Circle of Secrets by Ceril Campbell #VirtualBookTour #CircleofSecrets @cerilcampbell @booksmjp @randomthingstours #bookreview

 

In the glamorous world of fashion, fame, and power, beauty hides blemishes and success conceals scars.

When a young model disappears in Europe, her absence begins to expose the hidden fractures beneath the industry’s most glamorous elite. While a circle of friends, whose worlds - built on ambition, betrayal, and silence - begin to crack and truths that could destroy them all claw their way to the surface.

At the height of the hedonistic 1980s, from the polished veneer of the modelling world in London and Milan, to the freedom of Soho where identities blur, lives begin to unravel. Mothers haunted by loss, beautiful women desperate to bury their past, and powerful men entangled in guilt, desire, and control.

Circle of Secrets is a stylish, character-driven drama of glamour and deception, exploring how far people will go to protect the lies that define them.

Circle of Secrets by Ceril Campbell was published on 2 July 2026 by Matthew James Publishing. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Virtual Book Tour 

I am a fan of novels set in the 1980s and Circle of Secrets captures both the glamour and the excesses of those times. From London's fashion scene to the streets of Milan and the nightlife of Soho, Ceril Campbell creates a vivid setting for a story filled with secrets, complicated relationships and the pressures of living up to expectations.

At the centre of the novel there is a group of connected characters, they all carry secrets that gradually begin to affect those around them. Jade's journey into the modelling world is fascinating and highlights the contrast between the industry's glamorous image and the harsh realities that lie beneath it. Simon, Paula and Chloe each bring something different to the story, with their own hopes, disappointments and personal challenges, and these add real depth to the novel. Although there are plenty of characters to get to know, their lives soon become interwoven and it is the relationships between them that really keeps you turning the pages. 

Ceril Campbell's experience within the fashion industry shines through, giving the novel an authentic feel without becoming overly detailed. The mystery surrounding the disappearance of a young model is the underlying thread throughout the book.. There are themes of friendship, loyalty, ambition and betrayal, and these are explored alongside the darker side of fame and success.

There were times when the story slowed when the attention shifted between the different characters and their own storylines, which occasionally affected the momentum. However, readers who enjoy character led fiction with plenty of drama and emotional conflict will really enjoy this one.

Circle of Secrets is an entertaining novel that mixes glamour with family drama and some mystery. It is an interesting look behind the polished image of the fashion world while reminding us that appearances rarely tell the whole story.

Ceril Campbell has always been passionate about fashion.For over thirty years she has worked as a celebrity stylist, fashion commentator and expert on TV and radio with her own magazine columns and features. Her debut novel, Secrets in the Dark, is not autobiographical in any way, but is inspired by her insider knowledge of the glamorous world of celebrity.

Ceril is now a broadcaster and motivational speaker, helping clients with lifestyle, image, life change, self-esteem, positive body confidence and mental wellness.Ceril has also written self-help books, including Discover the New You: Celebrity Stylist Secrets to Transform Your Life and Style. She lives in London and has two adult children.

To find out more about Ceril, visit her website www.cerilcampbell.com, and follow her on  Instagram @cerilcampbell.