The gripping tale of a film director with a shadowy past, her missing lead actress, and the disturbing cost of famefrom addictive (People) suspense writer Helen Monks Takhar
Fame is a deadly game. . . .
April Eden is about to have the night of her life. After years struggling uphill as a female director, her debut movie The Vanished Woman is up for a major British film award, placing her firmly on Hollywoods radar. Her leading lady, Essie Laya fragile but magnetic former TV hostis on the cusp of a stunning comeback after being canceled for a disturbing scandal.
When Essie messages April saying she cant face the ceremony, April heads to Essies palatial London mansion, Lotus Lodge, to convince her to enjoy their big night together. But upon arriving, April is faced with tragedy: Essies body is floating in her swimming pool, all signs pointing to suicide. Panicked, April activates Essies teamher put-upon sister/manager, Janine, and her wily agent, Jonathanexpecting them to do damage control while she heads to the awards ceremony; shes devastated yet determined to do what she can to protect Essies legacy.
But by the time April returns to Lotus Lodge to face the fallout, Essies body has vanished. Was Essie actually murdered? Is this an elaborate hoax or publicity stunt gone wrong? And why does April start receiving unsettling messages, trying to pin the blame on her?
Taut, twisty, and deliciously page-turning, Nothing Without Me examines the high price of female fame, how far some will go to climb the slippery ladder of celebrity, and the unbearable pressure of being the woman everyone wants to be...M.F