted read that I keep thinking about long after closing its final page - and that definitely makes it a must-buy for me!

I found this book utterly fascinating!

On the book sleeve the info on the author states ‘Andrew Crofts has written more than 80 books!

Sold millions of copies across the world, had a dozen Sunday Times Top 10 hits etc

BUT you probably haven’t heard of him...

The reader and celebrity reader snippets state this is the best ghost writer in the world! a literary genius, i read all of this and could not wait to get stuck in....

Thank goodness this book lived up to its hype and more!

Andrew is a ghost-writer and he is approached by Roger, a Bill Gates type character who wants him to ghost write a book on the film star ‘Jo-Jo’, the worlds sweetheart

But then when tragedy strikes and Andrew uncovers secrets you and him are left questioning is it all worth it?

This is a fantastic look at the world of ghostwriting and the publishing industry as well as social media and fake people and lives!

A really good fast paced read, that I could not wait to get back into every time!

This was an interesting book with a short, abrupt ending. I liked it ok, it drew me in despite the odd writing style, but it wasn't particularly shocking or had a great plot. It was an easy enough read though, so I don't feel like I wasted my time.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, RedDoor Publishing and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

What Lies Around Us is a thrilling page turner that will keep you guessing. I can't even tell you a thing about it without spoiling it. Nothing is what it seems and there's a ton of money involved.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

I had a hard time deciding if I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and I did hurry to finish it because I had a very good idea how it would end, and I wanted to make sure I was correct (I was.). I think there were a lot of loopholes that were left undone, mostly because I think the characters were underdeveloped. I wish I knew more about the ghostwriter's history as well as a better insight into his wife and child.

Completely engrossing and unsettling at the same time.

This book felt more like a transcript as so many conversations take place bit that made it all the more intriguing.

A fast paced, racey read delving into the world of fake news, social media and the mega rich.

Not my normal read but so glad I gave it a go. Definitely a though provoking book which will play on your mind afterwards!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This book was interesting! I’ve always been fascinated by the world of ghost writing, and this provided fascinating insight. It kept me engaged throughout.

When I started this book, I thought it was going to a political book,and I put it down. I read some reviews which caused me to go ahead and press on. Andrew is hired by a billionaire to ghostwrite an autobiography of one of the most famous starts Jo Jo Win. To get all that he needs for the book, he moves into the guest house so he can do interviews . while there he develops a friendship with the family, and goes through a tragedy with them. Once I started this was an easy book to ready and it kept me wanting to read on to find out how the story end. Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What Lies Around Us is quite an intriguing and shocking tale.
A British ghostwriter, Andrew, is offered a million dollars to write the autobiography of one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. The one offering the million dollars though is a powerful billionaire, with seemingly no real incentive to want this book written. Why is he so keen for it to be a success?
When Andrew is flown out to America to interview for the book, he gets more than he bargained for and the story cranks up a notch when he’s caught up in a school shooting. He finds himself becoming closer to his subject, that is until his wife, Caroline (who works in publishing), is flown out to work alongside him on the project.
This books starts out as a seemingly simple story of a ghostwriter’s stroke of luck, hitting the jackpot with a million dollar offer too good to refuse, especially as the subject is one of his celebrity crushes. It soon turns darker though as secrets are revealed and Andrew realises there is far more to this story than meets the eye.
Many thanks to Anna @ RedDoor for my review copy.

An interesting look at the topic of Hollywood/any type of ghost writer, written by a ghost writer.

The plot moves fairly quick, and the characters are enjoyable for the most part.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

This was a fast and enjoyable read! The opening line of "It is possible that since this book's publication you will have heard that I have died in 'suspicious circumstances'. Obviously I hope that will not be the case, but I believe it is worth taking the risk in order to get this story out there" drew me in. I couldn't put it down once I started reading! I am definitely seeking out more from this author!

Interesting book. Andy is invited to ghostwrite a book about a super famous actress by one of the richest man in the world. And you gotta ask, along with Andy, why? But take the money anyway.

And really from that alone, you gotta wonder at what Roger is really after. His machinations about and around Jojo makes you really wonder at his end goal. Also, especially near the end, how far Lillian’s ambition goes (so very far). .i don’t know if I should feel sorry for Jojo or not.

All this by Andy who may or may not have survived this book’s publishing. So interesting.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!

What Lies Around Us is the sequel to Secrets of the Italian Gardener but can easily be read independently of the first book. It has an incredibly enticing synopsis and an unusual cover, but I had no idea how engaging the story would be. I needn't have worried as this is a refreshing original thriller and they say "write that you know" and as a ghostwriter, Mr Crofts knows this area inside and out. It begs the question as to how much of this fiction and how much is based in fact. There is a lot of information included about the dark side of the publishing industry and is more fascinating than it perhaps sounds. It starts out humorous and sardonic and quickly escalates into a deeper, darker tale, and the fast pace and fluidity of prose allow you to breeze through this rapidly in an enjoyable fashion.

Croft explores many timely topics throughout such as — the cult of celebrity, the dark side of social media, social media influencers, power, the future of democracy, control, honesty, the impact of race, corruption, manipulation, the power of family, and fame. It illustrates just how connected technology, politics and celebrity really are. This is a sign of the times thriller and above all, it shows that provided you are unspeakably wealthy you can buy literally anything. It is utterly captivating from start to finish and I admit it was much better than I initially expected. A spectacular thriller with a very original concept is always welcomed by me as there are so many identikit books in this genre. Some parts were beyond shocking and I felt incredibly tense about what might happen next. A relevant and gripping thriller novella. Many thanks to RedDoor Publishing for an ARC.

A well-known ghostwriter is invited by an American billionaire to ghostwrite a book by famous Hollywood actress Jo-Jo Win.Flown out to California, he is given full access to family and friends, but lurking in his mind is: why is all of this happening? From here the plot gets involved in conspiracy theories, politics, American gun violence and quite a few other things. There are frequent references to films and TV shows and the internet so it's all very current and social media savvy.

It's fine, for what it is. What I couldn't quite separate in my head was where author and narrator diverge. Here we have a book written by a ghostwriter called Andrew Crofts about a ghostwriter called Andrew who has written a book with exactly the same title as the real author has written.... You see? The basic bones of the plot are a bit of nonsense, but the concerns with publishing and the act of writing feel too much like non-fiction. I'm all for writers writing about what they know, but this was just a little too self-aware to the point of smugness at times, which I found a little off-putting.

A page-turner, yes; probably a decent summer beach read. But distinctly forgettable.

Wow, an extremely relevant, fast paced exciting thriller. Very good plot, well written, and extremely enjoyable. I did not expect this much out of this novella. Recommend!!

What Lies Around Us is a quick read. Any book that begins "It is possible that since this book's publication you will have heard that I have died in 'suspicious circumstances'. Obviously I hope that will not be the case, but I believe it is worth taking the risk in order to get this story out there." is sure to grab a reader's attention, and Crofts keeps the pages turning with a keen plot and believable characters.

Hired by one of the world's wealthiest men to ghost-write an autobiography about an American starlet, one can't help but wonder why? And why now?

Full of twists, turns, and machinations, Crofts spins a tale that takes the power of the ultra-rich to a new and scary level.

A fascinating read, this gets 3.5 stars from me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Red Door Publishing for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.