Gripping analysis of a rape trial, which is all the more devastating for its veracity. An occasionally pedantic focus on the legal process is offset by an engagingly vulnerable but unrelenting heroine.

Unfortunately I did not find this as exciting and thrilling as I expected, however, that said, I did enjoy the story being told from the different viewpoints which slowly revealed more information.

I found Anatomy of a Scandal a very well written book on a very difficult subject. I thought it was very current, realistic and believable. I did find some of the friendships and decision somewhat unlikely, but like I said it was still believable so it didn't bother me. I liked how the disappointment and hurt was conveyed, it really drew me in and made me feel all kinds of things for the characters and the story that was being told. Overall I enjoyed this book.

This was an entertaining and readable thriller that contained a lot of my favourite crime novel elements; courtroom scenes, Oxbridge, tangled secrets from young adulthood. But while I enjoyed reading it, I ultimately found it unsatisfying. Firstly, the structure is often quite awkward; there are five narrators and we're often introduced to each of them by a lengthy info-dump where they simply think about their life and choices for a long period of time. This is also used later in the novel when we haven't seen one character's perspective on events for a while, and it makes the characterisation very clunky, as well as slowing down the pace. Secondly, I actually guessed the central twist early in the novel, which is very unusual for me; I never guess twists. This wasn't a big deal, but it did make me feel that it was a bit cliched. Thirdly, I do think the book could have had more to say about the impact of rape and rape culture, although what was there was well done. Finally, the ending felt weak and rushed, and I would like to have heard a lot more about the aftermath of what happened. Most obviously, there are two central characters (I won't give details to avoid spoilers) that I felt really ought to have met near the end of the novel.

I did think that Anatomy of a Scandal was a good read, but it ended up reminding me more of better thrillers such as Louise Doughty's Apple Tree Yard and Erin Kelly's He Said/She Said then shining in its own right. And - this isn't the author's fault at all, of course - it already feels out of date, reminding us of David Cameron, the Bullingdon Club and a pre-Brexit, pre-Trump, pre #metoo time.

I received a free proof copy of this book through NetGalley for review. I will post a fuller review once the book is published in January 2018.

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!

I'm sorry to say that this book failed to grab me, despite me wanting to like it. The start of the first chapter did not take me by the scruff of the neck reading about wigs and shoes and I was not drawn in as I hoped throughout. I just didn't get the longing to root for any one of the main characters that the story follows.
I would say that I like John Grisham court-case based books, which this is loosely simular to, so this sounded like something I would like but 3 stars from me.
In any case, thank you for letting me preview 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*

Westminster. Politicians indulging in sexual scandals. Past lives full of Eton, Oxford, privilege and deviant behaviour amongst ambitious young men. Sound familiar?
Well in recent months the sexual assault claims from women in Parliament against their powerful bosses running the country have been well reported and the transfer of these news reports to a fictionalised plot comes easily to author Sarah Vaughan as she was a political journalist at The Guardian amongst other writing roles.
The novel is broken into chapters from the perspective of the central characters: Kate Woodcroft a leading Barrister, single, determined and wary of men takes on the controversial case of James Wilkinson, MP and Government Minister whose affair becomes public and gains police attention when a sexual crime is alleged. MP's loyal wife Sophie has to face the humiliation of public gaze and also look to her past when she was a young student meeting James at Oxford.
The present time line is then passed back to the 1990s as young Holly Berry (really did the author think that was a good choice of name?) Northern girl but A grade English student starts her life amongst the dreaming spires of Oxford. How will all their lives collide and who will suffer as secrets are revealed?
I have worked at Westminster for 13 years so was as familiar with the corridors of power as the author and the sex and drink that is described was (and probably still is) a major part of life for those in power as it always was.
However many of the characters are stereotypes and bear striking resemblances to recent politicians and the academic and career paths we are all familiar with (the raucous Bullingdon Club of posh Tories is a blatant offering)
There is a twist in the tale but the narrative is somewhat plodding and predictable and I didn't find many of the leading characters very believable. The topic is serious and the legal court scenes are worthy of more description. It's a fair attempt at what has now become a very relevant story about male power against vulnerable women but does seem more like a documentary/newspaper feature than a novel. Perhaps the author might have more to reveal in her day job amongst the dodgy world of politics........

An enthralling read with plenty to keep you hooked.

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.

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.

Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan is a story of adultery, rape and lies. A Tory MP is accused of rape by his former mistress. His wife does not believe this accusation and stands by him. I found this book shocking and hard to read in parts because of the way that women were treated. This book will appeal to fans of Apple Tree Yard. I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

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 :)

This story revolves around a court case where Sophie's husband is accused of rape. But there's a lot more to the story than that and there's a lovely twist in the middle. At it's heart, it's an interesting tale however, the reading experience is marred by an over-abundance of description, which slows the pace down to a standstill in places, while we admire the architecture of a made-up college in Oxford. Whole chapters could be axed and it would do nothing to detract from the story. Sentences are over-flowing with semi-colons and dashes, which makes the reader have to read them several times to wheedle out the meaning. Some sentences are even blessed with a couple of colons to go with the semi-colons and a hyphen or two. With all this description, I never really got close to any of the characters and just got frustrated with the whole thing.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

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.

D.N.F. Really didn't like this book. Hated the characters from the beginning. Not my type of book!

I started reading this book just as the sexual harassment cases were coming to light in the UK and a more relevant novel would be hard to find. The story centres around James a high flying member of the cabinet, his chum from Oxford days, who happens to be the PM and a prosecuting barrister, Kate.
James has been accused of inappropriate behaviour towards a member of his staff leading to a charge of rape. Kate is prosecuting him but this is complicated by events in her past.
James' wife, Sophie, who has known him since they were at Oxford stands by him despite knowing something that happened there. He was a member of the a dinner club called The Libertines which is a thinly disguised copy of the notorious Bullingdon Club renowned for its rowdy and sometimes thuggish behaviour beloved by certain upper class types.
What happened all that time ago,? Will James' charisma and charm get him through? All this and great writing kept me wanting to read on.
This is a great read, topical, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages.