Author: Sarah Vaughan
ISBN: 9781471165009
RRP: $29.99
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copy: Courtesy of the Publisher
Anatomy of A Scandal is the first of the January titles that went on the list and it is one that I am looking forward to reading.
Family holidays mean I have had very little time to read and even less to review so I am very far behind and not looking like catching up anytime soon; so I am still looking at short posts that our readers can leave their reviews on and I will review separately later.
Anatomy of a Scandal is the third book by Sarah Vaughan and it promises a taut and suspenseful tale of power and privilege.
A husband accused of a terrible crime is at the centre of a drama that will rock Westminster; his wife on one side determined to have faith in his innocence and the prosecutor on the other side equally as determined to see justice done.
Early reviews are making this one crawl closer to the top of the pile, but many are also a little spoilerish so I won’t go into it. This is a tale with multiple perspectives and multiple timelines which tells me there will also be some sneaky twists that pull things together.
Anatomy of a Scandal is quite topical at the moment with scandals rocking Hollywood and wreaking havoc on lives and careers. We are finally at a point where we, as a society, have decided that enough is enough. It doesn’t matter how rich, charming and good looking you are, it matters that you do the right thing by people.
I look forward to hearing what our readers have to say.
Sarah Vaughan can be found on her Website, Twitter and Facebook.
Anatomy of a Scandal is published by Simon & Schuster and is available through Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster a selection of our Beauty and Lace Club members will be reading Anatomy of a Scandal so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments below.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
Anatomy of a Scandal starts at quite a slow pace, as the author sets the scene, timing and life context for each of the key characters and their relationships.
True to the title, the beginning is a bit like an anatomy class as each of the characters is dissected in detail, and their role in the scandal gradually emerges. So as the story behind the scandal comes together we begin to see it in the context of multiple characters perspectives and prior histories. This gives some interesting clues and insights into the motivation of key people.
The eventual fuller depiction of each of the characters is realistic – no cardboard cutout people here. Their various behaviours are well explained and we start to see each person with more depth – having good and bad traits, and (like all of us)sometimes being the victims of their own hangups and insecurities.
There are also some interesting comments throughout the book about how peoples status and social position can put them into a privileged position which some take advantage of, others are oblivious to, and still others dedicate themselves to overcoming.
On the whole an interesting read but, for me the build up to the main story was a tad too slow and labored. My attention started to wander, and I kept losing track of who was who and where things fitted in. Still once you become fully immersed in the story, it becomes quite compelling, and there are some very interesting twists along the way.
This book tells the tale of a serious crime, a scandal of generous proportion and its protagonists.
There are essentially four main characters whose lives are intricately interwoven, even though they are not all aware of it. A junior minister in the British parliament – a close friend of the Prime Minister – must face the accusation against him; his wife, who must deal with the humiliation and fallout while retaining her belief in his innocence; the barrister who prosecutes the case with vigour and a young student who attended Oxford at the same time as them all. The story deals with the horror, shame and the absolute determination to retain one’s reputation, regardless of the discrediting of another’s; how belief in oneself is destroyed or skews reality. It speaks loudly of entitlement in both youth and maturity.
It is a carefully constructed tale, exceptionally well written and takes place over two time periods, two decades apart.
When I started the book I was somewhat disappointed to find that the first chapter was written in the first person. I am not a lover of tales told that way, but I persisted and was suitably rewarded. In fact, the story is cleverly told in both the first and third person as well as in present and past tenses. The author’s intention is clear and person and tense denote time, place and character.
The characters are well defined and the outcome not at all so obvious. The author makes liberal use of interrupted sentences and the language used is beautiful, emphasising again the upper class elements of the story – though perhaps not entirely intended. There is too, a decided lack of emotion, yet a further insight into the ‘stiff upper lip’ and affected composure of the upper classes.
All in all, it is a compelling read.
Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan. I loved the book. It is hard to review without giving anything away!
Sophie is married to James, they have 2 children and a perfect upper class life. James is accused of a crime. Kate is the Lawyer hired by the prosecution, she is experienced and professional and knows the law is about winning the argument. Is James guilty, will Sophie stay by his side? And what secrets do they all have from their pasts? It is a suspenseful story with a twist.
The book made me think how well do we know anyone!
“Understated” was the word that came most to mind while reading this – the prose is understated, Vaughan takes an understated approach to subject matter that could be lurid, most of the characters are understated in their behaviour. Despite that, this is a very powerful novel.
Kate is a barrister who specialises in prosecuting sexual offences, although the reasons for her burning desire to see justice done are not clear until some way into the novel. Within the first chapter she is handed a career making case: James Whitehouse, junior Minister, has recently been caught up in a sex scandal, and is now accused of rape.
Sophie is James’ wife; shattered by the revelations of an affair, she is shaken to her core by the rape accusation. She must believe him innocent to protect her children; but she already knows that he has dark secrets and is not always truthful. Is that just the effect of being a Minister, or is it an indicator of his deepest nature?
This is a fascinating novel that considers issues of consent, honesty, friendship, and marriage. Although the story is told primarily through Kate and Sophie’s eyes, we also get glimpses of others – Kate’s friend Alison, Holly, and James himself. The differing perspectives add depth and conviction to our exploration of the complex issues raised.
I really enjoyed this sensitive and emotional exploration of a very real issue, seen through the prism of all too common scandal. Although it has strong elements of a courtroom drama – that’s a significant part of the novel – it’s also a relationship drama. The characters are believable and strongly drawn, and so are the events depicted.
This is a great novel, well written and absorbing, and likely to stay in your memory for some time.
Thankyou Beautyandlace and the publisher for the opportunity to review ‘Anatomy of a Scandal’ by Sarah Vaughn.
The book begins in 2016 where divorcee Kate Woodcroft a QC Criminal barrister who specialises in London’s sexual crimes has just lost her case.
She is offered a new case where a politician is accused of the rape of his parliamentary researcher.
He is James Whitehouse a junior home minister, married to Sophie for 12 years. James is father to a nine year old daughter and six year old son, he is charming, handsome and endearing.
As the plot develops the book switches back to 1992 where Sophie (an expert rower) begins a relationship with James. She has a research buddy at university Oxford, Holly, who is insignificant, new to the lifestyle and trying hard to fit in but is not in the same class as Sophie.
Holly has made a friend, Alison who is a big support to her.
Back to 2016 and Sophie a faithful wife to James finds it difficult to come to terms with James’s infidelity and struggles to accept what he has been accused of.
An excellent read and a real mystery as there was no predicting the outcome, or the relationships within the book.
The book Anatomy of a Scandal tells the story of a husband and wife who have their world turned upside down when the husband is accused of a crime.
The book did start off a little slow and I do admit it took me a long time to really get into the book but once you hit the main scenario it is all gripping tales. Never really knowing the outcome did he do it? What happened in the past to sculpt the characters into the people they are today?
The book was very good once you got past the slow start and definitely am recommending it to everyone i see.
Thank you for selecting me to read Anatomy of a Scandal
I thought the book was a bit slow at the beginning but a few chapters in I couldn’t put this book down
The main characters are Sophie and James Whitehouse a couple who seem to have it all with their two children
Their perfect life is turned upside down when James is accused of a terrible crime ( no spoilers )
It was hard for me to decide if he was guilty or innocent at this stage of the book
As the reader continues into the book more about James behaviour comes to light
Was an interesting book to read especially reading about how the court room operates
The ending was a surprise to me as I had my own thoughts as to James
I must admit that when I started this book, I didn’t know if I would last the distance. The author was very descriptive in some parts – almost too descriptive for my taste, noting every crevice in a wall and each shape they made, etc (bad example, but you get the idea). It meant that by the time I had read the description I had to read back to remember what I was reading about in the first place!
Thankfully this settled down after the first couple of chapters (or I settled in) and I delved into the lives of Kate, James, Sophie and Holly.
I was certain that I had Holly’s story figured out and I was pleasantly shocked when her story was fully revealed and I was totally wrong!
I enjoyed the book thoroughly after the early slow bit and am very glad I was patient enough to get deeper in and read the whole story. It was interesting to learn a little snippet of a courtroom and how people sometimes never get over fully what has happened to them a long time ago, especially when history is seen to be repeating itself.
Thank you for letting me take part! A great read!
Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan is a courtroom drama, told from multiple points of view and goes across timelines. This made reading a little challenging in the beginning, however it wasn’t long before the scandal unravels and I was intrigued by the case and what direction it was taking. The main characters are those who are affected by James and the implications of his infidelity.
James who is an Oxford graduate is charming and a successful Junior Government Minster. He and his loyal wife Sophie have two young children. They live a life of social privilege and prestige with everything on the surface seemingly rosy. So when news breaks out that James has had an affair, then is being accused of rape; what other lies or truths will unfold?
This book touches on themes of drugs, rape, lies and power. Probably not for the faint hearted but a riveting read none the less.
Thank you Beauty and Lace Book Club and Simon & Schuster Australia for this reading opportunity.
The plot of ‘Anatomy of a Scandal’ is quite a lot darker than I expected from the synopsis. Sarah Vaughan writes about the central event (I won’t give it away but it is so topical at the moment) in such a realistic way it struck a nerve with me even though I have never experienced it myself. You would almost think she has experienced herself although she says she hasn’t. The story does drag on a little so the most interesting part of this book for me is the description of Oxford University. It’s somewhere people dream to experience (well I do anyway) and not many people have the priviledge. So it’s fantastic that she actually went there herself which means you really get an insider view and can put yourself there as you read the vivid imagery Sarah Vaughan weaves.