Anatomy of a Scandal

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was very impressed with this book, which is cleverly plotted, with a twist in the middle that is beautifully executed. The author builds her characters well and the novel is well paced and nicely written.

Great book. Brilliant plot and main characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Very enjoyable.

This was a fantastic read - I couldn't put it down! It is fast-paced and gripping but also well-written and the characters are sensitively portrayed. Sarah Vaughan writes powerfully about a difficult subject - rape - and I was deeply affected by the stories of the characters. It is highly emotive and Vaughan doesn't shy away from the complexity of the subject. This is definitely one of the best books I have read this year.

An interesting and contemporary court room drama mixing the difficulty of prosecuting a male establishment figure and how one can never really leave the past behind

Anatomy of a Scandal is a tense novel about power, privilege, and knowing the secrets from someone’s past. James is a politician on the rise, a family man with a long-standing connection to the PM. His wife Sophie has known him since they were both at Oxford and thinks she knows all the skeletons in his closet. However, when he is accused of a crime that cuts right into Sophie’s vision of her husband, she must consider whether she will continue to stand by him. And Kate, the barrister prosecuting James, has a past of her own, and is certain James is guilty, willing to put her all into getting him convicted.

Vaughan weaves together these main characters into a drama that jumps between the courtroom, the modern political world, and early 90s Oxford. It has elements of a psychological or domestic thriller, complete with questioning of the truth and intense legal proceedings, but Anatomy of a Scandal is more than that, an anatomy of individual viewpoints surrounding a scandal that covers political coverups, drinking societies and class difference at Oxford, and difficulties of rape accusations and trials. The epigraph is from Mantel’s Bring Up The Bodies and the way that Mantel combines the political and the personal whilst talking about the truth makes it a good comparison, despite the vast difference in subject matter. The novel is not solely psychological, or just a courtroom drama, but one that shows personal emotion within larger power structures.

The narrative is told from the points of view of major characters, with Vaughan withholding information or structuring it in a way that builds tension and gives the reader a sense of being caught in the middle of the secrets as they unfold. Her Oxford is very recognisable to anyone who has been and the whole novel is detailed, giving enough information to allow the reader to work out elements, but also keep guessing about what really happened or will happen. Though James and Sophie’s marriage is a real focus, it is Kate who stands out as someone caught between past and present, though at first she appears to just be a simple barrister character who will form the courtroom threat.

Anatomy of a Scandal is the kind of book that will appeal to both fans of thrillers and those who prefer something a bit more general, combining character relationships and backstory with tense prosecution. The focus on a privileged world—from the arcane rituals of both the court and Oxford to the money and power of politicians—can be fascinating and adds to questions of who should really be believed. It has plenty of gripping drama and would clearly make a great TV adaptation in the future.

WOW! This is a great read, it kept me gripped from beginning to end. James Whitehouse is an MP accused of rape by one of his researchers. He is arrested and a court case follows. His wife Sophie wants to believe his innocence or is he guilty? We get to know more about James and his days at Oxford and the group of friends he had via flashbacks. We learn more about Kate who is the prosecuting barrister who has her reasons for believing he is guilty.
I had to keep reading on to get to the verdict and also the aftermath. Excellent read.

Anatomy of a Scandal Sarah Vaughan


Just to deviate from my usual reading I was looking for a Political, or Court, Drama. Anatomy of a Scandal came up in the Amazon search engine when I put both categories in so I thought I’d give it ago, even if it did say “female fiction” as the main category.

Well either I’m in touch with my feminine side or they have the category wrong. I found this to be a thoroughly engrossing read.

The synopsis for the story reads like it should be from a tabloid news front page, but it is written with the panache of a broad sheet.

James Whitehouse is a high profile Conservative MP, a cabinet minister, and a very good friend of the Prime Minister. They have been friends from school and were members of the Libertines at Oxford University.

The story starts with Sophie Whitehouse, his wife, waiting at home for her husband who is uncharacteristically late and out of contact. When he walks through the door he looks worried; and he should be, he’s just about to tell his wife he has been having an affair with a pretty young researcher, and that the press has got hold of the story.

Could it get any worse?

Oh yes!

The researcher Olivia Lytton accuses James of rape and he is arrested, and the case goes to court in a high-profile media circus of a hearing.

Sophie decides to stand by her man; but does she believe him.

Kate Woodcroft QC the CPS prosecution Barrister is convinced James is guilty and is prepared to do almost anything, within the law, to see him found guilty.

The story concentrates on the Court hearing whilst flashing back to James and Sophie’s University days and the shenanigans of the Libertines. Will this history show why Sophie is so adamant that James is innocent, or explain why she wants to stand by him? Will it show why Kate is so determined get a guilty verdict.

There are places in this book, where Sarah Vaughan described places and people very deeply, that I have to admit to speed reading or skipping text as; but the story is outstanding.

Throughout the book I found myself taking sides, then changing my opinion. If I had been on the Jury I might have had a hard time reaching a verdict…..at times.

By the end of the book my allegiances were firmly on one side, but I dare say people will have different opinions.

I am so glad I decided to look at a different genre of book.

Pages: 400
Publishers: Simon & Schuster UK
Publishing date: 11 January 2018
Available to pre-order on Amazon

My Review: Firstly, I need to say WOW what an incredible debut novel. This story centres around the elite, over-privileged and entitled students at Oxford university.

The Scandal in question involves a handsome, charismatic politician James, accused of rape and is told from alternating points of view; his wife Sophie who is desperate to believe and defend him and the prosecutor Kate who is determined to prove his guilt.

This is a slow burning, tense thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. If you like your stories simmering with tension, intelligent and well crafted characters and a plausible plot you will enjoy this.

I've just finished this book and have to say what a tense roller-coaster ride it has been.

During the court case, I was reading and felt really tense. That is just how gripping it really was. The writing is so good and the author has clearly done her research that I was utterly gripped throughout it.

I enjoyed the different points of view and liked that you are never entirely sure who is telling the truth.

Great book - I can see this being a best seller!

This is a novel which will raise issues and a lot of discussion I think. What constitutes rape and a scandal? In the present day news bulletins where people in high places are being taken to the cleaners for one reason or another, this is an aptly drawn account of one potential case. It feels real, it sounds real and it could be - that’s the point. We all think we know how we’d react and judge but who do you believe and why?

the settings are the world of wealth and privilege from Oxford to London - the real journey here is through the court systems and the trial. This is no easy read but it’s a fascinating one. !0 people in a room asked a question about the same situation will give ten very different views. What is right and where is the line between right and wrong?

Uncomfortable reading at times but it’s very similar to Apple Tree Yard but with a twist. There’s plenty of scandal and you really do feel you’ve been to a autopsy and that scalpel cuts deep.

This book is definitely a page turner, very well researched and credible. Kate is a successful barrister who works as a prosecuting barrister mainly in sexually related cases. Hard working, ruthless and focussed she will stop at nothing to win her cases. The writer has clearly researched the role of a barrister and this comes across, thus making Kate extremely believable as a character. However saying that, the first chapter felt like a little bit of an information dump -as if the writer was trying to gain gravitas with the reader by proving the research and packing it all into one chapter. However, it picked up pace from then on and I really got taken up by the story and read it in two sittings.
The story soon introduces James Whitehouse who is a junior MP and best friend to the Prime Minister. As soon as he is accused of rape, the story gets interesting. Particularly seeing as though Kate, ( still reeling from losing her previous case) is about to prosecute him. This novel is told from multiple point of views and it works really well and gives a good and necessary varied perspective on the story. The back story revolves around Oxford university and the author does an excellent job of painting a picture of life at the university. We meet Kate, her best friend Ali, James and his wife Sophie, plus his accuser. The friendship between Kate and her friend Ali is written superbly well and I really bought into, and understood the dynamics in their relationship. At times it was also very touching and felt real.
The story is pacy, addictive and a real page turner and I am loathe to say much more because I would hate to spoil the plot line and the twists and turns, I did guess the twists and turns really early on but I think the way the writer chooses her reveals and the timing of those is entirely deliberate. I found the ending a little rushed ( again I don't wish to provide spoilers) but I would have liked to have seen a little more detail/ experienced more of an emotional reaction( conclusion for me the reader from some of the characters as the story reached its conclusion. I guess I would have liked some of the consequences of characters played out a little more, even if it was half a page.
Overall however, a really brilliant, entertaining read. In summary, it's a courtroom drama/ love and friendship story that grips you, reels you in and keeps you interested right until the last page. It's about the privilege of money, historical behaviour and class divides: all themes that are worked into the book really effectively. I can see this as a TV series or a film. For all the above reasons, I would thoroughly recommend this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.

An absolutely first class read I enjoyed this so much it was a book i finished on the same day that I started it

I was really looking forward to reading this - while I didn't know a great deal about it, what I did know sounded right up my street. I love a good courtroom drama, and if there's a current political angle, so much the better. All that is certainly there, but we also have a nuanced portrait of a marriage and a thoughtful depiction of thorny issues of rape and consent.

In the present day, we follow dedicated barrister Kate, prosecuting sexual offenders but feeling increasingly frustrated at the difficulty in gaining convictions. Meanwhile, there's Conservative junior minister James Whitehouse, handsome, charming and tipped for success - a close personal friend of the Prime Minister (who's called "Tom" but is hard not to picture as David Cameron). Then there's James's adoring wife Sophie, in some ways a typical Tory wife but with much more depth in her portrayal than that might imply.

In a further strand, intelligent but under-confident Holly starts at Oxford in 1993, fresh from her Liverpool state school and feeling out of place among the mainly privately educated students who have no conception of life outside their privileged bubble. Among the most privileged of all is James, who belongs to a group of equally arrogant, entitled and frankly obnoxious young men called the Libertines: a not even thinly disguised Bullingdon Club, even down to that notorious photograph on the steps.

As the strands intertwine and sometimes collide, this is a fascinating, enthralling and often thought-provoking read.

Review will also be published on my blog: http://atickettoeverywhere.blogspot.com.

This book is a page turner that has you hooked from the start.
James, a politician,priveledge,a spoilt rich boy with charm and bluff. Attractive but is he honest?
We know he isn't as he has admitted an affair but what depths will he go to to stay current and keep his political job?
When James is charged the life he has led up to this point is examined and a maze of charachters who have been touched by this manipulative charmer come in to fucus,making you ask and question whether he is guilty or not.
As you take this ride through his life you see the effects on his wife Sophie and wonder why a woman who could attend Oxford can be the way she is.you want her to snap and take him on ,I will not say what she does. You pity this woman,shout at her and champion that she will be courageous.
Then there is Holly and Alison,no priveledge but a will to succeed and attain a place at Oxford,but do they belong? What are there struggles and how does this impact upon their lives then and now?
Kate the trip barrister- I have to be careful not to add spoilers here,a character that has your heart and you want her to succeed and whether she does may just not have anything to do with James but because of her crossing paths with him her self awareness and worth are explored and reflected upon.

I found this book to be so very accurate.I have been that juror on a rape case and the sad accuracy of what occurs is astounding. This book is well worth the read.
Thanks to Netgalley,the author and publisher for providing this ARC for an honest review.

I read his in two days despite many distractions occurring such was the quality of the writing.

A public school and Oxford University education that encourages James to believe he is invincible and can influence events.
A clever wife who decides to turn a blind eye in order to keep her husband and comfortable lifestyle.
A barrister prepared to risk her career to prosecute a case.

As the court case plays out the actions they took in the past are slowly unveiled.
A modern take on the age-old story of privilege versus right. The story is well written and flows well. The twist part way through is a obvious but doesn’t stop it being a good read.

Gripping and life-like. This could be true .A reaction of politicians who think they are above the law.The scandals of Oxford boys clubs mixed with sexpower and wealth. I felt I was walking alongside Kate throughout

Original. Clever. Addictive. This would make a fantastic TV drama

Really enjoyed this book, a great read, it kept me gripped from the start. The characters are well written and the tension keeps you turning the pages. Recommended for sure.

Have achieved very little else these past couple of days as I've been utterly glued to this book. The kind of book "page turner" is meant for.

Anatomy of a Scandal gives you the the inner workings of the Eton-Oxford- Conservative MP establishment ( Think The Party by Elizabeth Day for comparison), crossed with a very fine contemporary courtroom drama in the style of Apple Tree Yard with the extra dimension of the secrets with in a marriage. It is a very powerful combination that is commmercial dynamite.

Told from multiple viewpoints, an element of unreliable narrator creeps in to keep us on edge. Whilst the twists and turns are not the most surprising, they work well and the pace is utterly maintained throughout.

This will be a big seller! Can't wait for more people to read it

There were some obvious similarities between this book and Apple Tree Yard, but to me this is a more enjoyable read. I found the characters more appealing and as a result felt invested in the outcome. The book had great pace but I didn't rush through it because I wanted to fully understand the nuances of the plot. The legal procedure aspect was interesting without being cumbersome and was clearly well-researched. This isn't an 'edge-of-your-seat' thriller but still has all the makings of a great TV adaptation.

A well written, clever debut from Sarah Vaughan. A gripping tale of politics, privilege and power.
The story involves a handsome, successful and charismatic member of parliament, married with 2 young children, whose affair with a young woman becomes public followed by an accusation of rape by the same young woman.
Although at times I felt uncomfortable reading as it delves into dark subject matter I did enjoy the book. A solid 4 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my advance copy in return for an honest review.

A great read that I absolutely raced through. Well written for fans of Jodi picoult.

Really enjoyed this very clever and highly engaging thriller. Fascinating premise. Definitely one to discuss with friends after you get to THE END.

What happens on campus, stays on campus…but for how long?
James Whitehouse: Oxford graduate, privileged member of parliament, loving husband and dad of two beautiful children. Sophie: his wife, their relationship dating back to university days. She knows him better than anyone (doesn’t she?) and when the charges of rape are levelled at him she is reluctant to believe that he could possibly be capable of such an act. But as the trial goes on, the questions start to form in her mind and the doubts creep in.
I love the structure of this story, as the main storyline makes up only one part of the jigsaw as a whole. In the early stages of the book there is very little mention of the antics of James and his best friend, future prime minister Tom during their Oxford university days. The significance of the antics only comes into play in the latter stages - after the jury has made their decision and the trial is over.
The characters all have their strengths - and weaknesses - and are not always what they initially seem. Whilst reading I was surprised that the author did not focus more on the character of the mistress and alleged rape victim, parliamentary researcher Olivia but by the end of the book this kind of made sense.
This is a tale of the privileged middle classes who make up a large proportion of high profile politicians and such like, and how their ranks can close when times are troubled. However there are also people amongst those same ranks who are unwilling to let the events of times gone by go unpunished. The quiet ones, the ones who slip under the radar of “the Populars”, the ones who watch from the sidelines. They’re the ones who ultimately hold the power.
A great book, which admittedly made for uncomfortable reading in parts, it made me consider the sense of entitlement that seems to go hand in hand with the moneyed classes, and whether I would really want to be a part of it even by association.
This review will be posted nearer publication day on my blog www.sandiesbookshelves.blogspot.co.uk

Was completely gripped by this. I worked on Sarah's last book so I knew she was a brilliant writer, but I wondered how she'd tackle a complete change of genre. Exceptionally well, as it turns out. I was blown away by the sense of character and scene she created, seamlessly incorporating big issues like class and politics, and keeping me guessing until the very end. I hope that there's lots more like this to come from Sarah!

I am pedantic when it comes to novels with a legal slant. I want them to be accurate. I was not disappointed. This is a page-turner which was realistic and thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. Excellent!

This is a powerful novel, very reminiscent of Apple Tree Yard and just as good. The main characters of Sophie, Holly and Alison are realistic and James and Tom are truly believable in a horrific way. The settings of Oxford and London are very evocative and the abuse of privilege and power is a bit scary to those of us lower in the pecking order. The court scenes make fascinating reading, and the conclusion is satisfying. I would love to see a T.V. drama of this. Well done, Sarah!

This is the first book I have read from this author and I am sure it won't be the last. Took me a wee while to get into the story as this was a bit different to what I would normally read once I got half way that was me hooked and could not put this down. Had to see what would happen and how the story would be left.

thanks to netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK for this copy to review honestly and voluntarily..

An utterly absorbing, captivating book. I found the characters fascinating. They covered such a range of traits and distinct personality characteristics that I felt I knew them. The depiction of the different social scenes was very well done, from the over-privileged elites the Oxford to the stress-filled courtroom, every detail rang true.
The pace of the book worked very well for me. The twist in the middle added a whole new dimension to the story, and I couldn't wait to read more! A fantastic novel; I look forward to reading more from this talented author.

Anatomy of A Scandal deserves to be one of THE books of 2018. This gripping and beautifully written story tells of the privileged, handsome, charismatic MP James Whitehouse, close friend of the PM and happily married to Sophie with two young children he adores. Twelve years into his marriage his appetite for sex leads him into a five month affair with Olivia, a junior member of his staff, but after he breaks up with her they have a brief sexual interlude in a lift at the Palace of Westminster and she accuses him of rape.

So far so normal. The prosecuting counsel, Kate, is determined to do everything in her power so that Olivia has justice. But, as we read the back story to the case which involves James' time at Oxford twenty years before, we see that this is no ordinary rape trial.

Anatomy of a Scandal is perfect for readers of Apple Tree Yard and He Said/She Said. I look forward to reading more from Sarah Vaughan. Many thanks to Simon & Schuster UK Fiction and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this terrific book.

I found this an enjoyable, well written, gripping book.

An absolutely gripping tale about crime and justice told from the perspective of the main characters. James is a charismatic and entitled Member of Parliament who is accused of rape by a young research assistant. Kate Woodcroft is the QC tasked with representing the victim and I loved this character particularly during the trial scenes.
We also follow the story through the eyes of Sophie, James' wife who has complete confidence in her husband's innocence.
This novel is so much more than a "He said/She said" tale as many more past secrets come to the fore and is ultimately an examination of the British justice system and how the scales of justice are not always equally weighted.
Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the advance review copy.

This is a tense and gripping psychological thriller with believable characters and a topical storyline. The writing is sharp and pacy. I found myself telling people, ‘I’m reading such a good book,’ and was keen to get back to it when I had to do other things. My mind kept drifting back to the story. Kate’s life is overshadowed by a terrible incident from her university days and she has the chance to achieve justice. The story moves seamlessly between the past and the present, each time zone equally interesting, and between Kate and Sophie, wife of politician James who is accused of raping a colleague with whom he has had an affair. An excellent read, full of tension.

Wow, this was close to the bone. Such a topical exercise in a scandal involving sex, infidelity, rape and politics. A heady mixture that usually fills the newspapers today.
I just loved the way that Sarah Vaughan put this story together giving us the candid views of each of the players in the scenario. There were no innuendos, twists, was he right, was she right. The plot unfolded as if in real time and was straight and true.
I do not doubt that this plot mirrors actuality involving the privileged set from Eton to Oxford and on to Westminster. The self-centred, haughty, selfish thinking portrayed in the James and his prime minister friend are closer to the truth than comfortable. We have seen the likes of these shenanigans repeatedly in the past 38 years, beginning with Thatcher's crew.
Well written and well researched. The two barristers played their role perfectly. Sarah described the court and the way QC's think and perform. She wrote" Adversarial advocacy is not really and inquiry into the truth.....Advocacy is about being more persuasive than your opponent. You can win even if the evidence is stacked against you provided that you argue better.And it's all about winning." Truth in court is difficult to establish. Spot on!

Elegant prose and a cast of divisive characters makes Anatomy of a Scandal a great read. Topical considering the current climate for allegations of sexual harassment and rape claims in our society today. Well written and thoroughly compelling. Loved it!

You want to believe your husband. She wants to destroy him.

Part courtroom thriller; part portrait of a marriage; part exploration of how our memories still haunt us, Anatomy of a Scandal is a disarming and provocative psychological drama.

Sophie’s husband, James, is a loving father and a successful public figure. Yet he stands accused of a terrible crime. Sophie is convinced he is innocent and desperate to protect her precious family from the lies that threaten to engulf him. She’s kept his darkest secret ever since they were first lovers, at Oxford. And if she stood by him then, she can do it now.

Kate is the barrister prosecuting his case. She’s certain that James is guilty and determined he should pay. No stranger to suffering herself, she doesn’t flinch from posing the questions few want to hear. About what happens between a man a woman when they’re alone: alone in bed, alone in an embrace, alone in a lift . . .
Is James the victim of an unfortunate misunderstanding or the perpetrator of something sinister? Who is right: Sophie or Kate? This scandal – which forces Sophie to appraise her marriage and Kate her demons – will have far-reaching consequences for them all.

This book started off slowly and I couldn’t see how it would all pull together. But somehow … I was hooked. I loved the writing, the characters. In fact, I loved everything about this book. 5*

An enthralling read with plenty to keep you hooked.

Wow, wow, wow!!! This was amazing. What a plot - so many twists and turns. Telling the story from different character’s points of view and between the past and present really worked well. Also, it’s so relevant to what's happening in the news right now. Anatomy of a Scandal has got to be a bestseller when published.
Many, many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Sarah Vaughan for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

The depth, the depth, the depth. A book that dives ever deeper and you just have to follow it, you can't turn away even though you know whats coming. This book will be a huge hit.

Wow! This book is going to be massive when it comes out! I love reading a book where the author clearly knows the subject and it shows in this one, A fascinating story and a book I very much enjoyed and learnt something from. Highly recommended.

You can see why this is being tipped as the next "Thriller of the Year". It's a genuine page turner and has a real hint of Gone Girl and Girl on a Train elements to it.

The story is set between present day and 25 years earlier and is told from 4 different character point of views. This works well and it's not an issue switching between different years/perspectives.

There's a good pace to the book and plenty of twists along the way. Although I did predict some it didn't ruin the enjoyment as you still want to know how things unravel.

There's some real cold hard themes in the book particularly relevant to the current news cycle. The release of this cannot come soon enough!

This book tells the story from the view point of several characters, and we get to know them all very well. Part of the book goes back to the early nineties, and gives a good feel for that period. All the characters are believable. Part of the book is a courtroom drama, part goes back to when the characters were at university. The pace and tension are maintained for most of the book, until about the last 10%, (I don't want to say after which event for fear of spooling the book for new readers), hence only 4 stars. I will look out for more books by Sarah Vaughan.

Wow! Not just a book but a life experience! So much content & so much to think about. Incredibly well written and with the distinct flavour of reality - especially in the current climate of political scandal! The twist in the plot is a masterstroke.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this in return for an honest review - this is so good it's a keeper, one I will return to time & again

This is a cracking read, and so spookily relevant right now. I've enjoyed both of Vaughan's previous books, but this goes to another level. Beautiful writing, and a perfectly judged plot. So deserves the attention it's getting! I'm already looking forward to the film. Or should it be a TV series..? One quibble was maybe that we lost sight of Olivia a little too much, but I appreciate there was a balance to be struck. Overall, a well-deserved five stars. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read :)

I was fascinated at the timing of this novel: the news is currently full of similar scandals both in the UK and the US.
Essentially a typical story of lust and betrayal, but with an interesting twist. Told from multiple viewpoints, the story leads us back and forth in time, leaving clues while leaving us guessing. Recommended.