Wow this book was so tense, a real page turner that I didn’t want to put down!
I’m not going to say much about the plot in fear of spoilers, plus everything you need to know is in the above synopsis. What I will tell you is how it made me feel.
Sarah Vaughan’s writing gripped me from the first page and didn’t let go. I was immersed in Emma and Flora’s worlds. I was horrified by what they were both going through, with online abuse and school bullying and could understand how the circumstances changed so quickly.
I really liked Flora and empathised with Emma, but I can’t say I particularly liked her although I did warm to her later on in the book.
This book made me even more aware of violence towards women, online and physically, and it really did horrify me. It’s definitely a book that sadly needed to be written and I hope will be read by everyone far and wide because it really does need to stop!
Highly recommended if you enjoy contemporary fiction.

In politics reputation is everything and Emma Webster is about to lose hers. Her decision to change careers from being a teacher to run for MP was so that she was in a position to actually do something to make changes for the better however besides destroying her marriage, the job is not without its dangers including having to strategically place furniture in her constituency surgery to facilitate a quick escape, having bottles of water handy in case of acid attacks together with the death threats and online abuse she suffers. Her high profile campaign collaborating with a local newspaper journalist for tighter online abuse laws to protect victims of revenge porn has increased the trolling and threats and then there is that Guardian feature of Emma wearing a smart suit and red lipstick. The article shows her to be the epitome of a strong successful woman in a man’s world and seems to alienate her even more from her party and Westminster.

So where did it all go wrong for Emma. A lapse in judgement combined with her desire to protect those closest to her turn this from a political drama to that of a courtroom one. Emma was such a strong character and one whose story I wanted to believe however there was always that lingering doubt as which parts were actually true.

I love a story that features political shenanigans and also set in the inside of a courtroom and this didn’t disappoint. The author is clearly no stranger to political journalism and what comes through clearly is the horrifying abuse suffered by female MPs but also the misogyny that they and other women have to deal with and the lengths they must go to to keep themselves safe. Nobody comes out of this story well, including the press. With the exception of one fellow female MP friend who stands by her, Emma finds herself ostracised by many of her colleagues and having to fight for her freedom – and her reputation.

There are some excellent supporting characters who are roundly drawn including 14 year old daughter Flora. Flora unable to express her fears for her mother’s safety and who actually understands more than the adults give her credit for and who keeps her own personal problems to herself. “Is what I want so unimportant to you? Is it worth my being this scared?” Caroline, the ‘new wife’ having to manage a balancing act within a difficult family dynamic.

All forms of bullying including online, abuse, manipulation, press intrusion and betrayal are just a few of the themes included. An authentic and tense plot that leads to some startling revelations and strong characterisation made this one I thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommended.

Is She A Murderer…?
A first chapter only sample of the new offering from Sarah Vaughan. Emma Webster is a seemingly respectable MP. She’s also a mother, a feminist. But is she a liar? More importantly, perhaps, is she a murderer. The book starts well, intriguing and scene setting Emma’s character and inner thoughts and the thoughts of others and how they perceive her. Intriguing enough to want to read on.

An excellent read from Sarah Vaughan. Emma Webster is a successful and hard working MP campaigning for rights against revenge porn. However after an incident involving her daughter and Emna's involvement with a journalist events start to take a sinister turn which ends in a courtroom drama. Definitely recommend this.

Reptutation is another winning courtroom drama from Sarah Vaughan which follows the world of politics and the repercussions of past actions and the social media backlash.

Emma Webster is an MP, who following an interview in the Guardian has to deal with all sorts of backlash and social media trolling. Some of the chapters show us the messages that she receives from people who think as she is in the media is fair game to their often explicit messages and tweets. Things go from bad to worse when we learn that a journalist is planning on writing an expose on Emma and her daughter – when the journalist is found dead at the bottom of the stairs in Emma’s rented London MP accommodation, the knives really come out. We get hints of what is to come through the varying chapters told from the different main characters and their points of views such as Emma and her daughter Flora who is going through her own issues at school with friendship groups becoming enemies.

We actually start the novel after the aftermath of the fall of the journalist and then go back 3 months previously which show the build up to the incident which sees Emma accused of murder – I really enjoy books that are written in this way as I feel they give the reader a chance to try and pick up on some clues in the build up!

Reputation is very current in its themes focusing on social media and how it is so easy to ruin someone’s life and reputation, often at a click of a button. It focuses on bullying in the adult world of politics but also in the school setting which adds another layer of authenticity and realism into the plot.

The court scenes and following the murder are utterly gripping and really keep you turning the pages. I really love a good courtroom drama so this was perfect for me.

Having loved Anatomy of a Scandal, I was really pleased with how good Reputation really was.

Highly recommended from me.

I absolutely love Sarah Vaughan’s dark, compelling and acutely observed psychological thrillers and her latest novel, Reputation, is one of her best.

Emma Webster is a hard working and dedicated MP but she has rubbed certain members of the establishment up the wrong way, notably right wing MPs and members of the press who don’t respond well to women speaking up and challenging their traditional ways. Her most prominent campaign was to introduce a law against revenge porn following the suicide of one of her constituents, and when Emma’s 14 year old daughter Flora becomes involved in a similar case, it seems as though the MP will stop at nothing to defend Flora’s reputation. An increasingly tense series of events culminates in the death of a journalist inside Emma’s home, and things begin to look very bleak for her.

It's a very topical story, focusing on how women in the public eye are expected to conform to different (and much higher) standards than their male colleagues, and also shining a light on the vile keyboard warriors who stalk and torment public figures on social media, hiding behind their anonymity to spout hatred and criminal threats.

With some very believable characters and scenarios and a gripping court case, Reputation is a compelling and thought-provoking read and would make a fabulous TV series or movie. I’m really hoping that the upcoming Netflix adaptation of Vaughan’s previous novel Anatomy of a Scandal, manages to do that fabulous book justice.

I read Anatomy of A Scandal when it came out back in 2018 and thought it brilliant. Reputation is something else! It’s still got that underlying court case theme, that questionable situation where something isn’t quite right, that high profile individual at the centre of the controversy. But Reputation has that extra something, that extra bit of brilliance.

Emma Webster has got herself in a pickle, a political journalist is dead in her shared kitchen. He fell down the stairs… or so she says. What ensues is a extremely tense exploration of Emma’s relationships with those around her including the deceased and the events leading up to the fateful night not to mention the court case itself.

The story isn’t just from Emma’s perspective. No siree! I heard from Emaa’s daughter, #poorpoorFlora she’s having a rough time of it and she’s craving her mum’s time which is difficult when Emma is 70+ miles away in Westminster. And then there is Caroline, former good friend but the woman who basically broke Emma’s marriage. And then there are the trolls and the WhatsApp chats inter dispersed between the narrative. These totally unPC and in some cases threatening messages are a sad but realistic example of people’s reactions to what they read in the press. Always a word of warning, don’t believe everything you read…

These different voices along with the intertwined times lines were building up a picture in my mind of what I think happened. But that final piece of my mental jigsaw was greyed out right until the end and oh my!!!

Reputation was one seriously addictive read. I devoured it in 24 hours, awake at all hours following the jumping back and forth from character to character trying to work out, did Emma do it? I had my own theory but was I right? I’m not telling !! I really need to go back and catch on Vaughan’s writing. I’ve Little Disasters sat on my kindle totally forgotten about in #MountTBR (apologies). If you like a tense thriller, I highly recommend giving Reputation a read – so so good!!!

A very timely thriller- highlighting the pressure women are under, particularly those in the media- and in politics. This was a fantastic read that had me hooked, following Emma, an MP whose world is shattered when a journalist dies in her home. Really clever and smart with lots of twists and turns. This would be a great tv drama.

Sarah Vaughan is the acclaimed author of Anatomy of a Scandal, and Reputation her latest novel, is another expertly plotted thriller that will surely follow in its illustrious path. It is high tension throughout, with well crafted drama that explores many topical issues including the dark side of social media and the vagaries of public opinion and how they can impact the life of a public figure and their families. This political thriller centres around Emma Webster, a female Labour MP, who's world comes crashing down after the death of a journalist in her apartment. As the story progresses Webster is savaged on social media, her teenage daughter, Flora, is caught in the crossfire and her character is called into question. Emma herself ends up standing trial for murder. Much of the novel is set in the courtroom, where the the carefully curated reputation that Emma has created for herself and has tried so hard to uphold comes under threat.
This is an exceptionally well drawn novel,narrated from different points of view which work very well. It has many twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat. A fantastic timely read that will resonate in this social media age. I loved it and would highly recommend it .

This was quite a page turner! A little scary reading this considering how true to life the story appeared to be. The murder of an MP, the threats MPs receive consistently and especially the treatment of women MPs. This is another gripping book by Sarah!

This was a superb read. Full on tension that had me completely gripped. Reputation is a tense and very gripping legal thriller,

This is going to be another smash hit!
Anatomy of a scandal was a hard book to follow but from reading just the first chapter it seems like she has accomplished that with this book

It’s not easy to live up to Vaughans prior novel Anatomy of a Scandal but this is a good attempt. An MP, a journalists death, a teenage daughter….some excellently written characters with twists and turns that kept me gripped.

Emma Webster is a MP whose life is turned upside down by events that could ruin her reputation, and nearly ruin her life. It is an extremely well written thriller alternating home life, MP life and courtroom and only the last pages bring it all together. It is very current and gives us a glimpse into what happens to people who have a public life. The success and the upside of being famous, but also the harassing, the trolling, the threatening and the misery experiences by family and loved ones around. How many times do we hear this in the news. But in this novel, Sarah Vaughan writes it in such a vivid way, it becomes a chilling immersive experience. Brilliant read!

This is such a cleverly written book.
Part thriller, part court room drama, I was immersed in it from the very beginning.
The story covers so many current issues of our time, including how society treats strong, independent, vocal, professional women who use their power to try to make the world a better and safer place for females to live in.
Told from different perspectives by such believable characters, the story is told flawlessly. Suspenseful, emotive, relatable and captivating!
I cannot wait to read more from
Sarah Vaughan now.

Thank you to Anne Cater for my invitation to the tour and to Simon and Schuster for my copy of the proof in return for a fair and honest review.

We meet Emma an MP who has worked really hard to get where she has, she is divorced and has a teenage daughter Flora. Emma takes part in a photo shoot in which she shows a side of her that she doesn’t recognise as herself. What follows is a horrible onslaught on social media in which Emma receives the most vile threats and abuse.

Emma gets involved with Mike a tabloid journalist and she confines in him about her daughter. However what happens next shocks Emma and her ex husband David to the core and Mike hears about it from another source and he asks Emma to give him the scoop which she refuses.

Sarah has done it again with a story that is so timely and realistic it really hits hard because although the abuse is really horrific, you know sadly that it is believable and that women are subjected to this on a daily basis by people who do not even know them but feel that they have the right to do this.

Emma has worked really hard to get where she is professionally and really cares about her constituents and is trying to bring about changes in the law for revenge porn and cyberbullying. The second part of the book switches to the courtroom and even more drama and tension.

This is a clever, gripping and I really enjoyed An Anatomy of a Scandal and this one is topical, fast paced and engrossing. I absolutely loved it!

5 Stars *****

Thank you @Netgalley and @SimonschusterUK for an advanced reader's copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Reputation follows the story of Emma Webster, a teacher turned MP fighting for women's rights, specifically harsher punishments for 'revenge porn' perpetrators, receives a mixed reception from peers, media and the general public. From the very beginning, we view Emma's world through her eyes, the panic or discomfort at wanting to raise awareness but also trying to ensure she's not attracting the wrong attention and putting herself, her life, at risk. The initial scare tactics and threats suddenly become more visceral and sinister and given the liberated access to public figures via social media, it is not long before Emma finds herself contemplating additional security at work. When Emma's daughter becomes involved in a scandal at school this only adds pressure and Emma fears the threat to her reputation. When you lose your reputation, the personal and professional are irrelevant right? And what are you left with, on such a platform, once your reputation is ripped to shreds? How far would you go to protect your reputation when the risk was so grave?

I loved Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan, the writing style and premise had been refreshing and fuelled with an merciless narrative which I found gripping and kept me awake so I could find out what happens in the end and Reputation did not disappoint. I can't compare the books in content nor which one I enjoyed more, but I would say that Vaughan is an author to look out for! I'm already signing up for the next offering by the author - I always feel that her voice gives a voice to women everywhere and it really chokes me that the issues are so prevalent and yet relentless how times don't seem to be changing anytime soon.

I felt personally invested in this book and it was simply unputdownable. I finished within a couple of days of starting it and it had all the ingredients of the perfect psychological thriller, a page-turner with a strong female protagonist set against a socio-political drama, unpredictable twists and multiple perspectives, each narrative was compelling and you could visualise everything unfolding before your eyes. I did not see the ending coming but I felt, for me, it fell flat after a high voltage story but I would recommend it 100%. This one needs to be added on everyone's TBR for 2022!

Emma is an MP trying to make her way in the sexist, misogynistic, world of politics. She's been trolled on social media, threatened in writing and face to face and consequently is jumpy and scared. When she gets involved with a political reporter life takes a dark turn and she finds herself charged with murder.
I loved this book from page one and couldn't put it down. Written in a very accessible style it keeps you wondering who to believe right to the end. Reputation is everything in politics and once trust is lost it can never be regained.

I absolutely loved this book, it’s an elaborate and complex novel of crime, mystery and a really captivating array of characters.

Emma is such a strong character, she’s so dedicated, determined and focussed on doing a good job as an MP, she’s also a mother and wants beyond anything to look after and protect her daughter. I immediately warmed to Emma, she works so hard for her constituents on things that would matter to me too, as a reader I liked her, I wanted her to achieve the things she was striving for and for her to be respected. We learn a lot about her life behind closed doors, she’s always battling in the public eye to be a good role model, helping those who need her help and desperately trying to find a balance between her frantic work-life and looking after her daughter, whilst also managing a relationship with her ex-husband and his new younger wife.

The campaigns Emma works on are carefully woven into the plot, things very relevant and timely. You can feel her strain, her tiredness and her fear when trolls set upon her in a host of malicious and despicable attacks. Yet despite all of this her desire to be able to make a difference and make things better is so strong. She cares about things that matter and I couldn’t help but like her a lot.

When Emma’s teenage daughter, Flora makes a mistake we feel the weight of this; the burden and the implications that reverberate through her family. Emma has always had a strained relationship with Caroline, her ex-husband’s new wife, and I like the tension around this, I was never too sure how much to trust Caroline and so as the storyline around Flora progresses this tested my judgment of her as I tried to determine her loyalty and her moral compass.

I loved the build up to the murder case, how we were taken there and how it was laid out for us as readers, this was brilliant. The story is involved and intricate, the language sophisticated, and the way I could feel the emotion portrayed so genuine.

I really enjoyed the parts of the court case, the police interviews made me tense and Emma is a wonderfully emotional character. There is much detail around the court case, it’s elaborate and authentic and I really felt as if I could see the jurors – the way they were described; which Emma thought might be an ally, or who might understand her fear – the references to how women might walk home with their keys held at the ready. This so much struck a chord with me and I was so rooting for Emma to be cleared by the jury.

This is a truly wonderful book; suspense, crime, mystery and emotion all rolled into one completely compelling book. I really loved this and closed it with a sense of real satisfaction at how the author took me on a journey which I felt emotionally involved in. Highly recommended reading!

This preview didn't grip me at all and left me with no desire to continue the book.
It's a book I'd maybe pick up if it got a TON of hype, but not for me just now.