Having a friend who has written with this author on a tv series made me interested. And I was right. This is a brilliant story set in the 60s. It’s not easy to write such a good story I feel. The author has a brilliant talent and I’d recommend to read this if you like a good mystery.

This was a highly anticipated read for me after hearing the author do a short reading at an online book event... it was an incredible story and certainly lived up to the hype.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable read that took me on a trip back in time to London in the early 60s. It combines a mystery as well as a strong sense of place and a journey into the entertainment business. I found it both fascinating and it also felt authentic. I really liked the characters who were flawed but also sympathetic. It's a lovely read.

It’s the 1950s and a recently demobbed Frank Landry is looking for some direction when an old army friend asks for his help. Peter Jenks is running a record label and his star singer, Delia Maxwell, has gone AWOL. On the verge of signing a movie deal that would catapult her to international superstardom, Jenks is at a loss as to why she would go missing. Landry starts digging and the disappearance takes a strange turn when a young girl, Lily Brooks, shows up at Delia’s apartment claiming to be her daughter. 

There’s more than a touch of All about Eve about this book. It’s left uncertain whether Lily is genuine or, as Delia’s best friend suspects, an interloper. As Frank looks into Lily’s story he finds a complex history linked  to the holocaust and the desperate escape attempted by many Jews during the Second World War. It’s an interesting book which has a lot of different elements and I found it an entertaining and enjoyable read. Recommended. 

I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

An interesting and atmospheric read, with believable characters. I enjoyed it well enough, although it didn’t particularly stand out.

Thank you to Netgalley, Quercus and V.B Grey for this advanced reader's copy in return for my honest review. A mix of historical fiction and mystery,  my two favourite genres. What's not to like? Interesting story, compelling read. Well crafted storytelling.

Sadly I couldn't quite get into this. After a few attempts I gave up. Perhaps its just not fast paced enough for me and I really struggled to connect with the characters. 

There are some fantastic reviews for this book so I know its definitely not the book itself but just my failure to connect with it and to feel engaged. 

Loved the storyline and where it was going though so hope others get to really enjoy it. 

Thank you Quercus and Netgalley.

A fascinating and enthralling story that mixes genres (historical fiction, mystery) creating a brilliant story that kept me hooked.
The characters are fascinating and fleshed out, the historical background is well researched and vivid, the plot is gripping.
It's not a fast paced, action packed story. It reminded me of some stories written in the past for its sedate pace and the style of writing.
An excellent read that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

EXCERPT: England, early 1950s

I have lost everything a person can lose. And, should I ever attempt to forget, my failing body will remind me. I've lived in the cramped attic flat of this big house in Birmingham, where I work as a housemaid, since the Red Cross parceled me up and sent me here seven years ago.

I see her face for the first time as I'm tidying up after Miss Irene and her brother had entertained some friends the previous evening. I'd heard them laughing as they danced to some of the records Miss Irene loves to buy, and later slamming the front door, starting up the growling engines of their sporty little cars and crunching the gravel on the driveway. It doesn't matter how much noise they make. I seldom sleep for more than an hour at a time.

They've left most of the records scattered across the sideboard and, before I can dust and polish, I must match the black platters to their colourful sleeves and put them away on their allotted shelf.

I've heard the name Delia Maxwell, have caught snatches of her singing on the radio, but I haven't seen her face before. Although her hair, always naturally wavy, is now a shining halo of blonde, and her heavily made-up eyes make her appear older, I recognize her instantly for who she really is.

She wears a strapless bodice of pearl white satin and has been posed smiling over one naked shoulder, her lips pink and glossy. I feel a spasm of hate such as I'd never felt for even the most sadistic guards in the camp.

I shuffle quickly through the other album sleeves, my hands shaking with shock and fury. There is only one other image of her. She has been photographed as if on stage, smiling and stretching out arms encased in long white gloves that match a floor length gown embroidered with a thousand sparkling diamante jewels. To one side of the cardboard square is simply the name Delia in a curling script of vivid pink. The image speaks of beauty and sophistication, of comfort and safety, of all the things she has taken away from me.

I'd never known what happened to her, whether she made good her escape or perished with so many countless others. The revelation that she is alive reminds me of why I have survived. I have a purpose after all.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Delia Maxwell is an international singing sensation, an icon of 1950s glamour who is still riding high on the new 60s scene. Adored by millions, all men want to be with her, all women want to be her. But one woman wants it maybe a little too much...

Lily Brooks has watched Delia all her life, studying her music and her on-stage mannerisms. Now she has a dream job as Delia's assistant - but is there more to her attachment than the admiration of a fan? Private investigator Frank is beginning to wonder.

As Lily steps into Delia's spotlight, and Delia encourages her ambitious protegee, Frank's suspicions of Lily's ulterior motives increase. But are his own feelings for Delia clouding his judgement?

The truth is something far darker: the shocking result of years of pain and rage, rooted in Europe's darkest hour. If Delia thought she had put her past behind her, she had better start watching her back.

MY THOUGHTS: Time warp - and a delightful one!

We start in the early 1950s and ease into the 1960s music scene. It is wonderful reading about the clothes and music and films, a lot of which I remember. The story is narrated from the point of view, initially, of an unknown person, and then we move between Delia, Frank and Lily.

Delia is a star, one with a past that has stayed, until now, hidden. Frank is a friend of Delia's manager, an old war buddy, suffering from shell shock (PTSD), and at a loose end. Peter brings him in to keep an eye on Delia, and to investigate Lily who has inveigled herself into Delia's life and launched herself into showbiz claiming to be Delia's daughter. Is this true? And where does Delia disappear to on the eve of one of the most important days of her life?

Frank is an interesting character, perhaps the most interesting of all. He has an unrequited love in his past, and is a lost soul. He neither likes nor trusts Lily, and at times is at odds with Celeste, Delia's best friend. His loyalties are tested before his past starts to catch up with him.

Although I thought I knew where this was going, I was wrong. I liked that it wasn't predictable and that not everything was tied up neatly at the end. After all, life is not like that. V.B. Grey's writing is easy to read and she creates an atmosphere of old world glamour with just a little seediness in the background. Tell Me How it Ends is an interesting read with a mystery and a grudge at it's core that spans several decades, and which explores the mother/daughter bond, and survivors guilt.

***.6

#TellMeHowItEnds #NetGalley

'People must always be forgiven for surviving.'

THE AUTHOR: After many years of writing television crime drama and the D.I Fisher series of contemporary crime novels as Isabelle Grey I wanted to take a different approach to my fiction - so please give a warm welcome to my pseudonym, V. B. Grey.

They say, Write the book you want to read. Well, I've always loved old noir movies and black & white melodramas - as well as their glamorous stars. Having written many screenplays for film and television, I wanted to immerse myself in stories inspired by my favourite films, and to create strong female characters who might once have been played by Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis or Joan Crawford.

Growing up in the 1960s I was also aware of the long shadow still cast by the Second World War, a subject I explore in 'Tell Me How It Ends'.

I grew up in Manchester, England, and have an English degree from Cambridge. My first job was with a London antique dealer and I spent many years as a freelance journalist and non-fiction author (as Isabelle Anscombe) writing initially about the fascinating world of the art market and the history of decorative arts before going on to contribute features and reviews to national newspapers and magazines, including Cosmopolitan, Country Living and Psychologies. I have also written for film, television and radio drama.

I live and work in north London.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Quercus Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Tell Me How It ends by V.B. Grey for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

I really enjoyed this book. A stylish mystery in a well-realised 1960s setting. I raced through this - couldn't put it down! Highly recommended.

My thanks to Quercus Books for inviting me to receive a digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Tell Me How It Ends’ by V. B. Grey in exchange for an honest review.

This is a lush period drama with elements of mystery and suspense. After the first few chapters I found that I was enjoying it so much that I elected to obtain its audiobook edition, narrated by Susie Riddell, and listened alongside reading the novel.

International singing star Delia Maxwell had been an icon of 1950s glamour and now in the early 60s is hoping to break into film. Teenager Lily Brooks had watched Delia from afar for years and recently landed her dream job of becoming Delia’s assistant. Yet is there more to this situation than the admiration of a young fan? Of course there is! 

We know from the Prologue, dated in the early 1950s, that Delia has an enemy driven to anger by her image on a record sleeve: “I feel a spasm of hate such as I’d never felt for even the most sadistic guards in the camp.”

When Delia fails to turn up for an important meeting and appears to have gone missing, her record producer asks his friend, Frank Landry, to discreetly look into the matter. They had trained as pilots together and later Landry had become a security consultant in various international ‘hot spots’. Peter appoints him as his new head of security, prompting Frank to laugh and quip: ‘Private eye, more like.’

I won’t say more about the plot as there are some interesting twists and I always try to avoid spoilers. I did feel that Grey did an excellent job of capturing the period and reflect the relationship between the old guard and emerging youth culture. 

Grey is an established screenwriter so it’s not surprising that I found this a very cinematic novel with the feel of classic noir films with its theme of an emotionally damaged private detective-type seeking to unravel a mystery and inevitably getting caught up in the lives of his subjects.

There were also echoes of ‘All About Eve’ in the premise of an ambitious younger woman seeking to ingratiate herself with an older established star. In addition, the fictional film in the novel was quite reminiscent of ‘A Star is Born’. 

Can I mention the fashion? Grey’s descriptions of the outfits worn by Delia and Lily were detailed and again helped to create a sense of its period setting. 

I felt this was a beautifully written novel that held my attention throughout. It is multilayered, exploring themes linked to WWII, the Holocaust and its aftermath as well as the importance of family and friendship. Grey writes so effortlessly, transporting me into the lives of her characters as well as the streets of ‘60s London. 

This is a novel that I will be enthusiastically recommending to friends and also feel that it would be an ideal choice for reading groups.

It is the early sixties, Delia Maxwell is an acclaimed singing star, just about to make the step into films. One night after a performance she meets a young girl. Before long Lily seems to have become a fixture. Just before  Delia signs her film contract she goes missing just before an award ceremony. Her producer & friend Peter asks Frank, a friend from the war to investigate her disappearance & why Delia is so taken with Lily. 

The story is told by Delia, Lily & Frank. It switches time frames from the start of the war to the sixties & is an intriguing read with lots of surprises & a great sense of place & time. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This book portrayed the 1950s so well it made the pace and the story a pleasure to read. I felt quite engaged with the characters and wanted to know how things would turn out. My only criticism is the ending was tied up a little to quickly and neatly.
Many thanks to Netgalley/V.B. Grey/Quercus Books for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Compelling.  The book is well written with interesting characters.  I loved the setting of London in the 60’s. 
Many thanks to Quercus  Books and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get into this but I think that was more me rather than the book itself. This is much more of a historical fiction novel and yes there were elements of a domestic thriller in there but they were very subtle and sparingly used. My apologies for not enjoying this one but I very much appreciate the chance to try it.

The main characters: Delia, singing star; Lily, young woman Delia takes under her wing; Frank, private investigator and friend to Peter (Delia’s management).

These are the three voices of the book.

Delia meets Lily on a cold, wet day as she and a friend, Celeste, are going to dinner. Lily has ingratiated herself with Delia by getting fans waiting for autographs to leave her to get along. Delia asks Lily to join them for dinner.

From then on the bond between the two women grows but not everyone is very happy about that. Then, Delia disappears on the day of an important film contract signing. There is a ceremony coming up in which Delia will be receiving a special achievement award. Peter asks Frank to look into where she is.

Frank is quite suspicious of Lily who convinces Peter and Davey, Delia’s musical director, to let her do the number at the awards in place of Delia. Celeste is also very concerned. There appears to be something off about Lily but she astounds everyone with an announcement at the end of her performance at the awards show. This puts a different perspective on things.

We read about Delia’s past, she returns and supports Lily’s climb to fame even at her own cost. Even when Delia knows that Lily has lied and Frank confronts her with evidence, proof that Lily is not who they think she is, Delia is adamant that it doesn’t matter. Delia tells Frank about her past and swears him to secrecy.

Lily is quite conniving and manipulative but also behaves as she does for a reason, she has had a difficult childhood and even with all her plotting doesn’t have everything her own way. She is young and lacks experience in some areas. Her relationship with Guy, the leading man in the film she is starring opposite, is a quite horrible and he is a really nasty character.

We see hints and more of films from the late 1940s and through the 1950s. Most especially in the film being made with Lily and Guy which even for younger readers will be relatable through more recent remakes. I will always picture Judy Garland and James Mason whenever anyone mentions A Star is Born. It is these hints which simply support the post war setting of the book. Allowing our imaginations to better conjure up a world moving on from those horrors even when they and their consequences are still so very raw.

The characters are well written and the various themes – Delia’s history, Lily’s story, Frank’s past and all the related actions that take place in the book – are very well written, how each interweaves, the sympathetic handling of each storyline and the way in which each is unravelled to bring a very satisfactory conclusion is beautifully done by the author.

This is a really enjoyable read. Well written with some wonderful characters, a book which will keep you enthralled throughout Tell Me How It Ends is well worth reading.

Thanks

Thanks to Quercus for an eCopy via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own, I have not received any payment for this review.

I do love the sweeping dramas and did enjoy this but I did struggle and found it a bit of a slog until everything heats up towards the end. But I love the time period and am glad that I finished the book. #NetGalley#TellMeHowItEnds

Tell Me How It Ends seemed like an intense thriller about deceit and deception during the 50s. I was psyched to read it, but things started to take a turn when I realised that this thriller wasn’t exactly thrilling. 

The narrative is split between three characters; Delia, a glamorous 50s star with a closet packed with skeletons; Lily, her obsessive assistant with a secret of her own; and Frank, a not-quite detective who kind of just… bumbles about with his own problems whilst staring at Delia with googly eyes. Honestly, I think that I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if it was told from just Delia or Lily’s point of view. Frank’s narration – which is strangely in first person, with the women’s narration in third – seemed boring, mopey, and at times a little too misogynistic for my liking. 

I only truly found myself engrossed in the story once Delia started to delve back into her fraught past. V.B Grey created a backstory rich with the terror in the often-overlooked Nazi-occupied countries during the Second World War. However, this story doesn’t begin to properly emerge until around 70% of the way into the book, and the intrigue that it creates fizzles out by the 90% mark.

The mystery itself is mostly-transparent, and any semblance of a thriller seems to have been removed from the story, leaving it remarkably lacking in tension. I felt like the characters were foolish, unable to see truths that I knew from the get-go, and forgiving each other in a tedious loop reminiscent of Groundhog Day. The subplots were lacklustre and I had little interest in them, whilst the main plot was too wrapped-up by the end that the story lost believability. I understand that the author was stressing the importance of forgiveness, but the happily ever after didn’t sit right with me, and by the end, I was just wishing that we’d got more of Delia’s past. 

I genuinely think that this author has a knack for writing Delia’s history (can you tell?) and I’d have loved to see a full-length book just about that, but this plot wasn’t what I expected. This isn’t a thriller, it’s a long, historical piece about new generations, guilt, and fame. It isn’t awful, it’s just totally not what I expected.

It took me a couple of goes to get started with this book, but once I had I found myself drawn in. There's a gentleness to it, despite the big themes it handles – war, betrayal, deception. A couple of the subplots didn't quite work for me, but the overall story, of a young starlet seeking to eclipse her mother, a glamorous and established star, and the sinister undertones to their relationship, works well and keeps the reader engaged.

I’m not quite sure how to describe Tell me How it Ends by V. B. Grey. It has elements of mystery and psychological thriller, while also exploring secrets and manipulation within an intense family drama. I felt like it was a completely different type of book to others I’ve read recently and it was a welcome change!

What I enjoyed most about the book was the setting and how the author manages to so vividly evoke the glitz and glamour of postwar show business. It conjures images of beautiful old movies like A Star is Born (obviously not the Lady Gaga version!), with Delia Maxwell, a Jewish holocaust survivor turned successful singer and actress, at its heart.

Delia is the most wonderful character. She’s elegant, beautiful, talented and kind. When young Lily Brooks inserts herself into Delia’s life and Delia adopts her as a new protégée, those close to the star become concerned that Lily isn’t quite all she seems. As the book progresses we become aware that the secrets Lily is harbouring may in fact knock Delia off her pedestal, and despite all Delia’s kindnesses towards her, Lily seems determined to ruin her. But why..?

I really loved the opening of the book; the captivating scene-setting and introductions to the characters, particularly the enigmatic Lily. I thought I’d worked out the direction the narrative was going to take but I was quickly proved wrong and I was intrigued to see what was going to happen next. The author’s writing style is so completely fitting for the era that I was quickly pulled in and fully invested from the outset.

In an ideal world I think I’d have liked a slightly faster paced second half of the book as I did find my attention slightly wandering at some points. I also would have liked the ending to be a bit messier, though these are obviously just my own personal preferences and actually I can absolutely appreciate why it’s written as it is. But what it lacked for me in these respects I thought it made up for in ambience, sentiment, and sensitive handling of some very emotive topics

An enjoyable, intriguing and thought-provoking drama, With thanks for this gifted eARC for review.