There are three setting in this story.
The first is an asylum, where a young woman is kept manacled to her bed overnight, which makes her easy prey for the male members of staff. She cannot remember her name or the reason why she is there.
1953 Hollywood. Ginny is an aspiring actress , but only ever gets offered small roles in low budget movies, which involve being crammed into provocative outfits and being subjected to sexual harassment. One day, a famous actor, Max Whitman takes an interest in her, and her career blossoms
1954, Ealing Film Studios, London. Maggie is a talented makeup artist and she is responsible for taking care of Stella Hope, an American actress who is on the verge of divorcing her famous actor husband.
A young woman has gone missing in the aftermath of a post Oscar award party. People in each scenario is linked, and this novel is concerned with finding out the truth in this very devious web of lies, corruption and the very loose morals that were a benchmark for success in the 1920’s and onwards in the despicable world of film making.
Men had the power to hire and fire, whereas women were seen as fair game, playthings to grope, abuse, humiliate and take advantage of. The price these girls paid was high, damaged reputations, rape, abortions, drug dependency and the ordeal of “ the Casting Couch “, which was seen as the price to be paid for fame.
The Harvey Weinstein scandal showed that nothing had really changed in the intervening decades.
I loved this book, so beautifully and intelligently written in such detail, slightly queasy at times, but how these women must have suffered.
I was firmly on the side of these strong and very determined women in their fight against the system.
It is a tragic story and the conclusion both knocked me backwards, yet made me feel it was appropriate. Questions were answered, the guilty punished, and some sort of peace and acceptance was reached, to enable life to be lived on their own terms.
A stunning and thought provoking book. I gave it five stars. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Head of Zeus, for my advanced copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review.
I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

Wow! Where do I start? This is a magnificent book and one I truly delved into and was taken on the journey of a lifetime. A book of the early film industry from Hollywood to London in the 1950's where we see plenty of drama, decadence, glitz and glamour. But there is certainly and undertone of darkness that makes you keep turning the pages.

The author has written this book with such atmosphere and some wonderful characters (loved Stella and Ginny), this is a thrilling, intriguing and at times emotional read and one I couldn't get enough of . I really enjoyed reading this book and think I could actually read it again. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

An absolutely wonderful read which totally immerses the reader in the glitz and glamour of 1950s Hollywood before insidiously introducing the slimy underbelly of crime, abuse and misogyny. I'm sure everyone is well aware by now of what went on on the 'casting couch' and in film studios around the world right up until very recently. Eleni Kyriacou has woven this appalling behaviour into a very convincing story that doesn't pull any punches but is still very readable. A brilliant read, well researched and a pleasure to recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

A Beautiful Way to Die blew me away! The plot is intense and the characters feel so real. Eleni Kyriacou’s storytelling pulled me in completely. This is a huge 5-star read for me and one I’ll be thinking about for a while.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

A Beautiful Way to Die hooked me instantly—not just with the stunning cover, but as an avid movie fan, with its sharp, unflinching look at the deceptive and vicious glamour of 1950s Hollywood. Beneath all that glitz lies a world of corruption, blackmail, and casting-couch misogyny—where the powerful men pull the strings and the women are left to constantly reinvent themselves just to survive.

The themes? Chef’s kiss. Power, exploitation, the poisonous lure of fame, and the way ambition turns friends into rivals. Every page hits you hard with its intensity and you just get so caught up in the story.

Unpredictable and gripping, the twists, turns and revelations that Eleni has woven into this story had me hanging on every word.

I couldn’t put this book down. I was totally into the thrilling mystery of this book and as a new to me author I found Eleni's writing to be enthralling. I felt that this book had a darker tone to the usual historical Hollywood fiction that I read and honestly it was exactly what I wanted—less red carpet, more raw truth. Gritty, emotional, and utterly compelling, this is a twisty gem that pulls back the curtain on the Golden Age and shows you just how tarnished it really was.

Thank you to Eleni @netgalley and @headofzeus for the ARC of this book. It's definitely one of my favorites of the year!

DNF. Unfortunately, there was content involved in the early chapters of this book that were quite personally triggering for me, and so I didn't feel like I could continue. I did enjoy the writing style though.

I wish this book was a higher rating for me as I love the concept. A classic one star rises as another star falls tale.

The writing was well done and the story was good, it just didn’t wholly grip me.

The way women were treated in this time period is always a difficult thing to read I think. It makes for some characters that you can greatly empathise with, even though some things feel like they’re haven’t really moved along that much! I loved that the characters felt really well developed.

It was a good read but maybe wanted a bit more from it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing me with an eARC of A Beautiful Way to Die in exchange for my honest review!

This is a thrilling tale that enthralls me within the glitz, the darkness, and the misogyny of 1950s Hollywood. As much as it can seduce me into its world of opulence and fame, it also slips in a layer of fear underneath the attractive surface that builds up the tension and reminds me of the dangers that marginalized individuals can face in such a power-hungry system. This book especially concentrates on the ways in which Hollywood traps women and punishes them if they act out of line—a bigoted force that our current society is still promoting in order to keep hating on women. Look at how, for example, so many people insist on dismissing the words and perspectives of women who come out to tell us about the domestic abuse and the sexual harassment and assault they've endured from men, e.g. Amber Heard, Blake Lively, and Halle Bailey. It's such an awful phenomenon to witness, and I couldn't help but think about it while reading this novel as it guides me through its twists and turns. Ginny, Stella, and Maggie all land as riveting leads for me to connect with as they fight back against the obstacles that this unjust world hurls at them. And once we reach the conclusion... Hooboy, yes, it's an appropriate and affecting ending.

Overall, I'm officially rating A Beautiful Way to Die 4.25 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 4 stars. I'm most certainly keeping an eye out for more of Eleni Kyriacou's writing.

"Don't miss the new novel from Eleni Kyriacou, author of BBC Between the Covers pick The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou.

PLAY THEIR GAME
Hollywood, 1953. Young actress Ginny Watkins is turning heads. Even the legendary - and married - actor Max Whitman can't resist the allure of the hottest new starlet. He promises Ginny the world, in return for the right favour.

DO WHAT THEY SAY
London, 1954. Stella Hope, once the most famous actress in Hollywood, has been ousted to Ealing Studios after her divorce from the powerful Max. Just as she accepts her fate, she receives a letter, blackmailing her for a mistake she made many years ago.

OR THEY'LL BURY YOU
Two women on either side of stardom find themselves in the orbit of the same beguiling man. And one night, in the shadows of a glamorous Oscars afterparty, their lives are changed forever...

A Beautiful Way to Die delves into the decadence and depravity of the early film industry from Hollywood to London. Perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and films like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Babylon."

Wait, there were fans of Babylon!?!

Gripping, fascinating and full of old school Hollywood glamour. Set in the 1950's, Ginny is a promising young actress that clearly has something extra and has caught the attention of one of Hollywood hottest male leads. Knowing Max Whitman can open many doors but Ginny will need to balance her patience with her ambition. At the same time, we explore another storyline, the exile of Max's ex-wife Stella Hope, once a very famous actress, to London. We know that these storylines will intercept but the question is how.

I love how old Hollywood has been explored and the decadence and depravity of the early film industry, which clearly took advantage of women. It was even more fascinating to discover many of the most sensational scenes were based on truth. The plot never slowed and kept me intrigued, up until the truly unexcepted twist at the end. Very well written and thought out.

This is a heartbreaking book that is full of drama, mystery, sadness, and tragedy, and I couldn't put it down. It reveals the challenges and soul-destroying nature of Hollywood in its early days, highlighting the extreme measures actresses will take to break into the celebrity acting world, and if they are lucky enough to succeed, what they will do to maintain their status.

In this book, we follow two women at different ends of the stardom spectrum. Ginny is a young English woman who is just at the start of her journey and determined to do whatever it takes to break in and become a star, including getting involved with a complex actor who is currently the toast of the town, but can he really be trusted? We also meet Stella Hope, who is a huge star, and part of a power couple who can seemingly do no wrong. But when their marriage starts to fail, and she is banished to London for a film, what is she capable of doing to regain her light?

What joins these two characters together is heartbreaking and devastating to read, yet it makes for a fantastic story. There are so many twists and turns in this book, making it difficult to put down. Some of the twists I saw coming, but some were a total shock and left me reeling.

If you love a book that is all about old Hollywood, and also is full of twists and turns that are heart-poundingly written, then this is the book for you.

Okay so I started this book a couple times and kept putting it back down. I couldn’t really figure out why I kept putting it back down but it just felt very heavy and after finishing up several heavy WWII books I had to take breaks with this one.
The backdrop of Hollywood in the 1950s is what makes the book so hard to move through. Every time I read a book of how awful that era was for women in Hollywood, I wonder why any of them kept going.
This book follows Stella, Maggie and Ginny with differing timeline and pov chapters. None of the characters drew me in particularly so I wasn’t super invested in them or their outcomes. The twist was well done and the threads were nicely tied at the end.
Overall a good read for fans of historical fiction/mystery books.
I received an ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

Initially, I found the book somewhat confusing, but once I grasped the concepts, I became completely engrossed.

It took me a long time to get into this book, and I had to restart reading it several times. Set in Hollywood in the 1950s, and later moving to London, it tells the story of how the young starlets looking for fame were treated by the men who at that time ruled the industry. Would the men always win, or would someone eventually stand up for them? Not a great read but give it a go.
My thanks to Net Galley and the author for an ARC

After the breakdown of her marriage, Hollywood star Stella Hope is now working for Ealing Studios in London. An accident involving her soon-to-be-ex husband meant the studio backing him. She starts working with Maggie, a talented make-up artist with her own secrets. A young actress starts an affair with a married star that leads to tragedy, a woman is confined to an asylum not knowing her own name and a blackmail threat is pulling Stella back to LA.
Kyriacou is developing into an excellent writer of historical fiction that looks beyond the obvious. Her overarching themes are those of displacement and women developing an independent voice and here it really shows in the lives of four women on both sides of the Atlantic. In the notes at the end Kyriacou mentions that a lot of background tales in the narrative are based on true life and the scandals that were hushed up in the Golden Age of Hollywood which just adds credence to her fiction. It's a great read.

set in the 1950s follows a dual timeline mystery with lots of twists. really enjoyed the perspective of forgotten stars of history, those who didn't make it in the industry

This is exceptional storytelling!

Eleni Kyriacou is fast becoming my go-to woman for outstanding historical fiction based on true life experiences. She champions these forgotten women and tells the world a story that would otherwise be lost.

‘A Beautiful Way to Die’ is set in 1950s Hollywood , a world where male studio executives and actors call the shots. The men free to try it on with any woman who cross their path, safe in the knowledge that their position is assured and any complaints will be brushed aside.

English actress Ginny has won a competition that’s brought her to Hollywood and a chance to be seen by casting directors. As soon as she’s seen, she’s told that her name, her face, her body, her voice must change and only then might be considered for a role.

She accepts what she’s told, unable to push back against it, aware that there are 100s of girls who would love to take her place.

Ginny (now called Virginia) meets male movie star Max Whitman at a party; Max is very taken with the beautiful new actress and the two start a secret relationship. Max is already married to film star Stella Hope but she’s not on the scene.

There’s a second plot line starring Stella, who has now moved to London for a fresh start. She befriends makeup artist Maggie and the two become close. As Stella, Maggie and Ginny’s worlds move closer and closer together, all we can do is watch and wait for the fallout.

Honestly I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is clever, challenging and so insightful. I wish we could say that things have changed for female actors today, but I think we all know that isn’t true that this is a story that will continue to be told and told.

The glamour of 1950’s Hollywood comes through in bucket loads with the superb storytelling but it’s the story of the darker side where this book really shines.

With different perspectives and timelines, the pace and thrills never let up and A Beautiful Way To Die really is a fascinating story told extremely well.

From the stunning cover to the heartbreaking true stories in the Author’s Note at the end, this was one incredibly outstanding book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the eARC of this book.

Interesting and well plotted mystery set in 1950s Hollywood. On one hand, there's Stella Hope, a star and until recently half of a glamorous power couple. On the other, a young English actress grappling to gain a foothold and a career. The author has done her research, make sure to read her comments at the end. The message behind story isn't a new one, but the author makes it fresh and full of unexpected twists. Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully haunting story of the reality and beauty of 1950s Hollywood. Not everything is what it seems, so be careful who you trust and what you find yourself getting into.