BLOG TOUR: Greta Garbo and the Rise of the Modern Woman - Scott Reisfield

Hollywood Made Her a Star.

What she did for women made her a Legend.

Greta Garbo dominated European cinema and Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s. With discipline and fearless self-belief, she transformed screen acting into something intimate, modern, and psychologically real. She fought studio control... and won. She challenged censors, defied social expectations, and refused to compromise her independence.

More than a movie star, Garbo reshaped what it meant to be a woman on screen-self-possessed, mysterious, and unapologetically autonomous. She redefined the power a woman could hold in Hollywood.

In this intimate biography, her grandnephew Scott Reisfield reveals this disciplined artist, strategic thinker, and the fiercely private woman who helped usher a closed culture into the Modern Age.

 

What did I think?

I didn't know a lot about Greta Garbo before I picked up this book, apart from the phrase "I want to be alone" that is attributed to her, but I feel like I know her intimately now.

Greta Garbo is Scott Reisfield's great-aunt so he is well placed to research her life as it's part of his own family history.  There is a lot of information in the book and it has clearly been meticulously researched.  The text is enhanced by myriad illustrations such as tables, photos and adverts that I found added interest to what otherwise might have been a dry subject.

It does take a while to read the book as it's quite chunky with 618 pages but it's worth taking your time to fully appreciate the depth of research that has gone into writing it.  As Greta Garbo is his own ancestor, I completely trusted the accuracy of all of the details that Scott Reisfield shares in the book.

Interesting and informative, Greta Garbo and the Rise of the Modern Woman is the definitive guide to one of the most iconic actresses of the The Golden Age of Hollywood. 

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Bad Actors - Mark Pepper

Actor and fun, middle-aged psychopath Matt Spiller has finally made it to Hollywood. With a big movie under his belt, his life as a provincial English taxi driver is firmly in the past. As are the drug dealers he was forced to kill.

He’s landed the lead role in a TV series called Veteran Avenue, and he’s got a new girlfriend.

Life is improbably peachy.

Then people start arriving in LA.

His ex-wife is the least of his worries; she just wants to send him on a guilt trip.

His ex-agent, on the other hand, wants a chunk of his new-found wealth, and will use blackmail to get it, while a dogged detective wants to jail him for a spate of unsolved murders.

And when Spiller stumbles upon a secret that could destroy Hollywood, a hell of a lot of people want him dead.

 

What did I think?

I've thoroughly enjoyed all of Mark Pepper's novels and it feels like they were all leading up to the pinnacle of Bad Actors.  You can of course read Bad Actors as a standalone but you won't pick up the references to all of Mark Pepper's previous books and I absolutely loved how they were all woven into the fantastic plot.

It's the second book featuring Matt Spiller who we met in Man Down and the former British taxi driver is living it up in LA after starring in a major movie and then securing the lead role in a TV series.  Everything is going great but this is Matt Spiller we're talking about and when it goes wrong, it goes spectacularly wrong.

I really don't want to give away any of the plot so I'm saying no more about it but believe me when I say that this is a book you don't want to miss.  The whole book is outstanding from the amazing cover to the explosive plot and the characters that are so razor-sharp you need to wear gloves when reading about them.

Blisteringly fast-paced and incredibly gripping, if Bad Actors was any grittier it would be a tonne of grit.  Without doubt, it's all of the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Bad Actors so it's an easy five stars from me.  One of the streaming services or a film producer seriously needs to pick up this book right now!  I don't often shout but I'm shouting now: DON'T MISS THIS BOOK!!!

Many thanks to Mark Pepper for sending me a digital ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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GIVEAWAY: Husbands - Mo Fanning

I recently had the pleasure of reading an early copy of Husbands by Mo Fanning and I absolutely loved it - you can read my review by clicking HERE.  

As part of the blog tour, Hannah Hargrave PR has offered me a paperback copy to giveaway to one one lucky reader based in the UK.  You can enter via my posts on Instagram and X (links below), but first find out a little bit more about the book:

In Hollywood, every pavement star tells a story. Not all of them shine.

Wannabe actor Kyle Macdonald is down on his luck. Working as a supply teacher in an inner-city Birmingham school, he's single again at 28, and sleeping in his childhood bedroom beneath a 'Hard Candy' Madonna poster.

He gets a call claiming he drunkenly married top Hollywood director Aaron Biedermeier in Vegas six years ago. Rather than panic, he sees a golden ticket to fame and the life he's always fantasised about.

But the glamorous veneer of Los Angeles - non-stop sunshine, celebrity actors and exclusive hotel suites - starts to crack, revealing a darker, corrupt underbelly to La-La Land. Kyle digs deeper into his so-called husband's past, unearthing disturbing allegations of abuse and underage sex parties.

With the help of Biedermeier's fiancé, actor Noah Winters, he embarks on a cross-country race to unravel the mystery and expose the truth - finding love along the way.

 

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Husbands: Love and Lies in La-La Land - Mo Fanning

In Hollywood, every pavement star tells a story. Not all of them shine.

Wannabe actor Kyle Macdonald is down on his luck. Working as a supply teacher in an inner-city Birmingham school, he's single again at 28, and sleeping in his childhood bedroom beneath a 'Hard Candy' Madonna poster.

He gets a call claiming he drunkenly married top Hollywood director Aaron Biedermeier in Vegas six years ago. Rather than panic, he sees a golden ticket to fame and the life he's always fantasised about.

But the glamorous veneer of Los Angeles - non-stop sunshine, celebrity actors and exclusive hotel suites - starts to crack, revealing a darker, corrupt underbelly to La-La Land. Kyle digs deeper into his so-called husband's past, unearthing disturbing allegations of abuse and underage sex parties.

With the help of Biedermeier's fiancé, actor Noah Winters, he embarks on a cross-country race to unravel the mystery and expose the truth - finding love along the way.

 

What did I think?

I am so pleased that I picked up Husbands by Mo Fanning as I absolutely loved it.  Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down and wished I'd started it earlier in the day as I was furious that I had to put it down to go to sleep.  

Husbands touches on some serious subjects that completely broke my heart as these things really happened to lots of young actors but Mo Fanning writes respectfully and sensitively whilst still highlighting these issues.  The story itself is very entertaining and it's filled with dark humour that made me laugh out loud.

Most of my laughs came from the main character Kyle, or 'Kyle, man!' as I referred to him in my head every time he did something stupid (so pretty much all the time).  Only Kyle could drunk marry a Hollywood director in Las Vegas, go home to Birmingham (England) and completely forget about it.  Kyle, man!  Your acting dreams could have come true!   

So telling his parents he's off to Manchester (Kyle, man!), Kyle jumps on a plane and dives into the shark infested waters of LA LA Land.  Thank goodness he told his friend Milly where he was going - she deserves a medal for trying to keep him out of trouble.  What follows is an adventure-filled road trip with Kyle's husband's new fiancé to discover the truth about what actually happened in Vegas.

Hugely entertaining, dark and addictive, Husbands is as bingeworthy as a Netflix series and is surely destined to make it on to our screens in the future.  I loved the beginning, the middle and the end - very highly recommended.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Always the Dead - Stephen J. Golds

 

Los Angeles, California. 1949.

Scott Kelly is a World War Two Marine veteran and mob hitman confined to a Tuberculosis sanatorium suffering from consumption, flashbacks and nightmares from his experiences of The Battle of Okinawa and a botched hit for Bugsy Siegel.

When his movie actress girlfriend disappears, he bribes his way out of the sanatorium to search for her.

What follows is a frantic search, a manic murder spree, stolen contraband, and a briefcase full of cash.

A story that stretches from the war torn beaches of Okinawa, all the way to the playground of the rich and famous, Palm Springs, California.

An exploration into the depths of L.A crime, PTSD and twisted love.

A semi-fictional novel based around the disappearance of Jean Spangler.

What did I think?

I discovered Stephen J. Golds books when I was drawn like a moth to the flame to the cover of his brilliant novel Say Goodbye When I'm Gone but I have to say that the postcard cover of Always the Dead is absolutely breathtaking.  Always the Dead has the same vintage thriller feel to it and although it is a little darker, I consider it to be his best book yet; I've honestly never read anything like it before.

I don't know how he does it, but reading Always the Dead is like watching an old black and white movie with a New York twanged narrator.  I was absolutely flabbergasted that such authentic vintage scenes could be conjured from such very well chosen words, which is solely due to the immense talent of Stephen J. Golds.

The main character of Scott Kelly is one that you simultaneously fear yet root for.  Scott is a war veteran, clearly suffering from PTSD, but it's his tuberculosis that sees him confined to a sanatorium.  With inner demons waging war inside his head, it's a wonder that Scott can function at all but it's thoughts of his girlfriend Jean that keep him going.  Jean isn't a traditional girlfriend and I found her to be something of an enigma, wondering if we ever see the real side of her.  When Jean disappears, Scott sets off to look for her, settling a few old scores along the way. but his physical and mental health deteriorate rapidly.

It wasn't until after I finished reading Always the Dead, that I found out that it was inspired by the true story of the disappearance of Jean Spangler.  Off to google I went and, as I often say, I love books that send me off researching fascinating stories or facts.  Jean being a real actress makes this book even more authentic and it would make an amazing movie, in black and white of course.

Brilliantly written with a vintage feel, Always the Dead is dark, gritty and compulsive reading.  Stephen J. Golds is a hugely talented author and definitely one to watch.  A well deserved five stars and highly recommended reading.

Many thanks to Stephen J. Golds for sending me an early copy to read; all opinions in this review are my own.

My rating:

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The First Assistant - Clare Naylor & Mimi Hare

Time for some chick-lit!  I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did.

I hadn't read the first book in the series (The Second Assistant), in fact I wasn't even aware there was a first book until after I finished this.  As a stand alone story it kept me interested from beginning to end.

It tells the story of Lizzie who works in Hollywood and just happens to be dating an actor - pah! you say, not more drivel.  Not at all - Lizzie's life is far from perfect.  It reads like an episode of The Office with everything from backstabbing and covering for the boss, to break ups, the Oscars and the Russian mafia.  I liken it to The Devil Wears Prada for films rather than fashion.

I liked the insight into working on a film set with a teen diva and all the scrapes Lizzie gets into and out of.  Just when her life seems to be spiralling out of control, good wins over evil!

If I come across the first book, I'll give it a read.

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