I think this is my favourite of L.C. North's books, I was completely hooked by the storyline and the captivating way that the story unfolded. I literally read it in two hits, and that's only because I had to stop to feed my family!

The plot centres around the Lancaster family, a family famous for being themselves, a bit like a UK version of the Kardashians. There are 3 adult children and a proud pushy mum; their football agent dad died before the series was started. The Lancasters are feted as one of the country's most famous celebrity families, with business opportunities and collaborations everywhere and they seem unbreakable until they are caught up in a missing person case from 20 years previously, teenager Bradley Wilcox, who was last seen alive at one of their parties.

Bradley's sister has never given up hope of finding out what happened, and the story starts with her contacting a podcaster Tom. The tale is told through a number of different media formats, mainly through Tom's true crime podcast that unfolds as we're reading, plus audience reactions to the podcast. There are also excerpts from the Lancaster YouTube channel, interviews that may be 20 years old but suddenly have a different meaning to them in light of the podcast.

I loved everything about this book. The pace of the plot is so quick and ever changing, the voices in the story are absolutely spot on, and the evolving investigation felt very real and entirely possible. I think it is going to be a huge hit!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.
I had been excited to read this book for the longest time as I had read one of the authors other books(the ugly truth) and consider it one of my favourites of all time so I had quite high expectations for this too and I was right in thinking that it would satisfy me.
I read it all in one sitting-time literally flew past me as I was reading this book- I was that absorbed into the characters world and the dark and harsh reality of celebrity life that they experience that without question I would definitely give this book five stars.

I really enjoyed the book and loved the format. I watch a few investigator types on YouTube and could really see how the mixed media added to the story. It was a little unbelievable at times, but it didn't really matter as it was fun.

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because I was either waiting for a huge twist at the end (like turning out the investigator himself had done it and was trying to frustrated the investigation) or to be left more unsatisfied than I was, which I know is a strange thing to want!

I literally gulped this down in one sitting. My son went to bed, I sat on the sofa and the next thing I knew it was 2am and I realised I’d barely moved until I’d finished reading the whole book.
Clickbait is compulsively bingeable. It’s like listening to your favourite true crime podcast while watching car crash reality TV at the same time.
LC North’s story is about the Lancaster family and true crime sleuth Tom who is investigating what happened to a boy who went missing twenty years ago at one of their parties. It’s clever and full of twists and turns, with false breadcrumbs trails that keep you guessing. An absolute delight to read, (I loved the advertorials in the podcast!) yet with a powerful message about controlling, fame-hungry parents. Some people really will do anything to be TV famous….

4.5 stars

“The Kardashians meets Serial”

Easy to read 'missing person' thriller, told in the form of YouTube video transcripts and social media posts.

Total page turner. Good layering of clues, twists and red herrings. Fans of The Appeal and The Twyford Code will enjoy.

An utterly gripping thriller that explores the addictiveness of reality TV in today’s society, and the lengths some people will go to in order to achieve fame. Whip-smart and incisive, I couldn’t put this book down.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this e-ARC of Clickbait.

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"Clickbait" by L. C. North is a rollercoaster story of truth and lies. The characters are all flawed but real (if slightly clichéd), but the story keeps you hooked with regular twists drip fed through out keeping suspense high.
The mixed-media, a blend of interview transcript, news bulletins, email messages and more adds a whole new layer of immersion to the story. The author cleverly drops clues in throughout the story, so the reader feels like they are investigating right along with Tom, but gets the balance right between revelation and concealment to keep you guessing until the very end, ensuring the ‘big twist’ moment hits with maximum impact. Oh, and of course any story with a dog in it gets extra brownie points from me! 🤭 Definitely worth a read if you want a fast-paced, modern and suspenseful mystery read.

**mild spoilers**
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“Be the smartest in the room. Be the one who knows everything. That’s what gives you power. Above all, don’t let anyone or anything get in your way.”

I loved the final few sentences and thought it was a really chilling way to end the story.

This was an absolutely addictive read for me, I love the format of this with the story being told through transcripts, emails, interviews etc and they did a fantastic job of telling this compulsive story of a high profile family and their connection to a teenage boy who went missing twenty years ago. The characters are brilliant with podcaster Tom pulling a lot of this together and the members of the Lancaster family who are from a different planet in many ways! The missing person case was really well told and it was interesting to hear the different angles and see how it transpired never mind another character then dying and leaving you wondering just what’s with the Lancaster family. The conclusion was really creepy but brilliant and it really makes you think back on the events in the book with a whole new perspective. I genuinely loved this book, for me it was one of the best I’ve read in a while probably because I just love books in this format but also it’s just brilliantly constructed.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

In this book, we follow the Lancaster family. They have a show which follows their lives, which has grown an audience of millions. But, underneath, there’s still a case of a missing lad, called Bradley, who went missing after attending one of the Lancaster’s raucous parties. A video is shown with Bradley in it. Which blows the timelines of events surrounding his disappearance wide open.

This was written in a mixed media type of dialogue, which I really like as it mixes things up a bit. We read police transcripts, interviews, parts of the show, and real life meetings. This was so cleverly written, and this author has become one of my favourites. I feel the storyline is really relevant and was completely powerful. The characters all had flaws, which was really refreshing. It was completely captivating and I couldn’t wait to find out the truth. My favourite read this year by far. Excellent, and would highly recommend.

I really loved the author's previous novel The Ugly Truth which was a clever and compelling commentary on celebrity. Clickbait also looks at the celebrity world through the story of the Lancaster family. Their reality show Living With the Lancasters has been hugely popular over the course of a decade until a video links them with the disappearance of a missing teenager Bradley Wilcox. As true crime investigator Tom Isaac becomes involves we see the spectacular fall of the Lancasters.
This was another compelling look into the celebrity world told through a multiple of different narratives including interviews and tweets. I did find the tweets from random social media users unnecessary and felt that this broke up the otherwise well flowing plot. However, this was still a fast paced and addictive read. I was completely gripped by the plot, drawn into the toxic world of the family and their potential involvement in Bradley's disappearance.
A recommended read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

This was just so relevant for the times. It was a really well written story about influencers, social media and how the court of public opinion can be so powerful and change in a dime. I didn't expect the entire book to be told in the form of posts, tweets, comments, social media posts, podcasts and interviews so that felt a bit off since I do like traditional storytelling but it worked well for the topic and made you feel like you discovered the truth as it played out real time. Relevant, captivating and very easy to get lost in

A very interesting read! Especially with the way social media and the internet is heading currently. Definitely recommended.

This is a great read about how things can change for celebrity's flying high one moment and then................... A fast and compelling story. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.