This is crime writing at its very best. Truly. LA is like it's own character in this story, and the rest of the characters are so well drawn. I could not look away from this, and will dipping into Jordan Harper's backlist immediately.

Could this be the noir of the year (and it's only January??) Delighted to include this page-turner in the January 2023 edition of Critics' Picks, the regular round-up highlighting personal favourite recent recommended reads. For the Books section of Zoomer magazine. (mini-review at link)

A publicist’s death exposes the elaborate systems that maintain the worst aspects of the Hollywood status quo. Absolutely vibrant prose and an insider’s knowledge of Los Angeles's darkest underbelly makes this a super compelling read.

Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper is as noir as it gets, After a series of bombings of homeless encampments around Los Angeles, Mae watches as her boss is killed outside the Beverly Hills Hotel. Her job is covering up the misdeeds of the wealthy and famous, but she’s nervous now. Her ex-boyfriend, a former cop working private security, investigates and things get sticky. Mae and Chris uncover a sex ring involving children with the perpetrators being big names. When they find a pregnant teen who could blow the cover off, the depravity increases. The beginning is hard to follow, but the last half is brilliant.

Really great propulsive mystery set in the world of ultra-rich LA. The protagonist is a Hollywood fixer--she makes problems going away before they hit the tabloids. Lots of insider knowledge about how the media works, how celebs get protected, at one point a troublesome celeb gets thrown overboard. All of it wrapped in a fascinating mystery that keeps you turning pages. Harper is a very exciting writer and I couldn't have enjoyed the subject matter more.

Netgalley provided me with a free e-copy of the book in return for this review.

I was intrigued after hearing Harlan Coben rave about this book on the Today Show, but I was underwhelmed by it. There was something I didn't care for in the writing style which seemed a bit rough around the edges and it was hard to follow the story at times. I was also turned off by the violence, not my idea of a pleasant enjoyable read. It certainly wasn't the worst book I've ever read so I don't want to discourage others from reading it, it just wasn't my cup of tea. My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a galley of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

I couldn't put this down! It was atmospheric, compelling, and -- yes -- bleak and upsetting. Despite the heavy subject matter, this novel was also sharp and funny. It unfortunately felt true to life, humane while still being thrilling.

Everybody Knows, Jordan Harper's US follow-up to She Rides Shotgun, is a supremely confident -- and righteously so -- pitch-perfect noir tackling the criminality of the rich and powerful that prop up Hollywood and the support system that sustains them. (I say US follow-up because his The Last King of California came out in December in the UK but has yet to materialize on this side of the pond.)

Mae is a black-bag PR operator for the rich. Need a famous, young celebrity's OD covered-up, or the rough edges of a problematic actress smoothed over in the press? Mae's your go-to. The firm she's employed with oftentimes liaises with Blackguard, a private security consultant firm that does clean-up for the rich. Know your elite TV exec is a pedophile with hard-drives stuffed with pics of underage kiddos and it's all about to crash and burn around him? Blackguard will bring a portable incinerator over and make it all disappear. Her ex, Chris, a former dirty cop, does investigatory work for them but most often operates as a fist for the son of Blackguard's owner. After Mae's mentor is murdered, and the shooter conveniently killed by cops, the two find themselves digging for answers and uncovering far more sin and depravity than even they bargained for.

Harper's writing is tack-sharp pulp, quick and punchy, with a number of delectable, highlightable bon mots. When Mae clues Chris in on what she knows about Dan's murder, the info "blows out the back of Chris's head like a book-depository bullet." Or, "Everybody talks about how actresses are crazy. Nobody talks about how they got that way." Or Mae's own personal belief, shaped and refined by her years working the Hollywood elites, "Nobody talks. But everybody whispers." Coupled with the propulsive plot's hairpin turns and insider look deep behind the scenes (Harper is a TV writer and producer), not to mention the moral morass our already-questionable and conflicted compromised protagonists find themselves in, Harper's crafted one hell of an unputdownable barnburner with echoes of James Ellroy and Robert Crais.

Everybody Knows is a richly rewarding and deeply dark and cynical noir exploring the layers of corruption and complicity at the heart of Hollywood, informed by the big bold headlines of #MeToo and Jeffrey Epstein, police corruption, and the criminal impunity of the supremely wealthy. It's a noir with thick, dense layers and so many disparate plot threads that all come together amazingly well, and in rather twisted fashion. Unremittingly bleak, with only a few splashes of hope here and there, it's a testament to the idea that heroes are only a fiction from the silver screen. Off-camera, there's no such thing as heroes. But that's something everybody knows.

Such a smartly told story. Harper has a way with a gritty noir ish kind book. A great insider look at the seedy side of show biz. Absolutely loved it.

"Nobody talks, but everybody whispers."
And thus, the tone is set. Jordan Harper's Everybody Knows best fits into the genre of noir and mystery, but displays the pacing, beats, and occasional bouts of violence of a thriller. Harper immerses the reader in an unreal Hollywood world that we can't get enough of reading about even if we can't truly imagine it existing out west. Mae and Chris make for phenomenal POV characters, always interesting and layered if not consistently likable. Harper's characters make questionable choices throughout. The magic of Harper as a storyteller is that even if the reader can't agree with or condone a set of actions, we understand what leads there and even accept the results as inevitable. Everybody Knows is an early contender for one of the best mysteries of 2023.

I received a physical arc and the finished copy of this book and I have to say it was really good. I really enjoyed reading it. I couldn’t put the book down until I finished it. I read it all in one day. It must have been 1 am by the time I finished it. It was that good.

Thank you to the publisher for the copies of the book and thank you netgalley for the ebook

In Everybody Knows, when it comes to the career or life-ending scandals of the wealthy, celebrity, or highly influential, there are people and an organization that works overtime to protect those involved.

It is a world where decadent predatory behaviors of the privileged allow them to devour those perceived as beneath them and of an L.A. underbelly where those within it mainly seem to exist as prey and entertainment with no ends or limits in sight.

It is a world of the power and powerless and about those who control and wield that power against those bludgeoned into helplessness and submission. 

In the arena of crisis containment, manipulation and erasure, there are three types of solutions to these problems. The first type are those of the well-refined, soft-touch solutions carefully employed by talented people like Mae Pruett. The second type are those that require a heavier hand by behemoths like Chris Tamburro. And if the second type requires more than what Chris Tamburro can provide, there are even more dangerous people with increasingly drastic methods to solve problems in ways that very few want to even know about. 

After migrating to Los Angeles from Missouri and learning through the hard knocks of problem-solving, Pruett has grown to be quite successful due to her effective and extremely subtle solutions as skilled and precise as a surgeon’s scalpel, while Tamburro, a hulking and former police officer, has excelled due to his brawn and willingness to do what is necessary to solve a problem.

Mae Pruett and Chris Tamburro work for an organization Pruett has nicknamed “The Beast.” Even though Pruett and Tamburro exist in different parts of scandal fixing and image management, not only are both familiar with each other, the two were also once involved romantically but have since gone their separate ways. 

The two become reacquainted when Pruett’s boss is murdered in an apparent random carjacking, but as the two learn more of the killing, circumstances behind the killing become increasingly murky and as the two dig deeper, they soon discover rather than knowledge being power, it also can be deadly. 

After reading the opening chapters of Everybody Knows, one of the first things that came to mind was the writing of James Ellroy. Starting out, Harper’s sentences were compact, to the point, and with a vibrant descriptive style, but without the full-on explosive staccato of Ellroy and remain so through the novel.

Everybody Knows in ways is also a slight departure from Harper’s previous two novels She Rides Shotgun and The Last King of California. While all deal with crime-related themes involving acts of depravity by others and of the struggles of those on the borders of trying to do the right thing in dirty worlds, I would suggest Everybody Knows is a more refined crime genre novel that explores deplorable behavior of the powerful over people seen as disposable cannon fodder.

Another aspect of what works well in Everybody Knows is how Jordan Harper blends in actual scandals that have been reported over the years which adds a layer of believable possibility to the novel. 

Everybody Knows is highly recommended to readers of gritty crime novels and others are encouraged to seek out his previous novels. Everybody Knows most likely will become a highlight of 2023, as will future novels by Jordan Harper. 

Netgalley provided an ARC of Everybody Knows in return for a fair review.

This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspense.com.

Thrown into high stakes action from the first chapter! This is a gritty, LA noir that takes the reader behind the curtain of public perception of the rich and famous. Mae works as a publicist who protects the wealthiest and most powerful. When her boss is gunned down she decides to investigate his murder which takes her on a journey through the depraved underground Hollywood world. This story is action packed from the beginning, I had to remember to breathe while reading it at times. Can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next! Thank you Netgalley, Mulholland Books and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is available for purchase January 10, 2023

Mae is an expert in crisis management, working at a public relations firm in Los Angeles that celebrities and politicians pay a fortune to prevent their bad behavior from reaching the public and ruining their reputations. Her ex-boyfriend, Chris, is an ex-cop working as muscle for an attorney hired on behalf of a security firm that also protects wealthy, powerful people from any of their misdeeds becoming public, and is just another part of the same PR machine Mae and Chris collectively refer to as “the Beast”.

When Mae’s boss and mentor is killed right before he was about to share an explosive secret with her that would set them both up to start their own agency, Mae decides to take a closer look into the circumstances of his death. Was it indeed a random attack as is being reported in the news, or it is just spin? With Chris’ help, what they discover is far worse than they could have imagined, and may make them a target of “the Beast”.

Wow. Just WOW! This was SO GOOD…in a twisted car-accident-you-can’t-look-away-from kind of way.

This is a fast-paced, tense and fascinating ride through what lurks beneath the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, through one that is filled with violence and depravity. It also provides an ugly, unflinching look at how the media is influenced and public perception gets skewed by manipulation. This is my first Jordan Harper novel, but this riveting, atmospheric well-written tale guarantees it certainly won’t be my last!

Mulholland Books via NetGalley kindly provided me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
ARC - Publication Jan 10

Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper is a real thrill ride through the underbelly of the television and movie industry, or the “industry” as it Is called. Early on, we meet Mae, who is a fixer or cleaner and makes problems go away when “celebrities” get in a bind. But another organization goes even deeper into the muck, and her ex-boyfriend and former cop, Chris, is a part of that group. Mae and Chris are brought together to try to solve the murder of Mae’s boss, and it leads to a whole bunch of dead people. It’s hard to find a decent person in the “industry,” and this book reads like book noir as promoted. Atmospheric with a super, well-written story, you will remind yourself to breathe at times. Early on, we learn that “Nobody talks, but everybody whispers.” There are no secrets in the underbelly and little regard for the naïve who flock to Hollywood to become famous. This book will be released tomorrow, and I am sure it will be a blockbuster hit. #thriller #Hollywood #stars #users #abusers #childpredators #drugs #lotsofDrugs #crazypeople #murder #gruesome #whodunit #EverybodyKnows #JordanHarper @mulhollandbooks #stressful #secrets #abuse @netgalley @hachettebooks
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books, and the author for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: Jan. 10th.

Mae is a high-power PR professional whose job is to protect the rich and famous by spinning the truth into something else. She’s one of the best in the business and the firm she works for is a major player behind the scenes in L.A. When her boss is killed in what looks like a random car-jacking, Mae must go up against her own firm and some very powerful people to discover the truth. As the unstoppable machine of power and spin turns against her, Mae must use all her wits and skill if she wants to survive and bring the real truth to light. A truth that might rest with a pregnant young teenager.

I have a soft spot for mysteries and thrillers set in L.A. and this one didn’t disappoint. The style is gritty noir, the plot is tight, the pace moves quickly, and the dialogue is often spare. It all adds up to riveting thriller that you won’t want to put down.

Everybody Knows has to be one of the more unique premises I’ve picked up for a thriller or crime fiction read. I loved everything about this dangerous and terrifying underground Hollywood world. I was uncomfortable and nervous for several characters throughout the story. While Harper chooses to tell the story through the voices of Mae and Chris, that doesn’t stop the secondary characters from being important. I might not have remembered all their names, but I certainly didn’t forget their deeds. There were a few times the story lost track for me, but it always found a way to bring me back into the curiosity for what was going to happen. Overall, Everybody Knows is a quick read with an action TV show or movie vibe filled with tension that will leave you wondering what’s coming next.

On a side note…I wish this book had a different cover. I know people say not to judge a book by its cover, but I think we all do that and this one is not doing enough to sell this book!

A huge thank you to Mulholland Books and Novel Suspects for my gifted copy!

Have you ever wondered who works behind the scenes helping celebrities get out of a jam?

Mae is the go to person when it comes to crisis management in the world of public relations. Dan her mentor is an absolute savior and Mae seems to be right on track to do the same. Able to magically turn bad publicity to good publicity, their clients pay big bucks for these fixes. After Mae’s boss is killed in a seemingly random attack at a hotel, she decides to do her own investigation. This takes her down a rabbit hole she was unprepared for.

This book was such a cool behind the scenes look at crisis management for the filthy rich and famous. I’m looking forward to see what this author comes up with next.

Everybody Knows is available January 10,2023

Thank you netgalley and mulhollandbooks for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

There is no award prestigious enough for this novel.
The homage to Ellroy might be obvious here, but the difference lies in the fact that Harper doesn't write to hear himself talk, he writes to tell a story. A damn good story that feel like a double barrelled shotgun blast.

It's my first read of 2023 and will surely end up on this year's top3.

“Everybody Knows” by Jordan Harper ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Crime Noir. Location: Los Angeles, California, USA. Time: present.

“Nobody talks, but everybody whispers.”

Mae Pruett, 32, is from the Ozarks. She reinvented herself in college, and moved to Los Angeles. She’s a black-bag publicist, keeping bad news secret. She works for LA’s top crisis management firm-part of a connected group she calls “The Beast.” It protects the rich, powerful, and depraved by any means. From Chateau Marmont (the hippest no-tell hotel in the world) to homeless camps, Mae sees it and changes the narrative to fit the client.

Chris Tamburro, 41, was born and raised in Southern California. He worked for the LA Sheriff’s Department’s anti-gang unit getting guns off the street-no one cared how they did it. Back in those days, he used steroids, skimmed drugs, stashed weapons along with the rest of his unit. Until he went down. Now he’s a disgraced ex-cop with phantom heart attack pains. He’s clean, but the hired muscle work he does is dirty. He works for an arm of The Beast.

When her boss is gunned down, Mae and Chris secretly investigate drug dealing influencers, sprawling mansions, homeless encampments, degenerate executives, and crooked cops. And they find murder, lots of gruesome murder. How big is The Beast’s influence, and how far will it go to protect its own?
 
Author Harper expertly brings this to life with alternating chapters from Chris and Mae. The sights, sounds, smells, catch phrases, degradations, famous faces, secrets. He’s clearly done his research. It’s a life where all problems go away if you’re rich enough and powerful enough. Harper cleverly peppers the book with “The rules say” quotes- the sordid, unwritten rules of crisis PR. He inserts “UNSAID” quotes to show us what isn’t said aloud, but everyone understands.

Imagine an introspective “Pulp Fiction”, a modern day “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”. It’s an addictive, fast moving novel about people facing impossible odds, where nobody talks, but everybody whispers. It’s 5 stars from me! 🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️ Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books, and Jordan Harper for this early copy. Publishes 1/9/2023.