The second this author's books is written in similar format like the first one. It's well constructed mystery touching modern days problems of people related to social media, influencers and their followers, their reality and risks, the price of popularity an price of taking risks.

The book is written mainly in the style of an interview transcript with social media posts sprinkled in that provides a running commentary that helps you keep track of everything. I found that this style made it a really quick to read and kept you engaged. Each ‘episode’ wasn’t overly drawn out and long,

The people who are investigated, the Lancasters, are a B list composite of Towie, the Kardashians and Real Housewives. They are a bit of a caricature but still enjoyable to read about and to loathe. The author does a really good job of writing about the state of reality TV and how they will do anything to reach new heights of fame and stay relevant.

The mystery itself was average but the pay off at the end was worth the wait. Overall, it was an enjoyable read. 3.5 stars.

Amazing.
I am becoming rather addicted to books written in epistolery style! This one contains transcripts of police interviews and podcast episdodes revolving around the Lancaster family, after a man goes missing on his way home from one of their legendery parties. 20 years later, a seemingly innocent video that is released on social media sheds new light on his cold case.
After loving Lauren North's book The Ugly Truth, written in a similar style, I grabbed this one straight away.
I raced through this one. It is brilliantly addictive and I couldn't turn those pages fast enough. The way it comes together at the end had me grinning from ear to ear.
Highly recommended.

Bradley Wilcox disappeared after leaving a party at the Lancaster family home. 20 years later, his sister Cassie is still trying to find out the truth and, with the help of true crime investigator and podcaster Tom Isaac, they are determined to find out once and for all what happened to Bradley.

Told in an epistolary format using emails, social media posts and.podcast transcripts this book was very easy to get drawn into. Recommended if you are in the mood for an interactive mystery!

✨My Thoughts✨

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

I was so excited to read this book, the author always writes gripping stories that you can’t put down and this one was just the same.

The story starts off introducing us to the Lancaster family who became reality tv stars in 2007, what follows is told via news transcripts, interviews, YouTube videos, emails, true crime podcasts etc.

This story really felt like a runway train, you start reading it then you become addicted to reading all the evidence and clues.

I had a suspicion who was the real criminal but I was wrong on so many levels, I couldn’t believe the actual ending.

It really made you think about the perils of reality tv and the true crime fascination, well it did me anyway.

I also wondered if the Lancasters are a play on the Lannister family from Game Of Thrones because they have very similar family dynamics.

This was a huge 5 star book for me and I’d highly recommend it.

Another fun “mixed media” thriller from L. C. North. This format is so easy to read and really holds your attention, so I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who struggles to focus on reading longer books - it feels much shorter than it is simply because it’s addictive. There are some plot holes here but I don’t think you can really expect a book like this to be perfectly believable!

I read this authors previous book and loved it. This book was just as fantastic and written in a similar style. It was very unique and current based around social media and podcasts. It was utterly gripping and I couldn’t read it quick enough

Another true crime style thriller story that is told via interviews and our protagonist’s YouTube channel, which is investigating an old crime thanks to new viral video involving the Lancasters. The Lancasters are YouTubers who have created their own empire which is threatened after a video is leaked that shows Bradley in the background. Bradley who disappeared after the party a decade ago. Now secrets will spill…
This was a rollercoaster ride of a story where you don’t know where anything is going but are gripped and unable to looo away. I raced through this one.

I loved The Ugly Truth by LC North so I was excited to read this. Unfortunately this didn’t quite work for me. It has a typical podcast type theme where the male protagonist is a YouTuber who investigates real crime that hasn’t been solved. In the story he gets contacted by a woman to investigate the disappearance of her brother after a video surfaces and vitals that shows her brother in the background. Her brother disappeared years ago and was never found. Could the video clip change that?
The story is written in an interview style format which is easy to wiz by and definitely adds pace. Yet I wasn’t engaged. I found the core mystery not gripping enough and the whole YouTube/true crime aspect became tedious. I think this is a sub genre that has been done before many times. I found it unbelievable how easily contactable most players from the investigation ten years ago were so easily giving interviews to this YouTuber. There were too many coincidences.

Clickbait was a book I thought I wouldn’t like at the beginning but was hooked very quickly and loved it!!
The book is based around a reality tv show “Living with the Lancasters”. Mum who wants fame, Dad the ex premier league football player and their three children Taylor, Locke and India. Think more the Osbournes mixed with the Stallones kind of tv. 2003 and it’s Ed’s fortieth birthday party arranged by Lynn. Bradley Wilcox is there as Taylor has the hots for him but after that night he has never been seen again. What happened to him? Twenty years later and his sister is still trying to find out the truth and someone suggests she should get in touch with Tom Isaac an investigator who has weekly podcasts on his YouTube channel. What follows is an investigation that reveals a lot more than originally thought.
This was a really absorbing read that I struggled to put down. I’m not a fan of reality shows or podcasts but this was a great read and the twists and turns and revelations were abundant and add in the dishonest characters and this made for a fab read. I liked how the book was told from multiple POV and over different timelines either through the characters or Toms YouTube channel or police interviews or evidence found. A book with a different outcome to what I was expecting.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK, Transeorkd Publishers for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

The case of a missing person, Bradley is reopened after 20 years when the spotlight shines on the celebrity family who last saw him alive.
Delve into the glamorous world of the Lancasters, a reality tv family - think the Osbornes meet the Kardashian’s
An old video emerges of one of their legendary parties and the family are in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Tom Isaac, a true crime investigator and YouTuber is on the case and is determined to find out what really happened to Bradley.
Perfectly paced and an enjoyable story of celebrity, media, fame and reality tv.
Loved that the story was told in mixed media with podcast and YouTube videos - left you wanting more and worked so well with the plot and characters.
Thanks Lauren_C_North @bantambooksuk and @netgalley for the brilliant read

Anything about fame and entitlement catches my interest so this book immediately caught my attention. The Lancaster family were like a car crash; hideous but you cannot look away. Think the Kardashians, but on a whole other level and British. In fact I thought of the Kardashian's a lot throughout this book and it made me question everything I know about them (which I appreciate is unfair).

Every one of the family were awful in their own way. They were driven by greed, need for fame and selfishness. Even when I thought some of them were innocent, I didn't like them. I did like Tom's character. He was really calm and controlled; the perfect person to be making a docuseries. If you've ever listened to the podcast Somebody Knows Something, he reminded me of the host David Ridgen.

My favourite thing about this book was that it was made up entirely of YouTube episode transcripts, podcast episodes, interviews and news reports. There was no prose included and it made it a super quick read and kept me very engaged. It felt like listening to a podcast but with my eyes. I had a fun time and enjoyed following along with the plot and witnessing the story unfold.

A good read. Liked the style of story telling in documentary and interview snippets. Meant that you just wanted to keep reading just one more bit!!! Clickbait for me just highlights how callous, egocentric and narcissistic the pursuit of fame and notoriety can be. And probably how many people get away with literally murder given the cold determination to further oneself! Power, control and greed. A juicy storyline!

Wow, just when you think you know where the book is going it goes in a totally different direction.
Devoted sister is still trying to keep her brother's disapperance 20 years earlier.
The party he disappeared from his now a high profile celebrity family.
Enlisting the help from pod cast investigator twist and turns follow that will make your jaw drop right up till the last page.
Love or loathe the characters you will put faces on the characters in your own mind.

I have to admit that I am no fan of Reality TV. But I do admit that on the occasion this topic has popped up in a book, I have been completely riveted. Does that make me a fan by proxy ?
Anyway... the Reality TV in this book refers to "Living with the Lancasters" a show that ran for over a decade, thrusting the family, parents and three children, into the spotlight. Well, I say that, the father being a well known footballer, they were pretty much already there... but this took it all up a notch. As well as the TV show, they were all a bit wee known for their parties...
Anyway... there was this party, and after the party, one of the guests, teenager Bradley Wilcox, disappeared. The other guests and the family all swore blind that he left with a bunch of others in a taxi before midnight. The case was never closed, Bradley was never seen again.
But... and here's the catalyst, footage has recently been unearthed. Of that same party. Showing Bradley. Still at the party after midnight. It also appears that he is having an argument with someone...
Enter Tom Isaac, true crime investigator, and podcaster, to re-open the case with a vengeance. Determined to find out what happened to Bradley...
This was a cracking book. Like the author's previous book - The Ugly Truth - the story is delivered in many formats, podcast transcripts, social media, emails, all methods of successfully imparting information to the reader in a succinct manner.
I especially liked the overbearing mother who nudged (pushed) her children into what she wanted them to do rather than what they wanted. Of course that wouldn't damage a child at all! It was a cracking eye-opener to what I assume is the norm for some families in the spotlight and shows all the perils and pitfalls of being famous for just being famous!
But all that glamour and glitz was just gilding for what was also a cracking mystery to be solved. One which was tightly plotted and which held my attention well all the way through as I tried, and gave up , second guessing. It really took me places that I never saw coming but what were perfectly reasonable places to go to.
And the ending... well... apart from being perfect... was also quite profound...
With two absolute screaming winners under her belt, I am really now hanging to see what she serves up for next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I've read so many fantastic psychological thrillers recently, and this is another one that has a clever, original premise.
It is based around a hit reality show 'Living with the Lancasters'. On the night of Ed Lancaster's fortieth birthday, a young boy, Bradley, disappears. Several witnesses saw Bradley leaving the party in a taxi at 11.45pm. Twenty years later, an old video appears, showing Bradley was still at the party. True crime investigator Tom Isaac decides to take on the case. What really happened that night?
I loved the way this story was told through a range of mixed media. There are video excerpts, diary entries, social media entries and emails. These start to reveal that life in the Lanaster family wasn't quite how it seemed on camera. I sped through this book and read it in just over a day. It really shows the dark side to reality TV, and I loved the different unreliable and mainly unlikeable characters. I will definitely be reading The Ugly Truth soon, which is also on my tbr pile.

Clickbait steps into the world of true crime, exploring our fascination with celebrity culture in a twisty narrative that left me speechless.

Thrillers are always more interesting to me when told in unexpected ways. So far, I’ve enjoyed North’s work and Clickbait continues this winning streak with me. I adore a multi-media narrative and this was used to excellent effect here, focusing on how narratives can be twisted and manipulated. We see YouTube videos, episode excerpts and social media comments in a hybrid narrative that feels like you’re getting sucked into a true crime show. It has this incredibly meta sense to it - adding yet another layer of narrative manipulation. Everything in this story hinges on that narrative that the public decides to follow - from aesthetics to personalities and much more. North has crafted such a devious tale of deception and lies, spun in this gossamer thread of fame and glamour. It is particularly prevalent in the age of child social media stars, providing a timely look at fame and its ramifications.

This was a truly brilliant thriller. It is addictive reading, keeping you glued to its pages. North has sprinkled in twists that just create such an impact and totlly redirect the story from where you may have thought it was going. No spoilers will be shared here, but the ending is a complete jaw-dropper too. At the same time, this has a lot of meaningful things to say. In particular, there is a parallel that can be drawn here for the dehumanisation of people caught up in the public eye and how they are reduced to entertainment for the masses. We see this in the caricaturish celebrity figures, but it also applies to the true crime case involved. It is reduced to snappy headlines and expected plot beats in a structure we are familiar with - removing the emotion, the heart and the humanity of it all. North contradictingly explores this and its reversal - how these images can be distorted to hide the truth beneath a false image.

Clickbait is a book that takes hold of you and won’t let you escape its nefarious clutches until you finally arrive at the bitter truth.

'We're not famous anymore. We're notorious.'

This is the statement made from the Lancaster family who shot to fame in their famous reality TV show, 'Living with the Lancasters'. Suddenly their family reputation is at risk when an old home video of one of their legendary parties hits the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, mainly that it shows missing teenager Bradley Wilcox who hasn't been seen since that party twenty years ago. The family have protested their innocence but this video threatens the validity of their stories and true crime investigator and YouTuber Tom Isaac is on the case to find out the truth. When the cameras aren't rolling, how long will it take for someone to crack?...

After having loved 'The Ugly Truth' I have been very excited to read L C North's next title and wow, 'Clickbait' has not disappointed in any way! I am a huge fan of the story being told through mixed media, a mixture of emails, podcast scripts, video transcripts etc and was completely immersed in this from the very beginning. The writing style never seems disjointed, it reads just like any book, full clarity at all times as to who is speaking, which viewpoint etc and still allows the character connection - be warned, you will dislike Taylor from the offset!

I couldn't put this book down - and nor did I want to! It reads exactly like the reality TV series it describes, something you can easily binge it in one sitting! Like her first book it really makes you think about the impact the media and these 'real-life' TV shows have on society and just how important it is to realise not everything is necessarily always what you are told to believe.

After both of this author's books have been 5 star reads for me I can't wait for the next one, L C North has been added to my must-read list that's for sure!

"Be the smartest in the room. Be the one who knows everything. That's what gives you power. Above all, don't let anyone or anything stand in your way."

I was totally engrossed in Melanie Lange‘s disappearance in The Ugly Truth last year, it was one of my top reads of the year; so I was super excited when I saw that the author had another book being released!
Clickbait is another gripping thriller that cleverly combines suspense, intrigue, and the dark side of fame. Set in the world of reality TV, the story follows the Lancaster family, stars of the show "Living with the Lancasters," whose lives are upended when a video resurfaces, casting doubt on their involvement in the disappearance of teenager Bradley Wilcox.
In a similar vein to The Ugly Truth, Clickbait unfolds through a mix of interviews, podcasts, and social media posts (via true crime investigator Tom Isaac).

I found this to be another captivating read, highly recommended for those who enjoy suspenseful thrillers or are just intrigued by the world of reality television. Two books in and I have already designated this author to my auto-read list!!!

Well Mrs N should stand up and take a bow because this book is completely phenomenal. North is BRILLIANT and definitely one of the best of our time. Clickbait is a book which should be on everyone’s radar.

This is current and relevant to our time. The term “influencer” just screams attention nowadays. There’s also the increase in reality TV shows and I think to participate there has to be some level of aspiration to achieve fame.

North captures this perfectly. We have a Kardashian’s and Marple cross which results in a pretty magnificent read. I have devoured this book in just one sitting. I found myself torn between wanting to savour every last moment and wanting to race through. This is a truly brilliant read.

We have transcripts, interviews and a host of characters . As a reader, I have questioned all of the characters at one point or another. This is completely unpredictable. I feel like North has pulled the ground from under me. I am in complete shock.

North writes in a way that just pulls you in. I definitely became hooked very quickly. I loved delving into the glamorous world of the Lancaster family (I do love a bit of reality tv). Although, I didn’t particularly like Taylor from the very beginning.

I adored the different elements of this. From Bradley being missing to the complex dynamics of the family. Each different element has been intriguing and made me question what the links were. I have been left completely speechless. North has created a masterpiece.

This is perfectly paced and completely unforgettable. I’ve read all of this author’s books, I can say they get better and better. Each book is a treasure and gets better and better.

Sometimes, you come across an author you just know you adore. For me, North can do no wrong. Talented, lovely and the creator of some real dark tales. Clickbait is sensational, it will dazzle readers and leave a sense of awe at how utterly brilliant North is.

This is a book worthy of all the praise. I really hope this is a best seller because outstanding is an understatement. I have no hesitation in recommending this book.