I had requested this NetGalley title because I am all about discovering lost stories and learning from people's mistakes. But going into the book, I felt that my energy was being sucked, the more I turned the pages . I was disappointed with the fact that the book was not actual diary excerpts to have a better understanding of what Mary Astor was going through. There was no impetus of wanting to finding out what happened to Astor-Thorpe custody battle which formed a huge chunk of the book. I do appreciate the fact that there were lots of pictures and pictures of her diary excerpts.

From the little that I read I surmised two things: choose your life partner wisely and there's more drama off set than on-set in Hollywood.

Joseph Egan is a good writer and I might try his other work in future. This book would probably be better appreciated by a film aficionado, if you interested in women in film or just old Hollywood.

Wow! I knew of Mary Astor from the Maltese Falcon, so did not know the sensational scandal and trial that surrounded her in the 30s. This book, the forward is written by her great-granddaughter, uses her diaries and photos of the main players in this scandalous trial of the mid-30s. Well written and hard to put down. It reads like a Perry Mason story, and kept me turning the page to see what will happen next. The press and public were obsessed with it and could see why. Definitely a story I highly would recommend. Makes me want to check out more of her movies now.

Meticulously and painstakingly researched, this account of the custody battle of one of America’s leading actresses, Mary Astor, for her daughter makes for some compelling reading and offers the reader a glimpse into the sometimes murky world of 1930s Hollywood. Overall I enjoyed it but I also found it rather too detailed as the court transcripts – although I accept that perhaps they needed to be there – make for some repetitive reading. Some well-chosen photographs and newspaper headlines add to the immediacy, and as I knew nothing about any of the characters involved I was both intrigued and occasionally horrified by the way some of them behaved. A mostly compelling read if overly long.

Mary's diaries (in which she documented her inner most thoughts, her life and loves) were at the heart of the court case. The scandal of this divorce threatened to derail the movie making machine that was Hollywood.

I adored Mary in the movies "The Maltese Falcon" and in "Little Women" - a gutsy, determined woman, in whose corner you cannot but stand and cheer.