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.

Well, the story is about a reality TV show based on the Lancaster Family called Living with the Lancasters, they are Lynn (Mum 59), Taylor 37, Locke 34 and India 29. It all begins when the Lancaster family find a tape of their late Dad's 40th Birthday party and seen in the background is Bradley Wilcox. 18 year old Bradley Wilcox has been missing since 2003. Carrie Wilcox, Bradley's younger sister, decides to hire Tom Isaac, a podcaster on YouTube with a podcast / show called Tom Isaac Investigates, where he asks his Tom Investigators to comment on the show (TIs) to help solve a mystery. This story revolves around using various social media formats, such as YouTube, Texts, Emails and is told via different characters over several timelines - 2003, 2007 and 2023. It was well written and very descriptive. I couldn't put this book down. The ending came as complete surprise to me. I will be recommending this book.

What a great read this is. Personally I don’t watch a lot of reality television but this book was certainly very compelling. Bradley Wilcox is a teenager who went to a party at the wealthy Lancaster’s house in London in 2003 and was never seen again.
In 2023 the hugely successful reality show Living with the Lancasters has been running since 2007. It features Mum Lynn, daughter Taylor (36), son Locke (33) and youngest daughter India (29). The family were used to being in the limelight as Dad Ed was a premiership footballer but the show only started after his unexpected death.

Briefly, in February 2023 Locke releases a home video from the party in 2003 which immediately raises questions about witness statements at the time of Bradley’s disappearance. Enter Cassie Wilcox, Bradley’s sister, who has never given up on finding her brother. She contacts Tom Isaac who is an investigator with his own You Tube channel and asks for his help in finding out the truth of what happened to her brother.

The story is told from multiple POV’s in dual timeline alongside the You Tube podcast channel, incident reports of the police investigation (which has been reopened) and diary entries. A twisted tale of narcissism, greed and fame brilliantly laid out for us the reader as the truth slowly emerges with the most startling conclusion. This is a absorbing read with great twists and turns, a big bunch of untrustworthy characters and lots of secrets. Gripping stuff.

As a reality show fan, this book was everything and more; after all if your entire life is recorded, can you really get away with murder?

With a fresh style of presenting the story, I quickly lost myself in the world of the Lancasters. If you are going to read this book then cancel any plans you may have because you won't want to put it down, it is the equivalent of those TV series you binge-watch.

With plot twists galore and everyone lying (or are they) to save their own skin - Clickbait will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

I'm really enjoying mixed media novels and definitely liked Clickbait. It's like going behind the scenes of something like Keeping Up With the Kardashians but discovering a sinister undertone.

There's a disappearance, possible death, lies, and family deceit.
When a true crime podcaster and YouTube gets involved you know it's going to all come out eventually.

Largely, it's a cast of unlikeable characters but that's what makes it compelling. There's nothing quite like waiting for a villain's downfall. But all is not necessarily as it seems.

You'll never watch reality TV centred around families the same way again after reading this!

The Lancasters are famous for their reality series Living With The Lancasters. Teenager Bradley Wilcox went missing years ago, however a video shown on The Lancaster’s programme may show a different turn of events. What really happened?

I really enjoyed Clickbait! This was a fresh, creative and entertaining thriller with a unique writing style, told in interviews, podcasts and diary entries. The writing style and podcast elements were done very well and flowed nicely. Although it took a while for me to get into the story once I did I was gripped and found I kept having to read one more page and then there’s the twists, it’s hard to keep up! I would definitely recommend this book and I hope there’s another book by this author in the works to look forward to. Although I enjoyed this book more than her previous book, The Ugly Truth, I would definitely recommend it also if you enjoyed this one. 4.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Bradley Walsh disappeared 20 years ago after a party at the fame hungry ‘Lancasters’ house, he got in a taxi with others and was never to be seen again…
But did he
Do the Lancaster family, now famous YouTubers with many years of success in their family no holds barred series know more than they are saying?
Tom Isaac, true crime investigator thinks so and is on a mission to find out….little knowing the chaos, secrets and ultimately the truth he will uncover
Written in podcast style throughout with emails, interview’s and fan reaction comments this book really got me going…it was easy to become involved and soon I too was a P.I. and wanted justice for Bradley and to see just what the Lancasters had/hadn’t done
Flowed like the Thames, encouraged reader participation and thought and was genuinely exciting, a very enjoyable experience which did not let up for one paragraph, even the last one….

I flew through clickbait as if I was browsing Instagram. I loved the Nightshift pieces of information which is drip free to you through interviews, snippets and podcasts. I really felt like I knew the characters, the Lancasters t totally gave off the Osbourne vibes and the investigative journalist reminded me of the BBC podcast uncanny.

The story is quick and involved with twists and turns all over the shop. Loved it.

The Lancaster family are the stars of their own reality show. When a video emerges showing that they may have known more about a teenager who went missing twenty years ago, true crime investigator Tom sets out to uncover the truth.

Clickbait is an incredibly clever story full of twists you won't see coming.

The concept of the plot really appealed to me because I desperately wanted to find out what had happened to Bradley the missing teenager. It felt like there were so many secrets just waiting to be revealed.

I loved the format of this book. It is told through interviews and episodes of Tom's YouTube show, which was very different and unique. It made it feel like I was a viewer of the episodes along for the journey.

LC North has really pinpointed the obsession we can have with reality TV with characters that came across as completely believable. It made for a shocking read following the revelations that came out along the way.

You will absolutely fly through this without being able to put it down!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

When you live your life in the spotlight, you have to be prepared for anything that comes your way. Living with the Lancasters has been a successful YouTube programme for many years, a ruthless mother pushes her 3 children into the life she wants for them with great aplomb, however a cloud has always been over them after a teenager went missing after a Lancaster party 20 years previous. And when a video of that night goes viral the past comes back to affect everything Lynn Lancaster has worked for.
I loved this novel, told in Epistolary style in a selection of podcasts, messages and notes it follows the trail of Tom Issac, a true crime investigator who is hired by Bradley's sister to finally find out what happened to him.

TV reality show Living With The Lancasters has been running for seventeen years. During a tribute section, they show a twenty-year-old home video which reignites interest in a missing person case, a missing person who was last seen alive at their home.

If you are going to read this book then cancel any plans you may have because you won't want to put it down, Clickbait by L. C. North is the equivalent of those TV series you binge-watch. The author uses a variety of different media, as she did with her previous novel The Ugly Truth, to get the reader's attention and then keep you gripped. This is one of those books where you'll keep saying to yourself, "Just one more page" and before you know it you've finished the book.

Clickbait focuses on the rise, and fall, of a "real life" family, the Lancaster's. Mum, Lynn, and her adult children Taylor, Locke and India. For the past seventeen years, they've been the stars of their own reality TV series, very much in the same vein as The Osbournes, Keeping Up With The Kardashians and even Made In Chelsea. The family has always been used to living in the public eye as Ed, the father, was a premiership footballer. Shortly after his unexpected death Lynn Lancaster got the idea for the reality TV series.

It is during a tribute episode to their father that the children show an old family video from before the days of the TV series. Eagle-eyed viewers spot someone in the background of one of the shots, Bradley Wilcox, a teen who went missing after attending a party at the Lancaster's home. The family has always maintained that Bradley left the party in a taxi with a group of footballers, but the new video clearly shows this to be a lie.

Investigative journalist Tom Isaac takes up the missing person case, he's got a vested interest as he knows the family and this gives him access that other journalists don't have. In keeping with the reality TV theme, Tom posts all his findings via his YouTube channel, asking his followers what they think. By chipping away at the story and interviews with the family the facade of Living With The Lancasters drops and we see a family, particularly Lynn, who will lie, manipulate and fabricate to get what they want, at any cost.

There are twists galore and you know not to believe what anyone is saying, not a single person can be trusted. Even with all this in mind the conclusion is still a shock and left me feeling indignant.

I raced through this clever, twisty story about a cold case murder and the dangerous allure of fame. I really enjoyed the mixed media format and pacy plotting and look forward to reading more by L.C. North.

Wholly Immersive..
What happened to Bradley Wilcox? Investigative journalist and YouTuber Tom intends to find out. As his docuseries commences, and a brighter light than ever shines on the Lancaster family, secrets and lies will undoubtedly out. Wholly immersive and completely compelling whodunit - relayed effectively in multi media format with the spotlight on the docuseries episodes - with no cost to character formation nor plot. A one sit, pacy and satisfying read.

A fascinating and deeply clever modern form of the epistolary novel, L.C North takes the modern fascination which we have with the lives of celebrities, and creates a unputdownabke thriller
Using podcasts, amateur detectives, a mix of news reports and interviews, the 20 year old mystery of what happened to Bradley, a young man who went missing at a celebrity party, is put under a modern microscope.
His sister has never been satisfied with the explanation given by the well known Lancaster family. They are the stars of social media, straddling the wolrd of sports and fashion and seemingly unstoppable.
Until a podcaster names Tom is urged to turn his true cime investigative eye upon what happened to Bradley.
But as he digs deeper, along with his public 'T.I's' that follow every post he makes, there is far more than dirty secrets and truth to be exposed.
A damning indictment on the pedestal we raise those in the public eye to, and how quickly they are dashed to the ground, this is a story within a story-Clickbait is the name of the novel and also the concept which pulls the reader in, making them complicit in the spreading of 'news'.
Its such a good book that is easy to read with the format of social media posts and short chapters, and really makes you think about power ans accountability.

Started out slow but once it picked up I COULDN'T stop reading. Highly recommend if you're a thriller fan! And I loved the format of this story.

This book is definitely current in today's world of living in the glare of social media. A lot of people wish they were famous but gosh I cannot imagine living my life with everybody watching and commenting on each part of the life you live, I liked the way it flowed and showed how they solved the mystery of what happened the night in question!

"Clickbait" by L.C. North is a gripping thriller that expertly combines suspense, intrigue, and the dark underbelly of fame. From the moment an old video surfaces, casting doubt on the Lancaster family's innocence in the disappearance of teenager Bradley Wilcox, readers are drawn into a web of deception and secrets that keeps them guessing until the very end.

North's innovative use of mixed media to tell this story, including video transcripts and diary entries, adds layers of depth and immersion to the narrative. As readers delve into the story, they are not only immersed in the world of the Lancasters but also in the enigmatic mystery and relentless pursuit of truth by the Tom Isaac a true crime investigator on YouTube too. The seamless integration of various media formats beautifully complimenting the storytelling, and intricately weaving together the threads of suspense and intrigue that propel the narrative forward.

Despite the potential predictability of the overarching plot for some readers, North's exploration of themes such as the allure of fame and the moral compromises it demands is both compelling and thought-provoking- particularly in this modern age of new found stardom online. Through nuanced characters and skilled plotting, the novel navigates the complexities of ambition and the consequences of fame that keeps the pages turning as you hunger for more. I found myself devouring this text in one sitting, absolutely captivated by trying to guess the next twist or reveal.

In conclusion, "Clickbait" is a captivating read that will leave you on the edge of your seat until the final reveal. It's a must-read for fans of suspenseful thrillers or anyone who grew up in the age of YouTube celebrity families, and I am excited to add “Clickbait” to my shelves on April 11th 2024!

I’d like to thank NetGallery, the Publishers, Author and all those who helped created this novel behind the scenes and those who handled my request for an advanced reader copy.

I had a fantastic time reading this book! Clickbait is the second book by L.C. North written in this style. I absolutely love a mystery book that is told through ‘mixed media’. This one includes transcripts of videos of a reality series posted on YouTube, comments, transcripts and comments on a podcast – in short, all the things that are favourites of mine.

Clickbait follows the Lancaster family who are the stars of a reality TV series, ‘Living with the Lancasters’, which definitely felt reminiscent of the Kardashians. Everything starts to unravel for the family when an old video shows missing teenager Bradley Wilcox at an infamous party thrown by the Lancasters but witnesses had sworn they had already seen him leave for the night. Bradley’s sister, Cassie, enlists the help of investigative podcaster/YouTuber Tom Isaac who takes on the task of finding out what really happened to Bradley.

It took me a while to get into this book, mainly as I did not have the time to pick it up. BUT once I did and particularly from around the 50% mark onwards, I was absolutely hooked and did not want to put it down. The style that it is written in makes it very easy to read and really helps the pace of the mystery as it unfolds.

This was a great reading experience and exploration of celebrity, internet culture and true crime. I would recommend this to readers who enjoyed Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter and Janice Hallett books.

I am rating this book 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars) and I will definitely be looking out for more books in this style by L.C. North.
Thank you to the publisher, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A crazy wild ride of a story with lots of satisfying twists. Clickbait is well paced and easy to read in one sitting.
4 stars.