I absolutely love the cover of this book! I was instantly intrigued upon seeing it. I don’t usually read books that take place that far in the past, but because it takes place in old Hollywood, I was very interested. This book reminded me a lot of The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which is one of my favorite books. I highly recommend reading this book!

Straightaway the cover alone reels you in. A beautiful, old school type actress, the hollywood sign in the background, but the dark colours with red highlights hint at the dark, underbelly that exists in hollywood. Set in the 1950's, Ginny is a new actress in hollywood, whilst in london Stella is a seasoned actress. The story follows the two women navigating their carers in an industry dominated by beauty but also by individuals who have a more dark, sinister side, however the 2 women's story's are kept separate until the very end for a very surprising twist the connects the 2
of them.
Thank you to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book, it kept me up until the early hours it was so absorbing. Set largely in Hollywood in 1953/4, towards the end of the golden age of Hollywood where glamour is the public persona and sleaze is the hidden side of this magical industry. Told from the perspectives of two women, one who reached the top of the tree and whose star is now declining and another whose star is on the rise. Clearly the author has done detailed research and I liked that some factual events were included in the narrative, some of which I was unaware of.

Briefly, Hollywood star Stella Hope is married to co-star Max Whitman, until the golden couple break up and she is sent to Ealing Studios, London on loan whilst Max continues with a new partner. New to Hollywood British actress Ginny Watkins has arrived in Hollywood full of dreams and when she meets Max, and he helps her get her first contract, she believes all her dreams are now in reach. As well as our two actress’s stories there are some chapters from a psychiatric institution where an unknown person is being cruelly and inhumanly treated.

Let me assure you from the off that this is not a pretty airy-fairy Hollywood story. This is a story about the decadent lifestyles of the rich and famous and the morally corrupt and illegal actions undertaken by some of the male stars and studio executives. Women are treated as objects to be used and abused and then tossed to the side, I could feel my blood boiling at some of the treatment received. I really liked both of the main female characters, so similar in many ways, both strong, and each with a powerful and distinct voice. A wonderful genre defying story, historical fiction with crime and contemporary fiction elements. Fabulous.

a harsh but real book where the intensity and vibes is exactly where it needs to be. this book was dripping with the dark side weve come to know follows that industry. for most people the ride isnt easy. scrap that, for most woman. especially years ago where it was just the norm, and woman had to accept it to get ahead. im not sure how much has actually changed now but lets not get into that "we will be here all day" topic.
i thought it was such a rich and deep depiction of all the characters goings on.
its a dual pov with two woman who face the consequences of abuse and power taking advantage of them. all to become a star? or just to do a job they love.
its full of secrets and lies. its full of blackmail and dark drama.
how will our two actresses come out of this. will they come out of this? a gripping read with so many questions and answers given. but way more questions being asked in my own head well after it finished.
i thought the cover for this needs its own shoutout. it was perfect fit for the novel and really gave me an initial feeling before i even entered the book.

I absolutely loved this book! Set in 1950s Hollywood and London, it perfectly captures the glamour, secrets, and dark realities behind the golden age of film. Stella Hope and Max Whitman are movie stars whose lives aren’t as perfect as they seem, while newcomer Ginny Watkins dreams of stardom — only to discover how ruthless the industry can be.

The story is full of twists (one near the end completely shocked me!), and the atmosphere of the time period is so vivid. I loved how real the characters felt — especially Ginny’s naïveté, Stella’s resilience, and Maggie’s quiet strength. The book also touches on deeper issues like sexism, fame, and power, which are still so relevant today.

This is such a good read it will hook you from the first pages until you read that last paragraph, I could not put this book down at all.

A brilliant, five-star read that will definitely be one of my top books of the year! Thank you to #Netgalley and @HoZ_Books for the ARC — all opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

Set in Hollywood in the early 1950's, the author captures the glamour of the era together with a much darker side of the film industry. The all-men dominated studios would do anything to protect their 'stars'.
We follow Ginny from London, a young hopeful actress arriving in Hollywood for her big break, and Stella, already a superstar having fallen out of favour with the studios. I loved both characters.
This novel had drama, secrets and many revelations.
The research undertaken is evident throughout as the author weaves the tale.
A superb, unexpected final twist at the end.
Highly recommend.
Thanks to the NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

The first half of this book I found to be a bit slow, and lacking in much action, while it set the scene for the story to follow. It meandered between the Hollywood star Stella Hope, exiled to Ealing’s studios in London for a time for various reasons, and her difficulties there. The other main character is Ginny, renamed Virginia Rose, an aspiring young English actress trying to succeed in Hollywood around the same time. She is altered to fit an image of a Marilyn Monroe- type character, teeth fixed, hair bleached, as well as all the other compulsory classes required to mould her to what the Hollywood producers want her to be, whilst being paid a pittance to live on.
Then the story really begins. It describes all too graphically the seedy, sleazy underbelly of the film industry, long before the time of #MeToo, and the extreme power of the producers and fixers of big Hollywood studios. The young actresses are by contrast, simply cannon fodder for the massive male egos of leading - man types like Max. My heart broke for them all, especially for Ginny.
When the action heats up, it fairly ramps along at pace, and is an amazing story. It’s distressing, heartbreaking, sad, depressing in equal measure, as we follow the script to its inevitable conclusion.
This is the second novel I’ve read by this author, and it’s equally as good as her first book.
She chooses unusual topics to write about, and has clearly done a great deal of research yet again.
I look forward to her next work with interest, as these two novels could not be more different. They are however, equally compelling.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

A light read about a young English starlet seeking fame and fortune and an older, established American actress. Both are caught up in the Hollywood fame machine, where it is men who rule and wield the most power, making careers and breaking them too. There is murder, blackmail, romantic intrigue and a mystery at the heart of this novel.

There is nothing particularly new or groundbreaking, but it was an enjoyable read. It would be a good holiday read for those who enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or The Silent Patient.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

It’s the 1950’s and the film industry is in full swing. Ginny Watkins, a young girl from London wins a competition and travels to Hollywood to seek her fame and fortune.
Stella Hope, an aging star has been loaned to Ealing Studios following her divorce.
Two women who don’t know each other, but have a common interest - Max Whitman.
Eleni Kyriacou shows us the glitz and glamour as well as the darker side of the film industry.
A good storyline with a great twist at the end, I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

I LOVED Eleni's previous book - The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou - and I was so excited to see a new one and so it had a lot to live up to. It also had an intriguing cover so I was really keen to get stuck in.

This was completely different to Zina Pavlou, which I was a bit concerned about to begin with, as that was such a spectacular novel. But where it does compare is in Eleni's ability to create female characters - strong women, but now always in the physical sense.

Whereas Zina was an out-and-out thriller, this felt more of a historical, golden-era, contemporary novel, with elements of a classic crime mystery.

Eleni does a great job at showing the good and bad bits of fame, especially in Hollywood in the 50s, where women were expected to do things they didn't want to do to ensure they got jobs. It really shows that fame isn't all its cracked up to be.

It flits from Stella's story to Ginny's story and back and forth. This took some getting used to, especially as they're so similar in themes (acting, Hollywood, women, the 50s, glamour, Max...). I was having to keep reminding myself to see who it was talking. But it soon became unnoticeable; yes the themes are similar, but Stella and Ginny have such distinctive voices that it was quite easy to figure out whose story you were in.

Interspersed are some scenes focussed on an unknown individual in somewhere that looks like a mental hospital or suchlike. But we don't know who it is, why she's there, or what's happened. It is these chapters that added the mystery element to the whole story.

Another review said this book reminded them of Jackie Collins books, and I think I'd have to agree. That glamorous side of life, but with the hidden dark and dirty bits underneath.

I found it a little slow to begin with. Obviously she has to set the scene, the background etc. so you will invest in the characters as it goes along so I understand why it needed that time. But I would say if you feel it's a bit slow to begin with, please do continue because it doesn't last long and soon you're stuck in this fascinating glamorous, but dirty world. I took it to bed with me thinking I'd just read a chapter or two, and then I was halfway through, and it had completely grabbed me. And I raced through the second half once it got more thrillery.

I believe this is Eleni's third book, but it's my second one. Authors worry about having books live up to the success of their first novel, and whilst this was very different to her first book, I still think it's a very good book and Eleni is sure to have success going forward, and I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for that third book of hers that passed me by because she is an exceptional storyteller.

Very enjoyable book. Couldn't put it down.
About the dark side of old Hollywood glam.
If you enjoyed the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo you will definitely enjoy this book.

A harrowing story of Hollywood in the golden age. I read an eARC of this book on Net Galley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This book covers challenging content around the experience of female actresses in Hollywood. The notorious casting couch as well as even worse behaviour from men in positions of power. It is sensitively explored but do check content warnings. I thought this was really well done, with a focus on the experience of the characters. The abuse of power is seen multiple times, in different ways. Real historical cases are referenced to highlight the female experience at the time.

We follow two characters, a famous star in her forties who is in London following her divorce. She’s been sent on loan to another studio as her studio isn’t happy with her breaking up their golden couple. The second character is a young British woman who has gone to Hollywood to try to follow an acting career. We see the parallels between an established star, and an up and comer. We see where they have different levels of power, but how they both still are troubled by the inappropriate behaviour of men. How these stories end up intersecting was brilliantly done.

At the core of this book is the power of female relationships. Female friendships bolster the characters so much, allowing them to get things done, overcome challenges and provide strength and support.

This was well-written with interesting characters, a fascinating setting and a powerful message to share.

This was a gripping and glamorous read filled with intrigue. The plot was fun and the characters definitely held a lot of interest. I really liked this one.

Loved this book. A gripping page turner with insights in to the Hollywood of old with its all-powerful studio executives, glamorous leading ladies and handsome leading men that all served to mask a dark underbelly of sexism, misogyny and dirty dealings.
The story is told from different perspectives and the characters are so well depicted that one can’t help but assign to them the personas and faces of actual actors from the past. The notion of “the casting couch”, whilst not especially featured, and the power held by men in those days comes across very powerfully and one can’t help but imagine and feel for what those many young women, in particular, went through in order to pursue their dreams of stardom-manipulated by the studios, made to change their appearances and treated as little more than fodder in a corrupt industry dominated by a few.
I don’t want to give anything away though, as we all know from history, the ending is not always happy and it’s sad to know that some of the events described in the book are true-most definitely not a beautiful way to die- but this is an excellent read and I thoroughly recommend it.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and to the author for her wonderful piece of. work

Eleni Kyriacou weaves a gripping and atmospheric mystery in *A Beautiful Way to Die*, blending noir elements with a vivid sense of time and place. The characters are richly drawn, and the tension builds steadily as secrets unravel. Kyriacou’s prose is elegant yet sharp, capturing both the beauty and the grit of the story's world. A few moments feel slightly drawn out, but overall, it’s a compelling read that keeps you hooked until the end.

This was full of intrigue, but revealed a film industry riddled with narcissism, corruption and depravity. It seems that being a star can get to your head. The plot kept you guessing and had some interesting characters, but the subject matter, an expose of Hollywood excess was not my type of novel of choice.

Two actresses, one an aging star, the other an up-and-coming ingenue, tell the story of their relationship with a manupulative leading man and uncover a darker side to the glitz and glam of 1950s Hollywood. Interesting and entertaining, with an unexpected twist, but overall very twee and surface level in the way it interrogates the realities for women in a male-dominated industry. Not one for me.

Hollywood and London mid-1950s. Young Ginny Watkins, like many girls, dream of pursuing the life of silver screen actresses. Ginny gets the attention of producers during auditions with a whole makeover from blond hair, teeth, and even a name change ; Virginia Rose.
Stella hope has had a successful acting career alongside her husband Max Witman; Hollywood's golden couple. Stella gets sent out to London to work roles, and she starts to realize her career taking a dive as her soon ex-husband starts to take more prominent roles in Hollywood. Ginny gets invited up for dinner by Max in his penthouse. He has promised her leading roles. Stella meets a new makeup artist Maggie on set and Maggie is hired as her personal assistant. Stella starts to receive blackmail letters requesting cash over a secret from her past. Ginny starts to enjoy the high life of social parties and glam. She seems to have hit a stroke of luck until she goes missing one day. what happened to Ginny? Who is after Stella? This was such a page turning thriller! The characters, the Hollywood scene, high stakes, drama... really enjoyed this. Reading this was like watching a classic MGM movie. glam, riches, and fame but also exposes the ugly side many women had to deal with just to make it to the top.

"Girls hungry for fame, and all those men in positions of power."


Thank you, Netgalley and Head of Zeus Publishing, for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Wow, just wow.

I cannot wait to read more titles from Eleni Kyriacou.

Who doesn't love a drama and glamour of a story about one of the world's former biggest movie stars and her (secretly estranged) handsome leading man of a husband. Hollywood royalty. Pure escapism. Lots of twists and turns and hard to put down.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher Head of Zeus for a very enjoyable ARC.

From the author of, ‘the unspeakable acts of Zina Pavlou’ comes another cracker! In a beautiful way to die, we meet Stella Hope, a Hollywood starlet in the 1950s. It soon becomes clear how much corruption went on in Hollywood, ‘the fixers’ and how far one would go to cover it all up.

I love a story based on history and this author did this well, intertwining bits of real stories into the plot. I thought the book had a slow start, I wasn’t sure where it was going until that first twist was revealed and then it took off!! What a fascinating read, I’d highly recommend and take time to read the authors note at the end too!

I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of this, it’s out 8 May ❤️