June 1980: 17-year-old Kelly Lund is jailed for killing Hollywood film director, John McFadden
Thirty years later, Kelly is a free woman. Yet speculation still swirls over what really happened that night.
And when her father-in law, and close friend of McFadden is found dead - shot through the head at point-blank range - there can only be one suspect.
But this time Kelly has some high-profile friends who believe she's innocent of both crimes.
But is she?
'You'll stay up late to read this' Laura Lippmann
'Full of crackling energy and heartache' Megan Abbott
'An exceptional book by an exceptional writer' Alex Marwood
Welcome to the BLOG TOUR for What Remains of Me by A L Gaylin, published in paperback by Arrow on 1 December 2016.
A murder mystery set in the heart of Hollywood, Gaylin exposes the dark and seedy side of Tinsel Town, nothing feels glamorous, nothing is glittery, but everything appears to be unreliable.
lived on the fringes of Hollywood. Even though her parents, now estranged, met on the set of a movie, Kelly was always warned to stay away from those 'Hollywood types'. Kelly's twin sister was a party girl, mixed up with the IT crowd. Catherine died when she was fifteen, throwing herself from a cliff after yet another ferocious argument with their mother.
Gaylin tells this story in two time-frames. In 1980, when Kelly has begun to rebel and has become close friends with Bellamy Marshall, daughter of one of Hollywood's most famous actors. It is this friendship that leads to Kelly's conviction for murder, after film director John McFadden is shot through the head at his own wrap party.
The second part of the story takes place thirty years later. Kelly has served her prison sentence and has been free for five years. She's married to Bellamy's younger brother Shane, although their relationship is not a traditional marriage in any way. When Shane's father is found dead in his study, with a gunshot through his head, Kelly becomes a suspect once again.
What Remains of Me is a complex and often challenging read. The story is multi-layered, like an onion, just as one layer is peeled away, the reader discovers another that will take the plot and twist it upside down. Kelly Lund is an incredibly deep character, she doesn't really like herself, so it can be difficult for the reader to like her too, although as the plot unfolds it becomes very easy to understand her behaviours, and how she has become the woman she is.
Full of unexpected, well-hidden secrets that slowly rise to the top, this is a well-written story that kept me on my toes. The reveals are unexpected and the sinister side of Hollywood is not a nice place to be in. Well formed and at times, utterly despicable, but realistic characters really make this story.
My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review and who invited me to take part in this blog tour.
A L Gaylin's first job was as a reporter for a celebrity tabloid, which sparked a lifelong interest in writing about people committing despicable acts. More than a decade later, she wrote and published her Edgar-nominated first novel, Hide Your Eyes.She's since published eight more books, including the USA Today and international bestselling Brenna Spector suspense series, which has been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony and Thriller awards and won the Shamus awards.
She lives in upstate New York with her husband, daughter, cat and dog.
For more information visit her website www.alisongaylin.com
Check out her Author page on Facebook
Follow her on Twitter @alisongaylin
No comments:
Post a Comment