In the 1950's Hollywood, actors and actresses were contracted to a studio. They had no say on their choices and did exactly what they were told. Careers were made and broken by those in control. Into this climate, a young woman determined to succeed would use any tool, any trick, to catch the eye of those who could make her a star. But every time a star was born, one died.

Eleni Kyriacou has written a "riveting" (an adjective I don't use often) story of two women caught in a glamorous business that demanded they give EVERYTHING to the craft. Into their lives came one man who would use them against each other, then dispose of both. The consequences are set in motion, the actors in place, who will live, who will die?

Set in Hollywood in 1953 and London in 1954, A Beautiful Way to Die is a page turning novel of old Hollywood , the studio system and the dark side of fame

Stella Hope was once the most famous actresses in Hollywood. She and her husband, Max Whitman, were once the golden couple everyone envied. Now they are estranged and Stella has been sent to Ealing Studio in London by Star Studio after a glamorous Oscar after party with Max took a dark turn. Stella isn't happy about her exile and to make things worse, she is being blackmailed over some pictures that she thought had been destroyed years ago. When she is consoled by Maggie, her new makeup artist, Stella feels like she finally has a friend but she also isn't sure that she can trust her. Maggie seems to have secrets too.

Ginny Watkins arrives in Hollywood in1953 and is given a trial contract by Star Studios. She sees pictures of Stella at the stdio and hopes that she can become as famous as Stella. Her hair is died platinum, her teeth are bonded and she must endure hours of dancing and voice lessons that the studio demands but it will be worth it if she can become a star. When Ginny is noticed by Max Whitman, who wants to make her a star, she is thrilled but Max also wants something in return.

A Beautiful Way to Die, has twists, secrets, a mystery and old Hollywood glamour. I loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus Publishing for the advanced reading copy.

By Eleni Kyriacou
Head of Zeus
Pub: July 22 2025

First, that cover is stunning!
Being a huge movie buff, 𝗔 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝗲 hooked me from the first chapter with it's old Hollywood glitz and glamour.
But for the aspiring actresses of the 50s things are very different. This historical fiction based on true life crimes takes us to the underbelly of Hollywood and exploits the mysogynistic world of the industry.

The book is divided between two women,
Ginny - an aspiring actress and Stella Hope, a seasoned star who has been sidelined. There are also chapters from an unknown character.

The story highlights that no matter your status, just being a woman in the business was
dangerous.

The casting couch, manipulation, blackmail, corruption, predatory behavior and canceled contracts were some, or even all of the things women would endure if they wanted a career in a male dominant era.
Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby of the "me too"
movement are prime examples of the behaviors that went on.

Fixers to make problems disappear, publicists putting a positive spin on any unsavory news, doctors prescribing uppers and downers.

The author spun a an intriguing, immersive story filled with mystery. Eleni's descriptive writing had me picturing everything like a movie going through my mind.

While the story is fiction, I feel this topic is important. These things happened, and are still happening in some places today. Be sure to read the author's interesting note at the end of the bo

I enjoyed this story of Hollywood in the 1950's when actresses were at the mercy of the studios and predatory men.
Ginny arrives in Hollywood full of dreams and gets involved with Max, a cinema star, who wants to help her career but on his own terms.
Max's wife, Stella has been sent to Ealing studios to work, and befriends Maggie, a make up artist, but isn't sure that she can trust her.
There are several plotlines in the book, which come together at the end, including an unexpected twist.
I really liked Stella, she's a great character and it's her bravery that drives the story forwards.
An excellent beach read.

I really enjoyed The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou, so I was eager to read Eleni Kyriacou’s latest book. While this one was interesting and had many features that I usually enjoy in a story - glamour, mystery, intrigue, blackmail, romance and murder — it didn’t quite reach the depth or originality of the previous book. The plot felt a little contrived at times and overall came across as a much lighter, more surface-level read. Still, it was entertaining and kept me turning the pages. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

I enjoyed The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlov by Eleni Kyriacou and think this is even better. Ginny is a Hollywood starlet who is tied into the studio system and meats mega star Max Whitman, who promises her the world.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Max’s ex-wife Stella is making a friend of her new makeup artist. Everyone is keeping secrets though, and slow,y throughout the book, we start to see the stories weave together.
I love the studio system background and the examination of how it kept women in their places. Ginny is a sparky character who you can really get behind. There’s a fantastic plot twist too. This would make a wonderful holiday read.
Very enjoyable page turner. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The dark side of 1950s movie making. Ginny is on her way up and Stella is on the way down in this tale of two women who are linked through Max, Stella's husband. And then Ginny goes missing. This leans in on what women were forced to do in the industry. Both Stella and Ginny are sympathetic characters who you will want to tell don't do it multiple times. It's nicely twisty. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

A Beautiful Way to Die takes the reader beneath the glamorous facade of 1950s Hollywood to reveal its darker side and the people who dwell there: the money men motivated by profit, the publicists who can spin a positive story out of any disaster, the medical men who prescribe the uppers and downers, and the fixers who make the problems – and the problem people – disappear.

It’s a precarious world whether you’re an aspiring actress, the next big thing or a studio’s most bankable star because everything could change in a moment, especially if there are things in your past best kept secret.

Ginny’s initial joy at being given a contract by the studio (even if she’s had to change her name and appearance to get it) turns to frustration when she’s given one dead end role after another. And between roles there’s barely enough money to make ends meet meaning girls have to resort to being the entertainment at wild Hollywood parties or posing for risque photographs.

‘It was a tightrope, this town, she thought. Just one huge balancing act. Keep going, one foot in front of the other, even if you’re exhausted, no matter. Take these pills, don’t look down, don’t complain, look straight ahead… And if you fall? There’s no safety net… If you made it, the rewards were so high. And if you didn’t, well it was a beautiful way to die.’

When Ginny meets the studio’s leading man, Max Whitman, she believes everything’s about to change and her future success is assured. After all, aren’t they going to be Hollywood’s next ‘golden couple’? But she’s forgotten that, in Hollywood, everyone’s playing a part. ‘One may smile, and smile, and be a villain’, to quote Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Stella knows all about the ruthlessness of the Hollywood system. She and Max were once the ‘golden couple’, even if their marriage was mostly a sham. She’s no longer the box office draw she was once was but vainly tries to live up to the diva image. Ealing Studios is not Hollywood so she’s bouyed up by the friendship that develops with her make-up artist Maggie, newly arrived on the scene. And Stella badly needs a friend because of the blackmail letters she’s been receiving. Who could be sending them? Who could possibly know her secret, something that happened years ago?

The author throws into the mix a third character, an unnamed woman confined to a sanatorium. Just who is she, why is she there and what will happen if she finally pieces together the fragments of memory to create a clear picture? I thought I knew exactly where things were going but, boy, did the author prove me wrong.

In A Beautiful Way to Die the author has served up a delicious cocktail of intrigue and passion with a generous dash of darkness. Think dirty martini. I absolutely loved it. And for observant readers of the author’s previous book, The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou, there’s a tiny literary easter egg.

This was a really good read and I think it had a decent writing style and story! Would recommend to anyone looking for next read

There are three setting in this story.
The first is an asylum, where a young woman is kept manacled to her bed overnight, which makes her easy prey for the male members of staff. She cannot remember her name or the reason why she is there.
1953 Hollywood. Ginny is an aspiring actress , but only ever gets offered small roles in low budget movies, which involve being crammed into provocative outfits and being subjected to sexual harassment. One day, a famous actor, Max Whitman takes an interest in her, and her career blossoms
1954, Ealing Film Studios, London. Maggie is a talented makeup artist and she is responsible for taking care of Stella Hope, an American actress who is on the verge of divorcing her famous actor husband.
A young woman has gone missing in the aftermath of a post Oscar award party. People in each scenario is linked, and this novel is concerned with finding out the truth in this very devious web of lies, corruption and the very loose morals that were a benchmark for success in the 1920’s and onwards in the despicable world of film making.
Men had the power to hire and fire, whereas women were seen as fair game, playthings to grope, abuse, humiliate and take advantage of. The price these girls paid was high, damaged reputations, rape, abortions, drug dependency and the ordeal of “ the Casting Couch “, which was seen as the price to be paid for fame.
The Harvey Weinstein scandal showed that nothing had really changed in the intervening decades.
I loved this book, so beautifully and intelligently written in such detail, slightly queasy at times, but how these women must have suffered.
I was firmly on the side of these strong and very determined women in their fight against the system.
It is a tragic story and the conclusion both knocked me backwards, yet made me feel it was appropriate. Questions were answered, the guilty punished, and some sort of peace and acceptance was reached, to enable life to be lived on their own terms.
A stunning and thought provoking book. I gave it five stars. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Head of Zeus, for my advanced copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review.
I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

Wow! Where do I start? This is a magnificent book and one I truly delved into and was taken on the journey of a lifetime. A book of the early film industry from Hollywood to London in the 1950's where we see plenty of drama, decadence, glitz and glamour. But there is certainly and undertone of darkness that makes you keep turning the pages.

The author has written this book with such atmosphere and some wonderful characters (loved Stella and Ginny), this is a thrilling, intriguing and at times emotional read and one I couldn't get enough of . I really enjoyed reading this book and think I could actually read it again. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

An absolutely wonderful read which totally immerses the reader in the glitz and glamour of 1950s Hollywood before insidiously introducing the slimy underbelly of crime, abuse and misogyny. I'm sure everyone is well aware by now of what went on on the 'casting couch' and in film studios around the world right up until very recently. Eleni Kyriacou has woven this appalling behaviour into a very convincing story that doesn't pull any punches but is still very readable. A brilliant read, well researched and a pleasure to recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

A Beautiful Way to Die blew me away! The plot is intense and the characters feel so real. Eleni Kyriacou’s storytelling pulled me in completely. This is a huge 5-star read for me and one I’ll be thinking about for a while.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

A Beautiful Way to Die hooked me instantly—not just with the stunning cover, but as an avid movie fan, with its sharp, unflinching look at the deceptive and vicious glamour of 1950s Hollywood. Beneath all that glitz lies a world of corruption, blackmail, and casting-couch misogyny—where the powerful men pull the strings and the women are left to constantly reinvent themselves just to survive.

The themes? Chef’s kiss. Power, exploitation, the poisonous lure of fame, and the way ambition turns friends into rivals. Every page hits you hard with its intensity and you just get so caught up in the story.

Unpredictable and gripping, the twists, turns and revelations that Eleni has woven into this story had me hanging on every word.

I couldn’t put this book down. I was totally into the thrilling mystery of this book and as a new to me author I found Eleni's writing to be enthralling. I felt that this book had a darker tone to the usual historical Hollywood fiction that I read and honestly it was exactly what I wanted—less red carpet, more raw truth. Gritty, emotional, and utterly compelling, this is a twisty gem that pulls back the curtain on the Golden Age and shows you just how tarnished it really was.

Thank you to Eleni @netgalley and @headofzeus for the ARC of this book. It's definitely one of my favorites of the year!

DNF. Unfortunately, there was content involved in the early chapters of this book that were quite personally triggering for me, and so I didn't feel like I could continue. I did enjoy the writing style though.

I wish this book was a higher rating for me as I love the concept. A classic one star rises as another star falls tale.

The writing was well done and the story was good, it just didn’t wholly grip me.

The way women were treated in this time period is always a difficult thing to read I think. It makes for some characters that you can greatly empathise with, even though some things feel like they’re haven’t really moved along that much! I loved that the characters felt really well developed.

It was a good read but maybe wanted a bit more from it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing me with an eARC of A Beautiful Way to Die in exchange for my honest review!

This is a thrilling tale that enthralls me within the glitz, the darkness, and the misogyny of 1950s Hollywood. As much as it can seduce me into its world of opulence and fame, it also slips in a layer of fear underneath the attractive surface that builds up the tension and reminds me of the dangers that marginalized individuals can face in such a power-hungry system. This book especially concentrates on the ways in which Hollywood traps women and punishes them if they act out of line—a bigoted force that our current society is still promoting in order to keep hating on women. Look at how, for example, so many people insist on dismissing the words and perspectives of women who come out to tell us about the domestic abuse and the sexual harassment and assault they've endured from men, e.g. Amber Heard, Blake Lively, and Halle Bailey. It's such an awful phenomenon to witness, and I couldn't help but think about it while reading this novel as it guides me through its twists and turns. Ginny, Stella, and Maggie all land as riveting leads for me to connect with as they fight back against the obstacles that this unjust world hurls at them. And once we reach the conclusion... Hooboy, yes, it's an appropriate and affecting ending.

Overall, I'm officially rating A Beautiful Way to Die 4.25 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 4 stars. I'm most certainly keeping an eye out for more of Eleni Kyriacou's writing.

"Don't miss the new novel from Eleni Kyriacou, author of BBC Between the Covers pick The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou.

PLAY THEIR GAME
Hollywood, 1953. Young actress Ginny Watkins is turning heads. Even the legendary - and married - actor Max Whitman can't resist the allure of the hottest new starlet. He promises Ginny the world, in return for the right favour.

DO WHAT THEY SAY
London, 1954. Stella Hope, once the most famous actress in Hollywood, has been ousted to Ealing Studios after her divorce from the powerful Max. Just as she accepts her fate, she receives a letter, blackmailing her for a mistake she made many years ago.

OR THEY'LL BURY YOU
Two women on either side of stardom find themselves in the orbit of the same beguiling man. And one night, in the shadows of a glamorous Oscars afterparty, their lives are changed forever...

A Beautiful Way to Die delves into the decadence and depravity of the early film industry from Hollywood to London. Perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and films like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Babylon."

Wait, there were fans of Babylon!?!

Gripping, fascinating and full of old school Hollywood glamour. Set in the 1950's, Ginny is a promising young actress that clearly has something extra and has caught the attention of one of Hollywood hottest male leads. Knowing Max Whitman can open many doors but Ginny will need to balance her patience with her ambition. At the same time, we explore another storyline, the exile of Max's ex-wife Stella Hope, once a very famous actress, to London. We know that these storylines will intercept but the question is how.

I love how old Hollywood has been explored and the decadence and depravity of the early film industry, which clearly took advantage of women. It was even more fascinating to discover many of the most sensational scenes were based on truth. The plot never slowed and kept me intrigued, up until the truly unexcepted twist at the end. Very well written and thought out.

This is a heartbreaking book that is full of drama, mystery, sadness, and tragedy, and I couldn't put it down. It reveals the challenges and soul-destroying nature of Hollywood in its early days, highlighting the extreme measures actresses will take to break into the celebrity acting world, and if they are lucky enough to succeed, what they will do to maintain their status.

In this book, we follow two women at different ends of the stardom spectrum. Ginny is a young English woman who is just at the start of her journey and determined to do whatever it takes to break in and become a star, including getting involved with a complex actor who is currently the toast of the town, but can he really be trusted? We also meet Stella Hope, who is a huge star, and part of a power couple who can seemingly do no wrong. But when their marriage starts to fail, and she is banished to London for a film, what is she capable of doing to regain her light?

What joins these two characters together is heartbreaking and devastating to read, yet it makes for a fantastic story. There are so many twists and turns in this book, making it difficult to put down. Some of the twists I saw coming, but some were a total shock and left me reeling.

If you love a book that is all about old Hollywood, and also is full of twists and turns that are heart-poundingly written, then this is the book for you.