Book Review

The Talk Show by Harry Verity #BookReview #BloodhoundBooks #4*

You never know who is watching…

When Edward gets a job working behind the scenes on the notorious and controversial Michael O’Shea Show, he thinks he’s hit the big time. But little does he realise what he’s let himself in for. 

The presenter’s brother is arrested for sex crimes, and the show is threatened with cancellation when two guests are reported missing. Then, when a member of the backstage staff is abducted, it becomes clear someone has the show in their sights. 

Is someone trying to sabotage a seemingly harmless talk show by targeting its presenters and guests? Or does the truth lie somewhere closer to home?

One thing is for sure, there’s no telling who’s watching The Talk Show…

The Talk Show is set to be one of 2021’s stand-out thrillers. Fast-paced and packed with twists and turns it’s the perfect read for fans of authors like Harlan Coben, Mark Edwards and Karin Slaughter.

An Unpredictable ‘Whodunnit’!

It’s always exciting to tackle a novel by a new author, and this one is packed with drama!

Edward has landed a job working behind the scenes on a tv show and thinks it’s a big step up in his career. The Michael O’Shea Show is certainly a steep learning curve! The host’s brother is arrested and charged with sex crimes, the show is threatened with cancellation and, after their appearance, two girls go missing. What on earth is going on and is it really worth sticking with it?

This is certainly very different than any other mystery thriller I’ve come across of late. Behind the scenes is not what I imagined it to be but sort of makes sense when you think of sensationalist shows like Jerry Springer and Jeremy Kyle. The staff on the show are a cleverly crafted mixed bunch and worthy of a giggle or two here and there – but I’m not sure I’d want to work with any of them! To begin with, the girls having gone missing are mostly dismissed but when it becomes clear that there is a case to answer, the author has some very clever red herrings on the go to mis-direct the reader. I never suspected the one ‘whodunnit’! A rewarding read, if a little off-beat in comparison to the norm. If you like something a little different, then this is definitely one to try and I’m happy to give it 4*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

Tags: mystery thriller

Author Details

I grew up in the city of Leicester in the U.K before getting an English degree from Loughborough University and then an MA in Early Modern History from the University of York. I worked for a brief period at W.H. Smith as a sales assistant whilst I wrote freelance for magazines and newspapers and fiction whenever I could. I was lucky enough to interview some of my favourite writers such as Val McDermid, Mark Billingham, and the late Iain Banks which set me down the path of writing a crime novel.

These days you can find me traveling the world and meeting lots of fascinating new people and visiting friends. I found myself stuck in Vietnam during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic. Like many people, the lockdown is what spurred me on to finish my book and pursue a book deal.

I had the idea for The Talk Show whilst on a work experience placement in London during my undergraduate degree. I imagined what life would be like in the highly pressured media bubble of London for someone like me just starting out and how that could have potentially damaging repercussions that bear out through the novel.

It’s always nice to connect with readers so do feel free to reach out to me on any of the links below.

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