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Call Me Star Girl
Stirring up secrets can be deadly … especially if they're yours…
Pregnant Victoria Valbon was brutally murdered in an alley three weeks ago – and her killer hasn't been caught. Tonight is Stella McKeever's final radio show. The theme is secrets. You tell her yours, and she'll share some of hers. Stella might tell you about Tom, a boyfriend who likes to play games, about the mother who abandoned her, now back after fourteen years. She might tell you about the perfume bottle with the star-shaped stopper, or about her father …
What Stella really wants to know is more about the mysterious man calling the station … who says he knows who killed Victoria, and has proof. Tonight is the night for secrets, and Stella wants to know everything.
With echoes of the Play Misty for Me, Call Me Star Girl is a taut, emotive and all-consuming psychological thriller that plays on our deepest fears, providing a stark reminder that stirring up dark secrets from the past can be deadly.
Pregnant Victoria Valbon was brutally murdered in an alley three weeks ago – and her killer hasn't been caught. Tonight is Stella McKeever's final radio show. The theme is secrets. You tell her yours, and she'll share some of hers. Stella might tell you about Tom, a boyfriend who likes to play games, about the mother who abandoned her, now back after fourteen years. She might tell you about the perfume bottle with the star-shaped stopper, or about her father …
What Stella really wants to know is more about the mysterious man calling the station … who says he knows who killed Victoria, and has proof. Tonight is the night for secrets, and Stella wants to know everything.
With echoes of the Play Misty for Me, Call Me Star Girl is a taut, emotive and all-consuming psychological thriller that plays on our deepest fears, providing a stark reminder that stirring up dark secrets from the past can be deadly.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 8, 2019
69 people are currently reading
760 people want to read
About the author
Louise Beech
21 books355 followersAlso publishes under Louise Swanson.
Louise Beech is the author of eleven novels and a memoir, Eighteen Seconds (2023). Her debut, How to be Brave, was a Guardian Readers’ Pick; The Lion Tamer Who Lost shortlisted for the Romantic Novel Awards 2019 and longlisted for the Polari Prize the same year; Call Me Star Girl was Best magazine’s Book of the Year; This Is How We Are Human was a Clare Mackintosh Book Club pick; and the audiobook of her memoir, Daffodils, shortlisted for the Audies23. Her thrillers, End of Story and Lights Out, are written as Louise Swanson; the former was chosen by Sophie Hannah as a Book of the Year in the Daily Mail, and the latter was reviewed by The Times. Her debut play, How to be Brave, toured Yorkshire venues in 2024. Wonderful will be published 1st June 2026.
Louise also writes as Louise Swanson.
Louise Beech is the author of eleven novels and a memoir, Eighteen Seconds (2023). Her debut, How to be Brave, was a Guardian Readers’ Pick; The Lion Tamer Who Lost shortlisted for the Romantic Novel Awards 2019 and longlisted for the Polari Prize the same year; Call Me Star Girl was Best magazine’s Book of the Year; This Is How We Are Human was a Clare Mackintosh Book Club pick; and the audiobook of her memoir, Daffodils, shortlisted for the Audies23. Her thrillers, End of Story and Lights Out, are written as Louise Swanson; the former was chosen by Sophie Hannah as a Book of the Year in the Daily Mail, and the latter was reviewed by The Times. Her debut play, How to be Brave, toured Yorkshire venues in 2024. Wonderful will be published 1st June 2026.
Louise also writes as Louise Swanson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
April 8, 2019
I love Louise Beech's style of writing and her very beautiful storylines that she has written previously to this, her first venture into psychological crime fiction. It certainly shouldn't be her last, I wholeheartedly adored this book "Call Me Star Girl" and highly recommend it.
Atmospheric, haunting and very intriguing, there is just the right amount of plot twists to keep you turning the pages and I was emotionally wrung out by the time we finally reached the fantastic ending.
Pregnant Victoria Valbon was brutally murdered in an alley three weeks ago – and her killer hasn’t been caught. Tonight is Stella McKeever’s final radio show. The theme is secrets. You tell her yours, and she’ll share some of hers. What Stella really wants to know, is more about the mysterious man calling the station … who says he knows who killed Victoria, and has proof.
The author has a wonderful way of involving all of her excellent characters into the story from the main protagonists to even the fringe players and she really cares about how they are portrayed. I particularly liked reading Elizabeth's story as she recounted how she left Stella as a young child and most interestingly her involvement in recent events.
The plot slowly builds up the tension to a dramatic and emotional conclusion that is both creepy and edgy with some very definite disquieting undercurrents.
A tale of obsessive, desperate and selfish love when ones needs overpowers all sensibility and when you would do anything to prove your love is absolute, proving just how deadly dark secrets can be!
One of the most original storylines I have ever read, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, if you're familiar with Louise Beech you'll know she writes from the heart and if you're not, it's time to acquaint yourself with a terrific and emotive author!
5 stars
With thanks to Love Reading for my copy of the book in return for an honest review.
Atmospheric, haunting and very intriguing, there is just the right amount of plot twists to keep you turning the pages and I was emotionally wrung out by the time we finally reached the fantastic ending.
Pregnant Victoria Valbon was brutally murdered in an alley three weeks ago – and her killer hasn’t been caught. Tonight is Stella McKeever’s final radio show. The theme is secrets. You tell her yours, and she’ll share some of hers. What Stella really wants to know, is more about the mysterious man calling the station … who says he knows who killed Victoria, and has proof.
The author has a wonderful way of involving all of her excellent characters into the story from the main protagonists to even the fringe players and she really cares about how they are portrayed. I particularly liked reading Elizabeth's story as she recounted how she left Stella as a young child and most interestingly her involvement in recent events.
The plot slowly builds up the tension to a dramatic and emotional conclusion that is both creepy and edgy with some very definite disquieting undercurrents.
A tale of obsessive, desperate and selfish love when ones needs overpowers all sensibility and when you would do anything to prove your love is absolute, proving just how deadly dark secrets can be!
One of the most original storylines I have ever read, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, if you're familiar with Louise Beech you'll know she writes from the heart and if you're not, it's time to acquaint yourself with a terrific and emotive author!
5 stars
With thanks to Love Reading for my copy of the book in return for an honest review.
February 20, 2019
Louise Beech makes her first foray into crime fiction with “Call Me Star Girl” and was obviously born to it because this is brilliant, literary noir with an old school feel yet set in the modern era.
Tense and beautiful with an emotionally traumatic finale and clever little plot twists that were ingrained into the narrative, I loved this from the moment I started reading it and I did that in one perfect, immersive sitting.
The writing is pure class and honestly it will stay on your mind, every single chapter gives you something else to consider- at the heart of this too is a complex, layered and absolutely resonant mother daughter relationship that will touch your reading soul.
There is nothing about this book that I didn’t adore, even as it traumatised me, even as I devoured it then wished I hadn’t so it would all be shiny new once more.
Call Me Star Girl is the black and white movie era in literary form, a gem of a novel that deserves cult status.
Absolutely highly recommended. Not a single beautiful word wasted.
April 8, 2019
Review to follow but already my favourite book of 2019!
April 13, 2019
Louise Beech’s writing gets under my skin in a way no one else’s does, her gorgeous prose somehow pulls me in like no other and doesn’t let go until the end. It’s an all consuming experience every time I pick up one of her novels up and she raised the bar with Call Me Star Girl, which is a huge accomplishment as she’s already an amazingly talented author.
Stella is planning something big for her last night on the air as a radio host and not knowing what she had up her sleeve heightened the air of anticipation that was already palpable, you could feel the tension in the air. Which brings me to my next point, this was devastatingly atmospheric, who would’ve thought a radio station in the dead of night could be such a creepy place?! Louise Beech, that’s who and I swear I could feel the intensity crackling in the air while I was sitting in my own living room, it was brilliant and so clever. There was something so harrowing about this one but I mean that in a beautiful and almost poetic way. You have this group of highly complex characters combined with an intricate narrative that took me by surprise more times than I can count. It all concluded with a totally jaw dropping ending and one that I never saw coming but also one that left me awestruck, it was just perfectly executed. Highly recommended for psychological thriller fans, especially those who like ones with sophistication and a sense of noir.
Call Me Star Girl in three words: Slick, Atmospheric and Haunting
Stella is planning something big for her last night on the air as a radio host and not knowing what she had up her sleeve heightened the air of anticipation that was already palpable, you could feel the tension in the air. Which brings me to my next point, this was devastatingly atmospheric, who would’ve thought a radio station in the dead of night could be such a creepy place?! Louise Beech, that’s who and I swear I could feel the intensity crackling in the air while I was sitting in my own living room, it was brilliant and so clever. There was something so harrowing about this one but I mean that in a beautiful and almost poetic way. You have this group of highly complex characters combined with an intricate narrative that took me by surprise more times than I can count. It all concluded with a totally jaw dropping ending and one that I never saw coming but also one that left me awestruck, it was just perfectly executed. Highly recommended for psychological thriller fans, especially those who like ones with sophistication and a sense of noir.
Call Me Star Girl in three words: Slick, Atmospheric and Haunting
April 24, 2019
I’ve seen so many other book bloggers heaping praise on Louise Beech’s latest book that I’m pleased to have had the opportunity finally to experience it for myself. I know her pedigree as a writer from her earlier book, Maria in the Moon, which I really loved, and I have several of her other books in my TBR pile.
Call Me Star Girl oozes atmosphere from the very first page. This is a book where your review has definitely to be more about how the book made you feel than what it’s about both for fear of giving anything away or of spoiling the sheer experience of reading it for others. In the author’s skilful hands, the reader is taken on an emotional journey that is, at times, unsettling, chilling and full of twists and turns.
Events unfold over one night during Stella’s last shift at a community radio station. It’s late at night and for much of the time she’s alone in the building with only callers to the station providing any human contact. The narrative is interspersed with chapters from the point of view of Stella and her mother, Elizabeth, going back and forth in time to chart their troubled relationship, and between Stella and her boyfriend, Tom. I confess some of the latter felt voyeuristic in a way I found quite unsettling.
I loved that Louise Beech chose once again to use Hull as the setting for her book. I also enjoyed the occasional references to the nature of fiction, reminding the reader that you should not necessarily believe everything you’re told. And there’s room for a couple in jokes as well. At one point the young Stella, after recounting a story she’s written at school, is told she should write mystery novels when she grows up. Earlier, in response to the use of the pet name ‘Star Girl’ by her mother, Stella says, “We just need a killer twist and a cliffhanger ending, and we could have a bestseller called Star Girl“.
Call Me Star Girl is a dark, intense story of desire, control and secrets. It poses the question what would you do, how far would you go, what risk would you incur for the one you love?
Call Me Star Girl oozes atmosphere from the very first page. This is a book where your review has definitely to be more about how the book made you feel than what it’s about both for fear of giving anything away or of spoiling the sheer experience of reading it for others. In the author’s skilful hands, the reader is taken on an emotional journey that is, at times, unsettling, chilling and full of twists and turns.
Events unfold over one night during Stella’s last shift at a community radio station. It’s late at night and for much of the time she’s alone in the building with only callers to the station providing any human contact. The narrative is interspersed with chapters from the point of view of Stella and her mother, Elizabeth, going back and forth in time to chart their troubled relationship, and between Stella and her boyfriend, Tom. I confess some of the latter felt voyeuristic in a way I found quite unsettling.
I loved that Louise Beech chose once again to use Hull as the setting for her book. I also enjoyed the occasional references to the nature of fiction, reminding the reader that you should not necessarily believe everything you’re told. And there’s room for a couple in jokes as well. At one point the young Stella, after recounting a story she’s written at school, is told she should write mystery novels when she grows up. Earlier, in response to the use of the pet name ‘Star Girl’ by her mother, Stella says, “We just need a killer twist and a cliffhanger ending, and we could have a bestseller called Star Girl“.
Call Me Star Girl is a dark, intense story of desire, control and secrets. It poses the question what would you do, how far would you go, what risk would you incur for the one you love?
June 1, 2019
I will write some thoughts shortly!
...and here they are.
Sometimes in life, you come across certain books that hold you still. This is one of them. Gripped from the first page to the last. The complexity of the story and the characters are brilliant and the way that Louise always keeps you guessing.
I was gobsmacked with this read. It's dark, sad, uplifting and scary. What's not to like, just a brilliant few hours spent enjoying this.
I can't recommend this book enough.
...and here they are.
Sometimes in life, you come across certain books that hold you still. This is one of them. Gripped from the first page to the last. The complexity of the story and the characters are brilliant and the way that Louise always keeps you guessing.
I was gobsmacked with this read. It's dark, sad, uplifting and scary. What's not to like, just a brilliant few hours spent enjoying this.
I can't recommend this book enough.
April 18, 2019
As always this review can also be found on my blog The Tattooed Book Geek: https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...
Sometimes you read a book and upon finishing you just know that you have read something that is extra special. That no matter what words you write, that you can assemble, you will fail and you won’t do the book justice. Before I started Call Me Star Girl I’d read two such books this year, One Word Kill (Impossible Times #1) by Mark Lawrence and A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World by C. A. Fletcher. Now, I’ve read three and you can add Call Me Star Girl by Louise Beech to the list.
This is my review for Call Me Star Girl, these are my words, they are the best that I have…
Stella McKeever is a radio host for her local community radio station, tonight is her final show, the theme of the show, the topic that she has chosen, secrets. Stella invites her listeners to share their secrets and in-return she will share hers too, an exchange, a trade, a secret for a secret. It is a time for secrets, for the truth and for locked doors to be opened. It’s like a witching hour, a special time for things that are hidden, that have been buried to be unearthed, to be revealed and a time for endings. In the claustrophobic confines of the radio station, the four walls of the studio, a gateway, many secrets come out, Stella lays herself bare to her listeners. There’s a tension, a disquiet, an unease to the theme, what could be revealed? Once revealed secrets can never be locked away again.
There is also a killer somewhere out there, three weeks ago the heavily pregnant Victoria Valbon was murdered near to the radio station where Stella works, the murderer, the killer, is still on the loose.
Since the murder of Victoria, there has been a man who rings the radio station, who has rung in multiple times on Stella’s show and who claims to know more about Victoria’s death, hinting, offering cryptic clues about what really happened to Victoria, about that night.
Someone, a nameless person, an unknown person also left Stella a book at the radio station during one of her shifts with a note saying “Stella, this will tell you everything“.
Stella never knew her father and Elizabeth, her mother, wasn’t the best, wasn’t maternal, wasn’t the most loving or the most caring and said things to Stella as a child that have resonated into her adulthood, that have never faded, that have been held in memory, that have left an impression, an imprint and have had a lasting impact upon Stella making her who she is today before finally abandoning her when she was twelve-years-old. Leaving Stella with her next-door neighbour, a letter and a perfume bottle with a star-shaped topper to remember her by only returning out of the blue fourteen years later.
Stars are important throughout Call me Star Girl, important to Stella, her name means ‘star’ and they hold great significance to her, she is always looking out at the stars, when they shine, it is calming, comforting to her, she finds solace in them and when they are obscured, it is an omen, a portent, an ominous feeling of things to come. The perfume bottle, the star-shaped topper is a totem for Stella, something to hold on to, an inanimate object that holds great meaning, that holds great power, that evokes memories, of a different time, of a different place, of a younger Stella and of her mother. It was the only thing that her mother left her, it is one of Stella’s prized possessions, the smell of the scent, that brings Stella comfort, that offers her succour, that can take her back.
Call me Star Girl is made up of chapters with Stella in the ‘now’ that focus on her final night at the radio station, with Stella in the ‘then’ that focus on her back when she was younger, with Stella and Tom, her boyfriend that focus on their intense relationship, Tom who has dark tastes and Stella who allows him to do things that others would shy away from and say no too at around the time that Victoria Valbon was killed and with chapters in both the ‘then’ and the ‘now’ that focus on Elizabeth. There are also a few important chapters from the perspective of a taxi driver added to the mix.
With each new chapter, you can see something new being added to the fabric of the story, of the characters, like a patchwork quilt, stitched together, woven into place and made whole.
Many of the chapters in Call Me Star Girl end with a hook, reaching out and pulling you back for that stereotypical ‘one more chapter‘ phrase but for Call Me Star Girl it isn’t just an overused phrase, it is true. Beech baits her lines with a glimmer, a glimpse, a tantalising taste of a reveal and casts them out, hooking the reader and that ‘one for chapter‘ soon turns into far more as you find yourself devouring the pages in search of answers, secrets and the truth.
The setting of the empty (apart from Stella) radio station is very intimate, giving a close feel to the surroundings and the story. In the station, Stella is isolated from the outside world, alone, just her in the room with the airwaves, the radio equipment, the songs, the phone, her listeners and her thoughts. Alone in the studio, sounds and silence are amplified, sometimes a deafening silence, sometimes a creaking floorboard, a door hinge squeaking, a footstep, a sound from an unknown source
There’s something atmospheric and haunting about the story, something that prickles at the back of your neck and particularly in the sections that take place in the radio station you will find yourself questioning the noises that you hear whilst reading.
Call Me Star Girl has a quiet intensity to it and it is a slow-burn of a book, one that takes its time, one that allows its characters and its story time to build and time to develop and it is all the better for it. The characterisation by Beech is exquisite, the tension is ramped up throughout and the story itself is deep, layered, sad, gut-wrenching and powerful.
With Call Me Star Girl Beech has created a captivating and chilling story. It is a story that will thaw the ice in the veins, that will thaw the coldest of frozen hearts, a dark story but it is a darkness that is infused with heart. There is a beauty to the way that Beech writes, a beauty that is found within the darkness and one that contains an emotional undercurrent. Her words ebb and flow, waxing and waning like a candle flame, flickering, caught in a breeze. There’s something evocative and poetic about both her writing and her way with words. Something alluring, something hypnotic, casting you under her spell, charming you, drawing you in, grabbing you and ultimately pulling you under before allowing you to resurface changed at the end of the book.
There are many layers to the story in Call Me Star Girl, many emotions too, that fall, that cascade like rain, pulling you one way and then another, twisting and turning with the story.
Call Me Star Girl isn’t just a story about secrets, neither is it just a story about uncovering a killer. It’s a story about bonds, about family, about the ties that bind, that are severed, that are reconnected. It’s a story about abandonment, about desire, about love, about loss, about those who are most important to you and it is a story about the relationship between a daughter and her mother.
With the high quality of the writing, the deep characterisation and sense of atmosphere that are on display and the dark yet moving story that lingers, that leaves an echo upon the reader Call Me Star Girl shines brightly as one of the best books you will read this year.
Sometimes you read a book and upon finishing you just know that you have read something that is extra special. That no matter what words you write, that you can assemble, you will fail and you won’t do the book justice. Before I started Call Me Star Girl I’d read two such books this year, One Word Kill (Impossible Times #1) by Mark Lawrence and A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World by C. A. Fletcher. Now, I’ve read three and you can add Call Me Star Girl by Louise Beech to the list.
This is my review for Call Me Star Girl, these are my words, they are the best that I have…
Stella McKeever is a radio host for her local community radio station, tonight is her final show, the theme of the show, the topic that she has chosen, secrets. Stella invites her listeners to share their secrets and in-return she will share hers too, an exchange, a trade, a secret for a secret. It is a time for secrets, for the truth and for locked doors to be opened. It’s like a witching hour, a special time for things that are hidden, that have been buried to be unearthed, to be revealed and a time for endings. In the claustrophobic confines of the radio station, the four walls of the studio, a gateway, many secrets come out, Stella lays herself bare to her listeners. There’s a tension, a disquiet, an unease to the theme, what could be revealed? Once revealed secrets can never be locked away again.
There is also a killer somewhere out there, three weeks ago the heavily pregnant Victoria Valbon was murdered near to the radio station where Stella works, the murderer, the killer, is still on the loose.
Since the murder of Victoria, there has been a man who rings the radio station, who has rung in multiple times on Stella’s show and who claims to know more about Victoria’s death, hinting, offering cryptic clues about what really happened to Victoria, about that night.
Someone, a nameless person, an unknown person also left Stella a book at the radio station during one of her shifts with a note saying “Stella, this will tell you everything“.
Stella never knew her father and Elizabeth, her mother, wasn’t the best, wasn’t maternal, wasn’t the most loving or the most caring and said things to Stella as a child that have resonated into her adulthood, that have never faded, that have been held in memory, that have left an impression, an imprint and have had a lasting impact upon Stella making her who she is today before finally abandoning her when she was twelve-years-old. Leaving Stella with her next-door neighbour, a letter and a perfume bottle with a star-shaped topper to remember her by only returning out of the blue fourteen years later.
Stars are important throughout Call me Star Girl, important to Stella, her name means ‘star’ and they hold great significance to her, she is always looking out at the stars, when they shine, it is calming, comforting to her, she finds solace in them and when they are obscured, it is an omen, a portent, an ominous feeling of things to come. The perfume bottle, the star-shaped topper is a totem for Stella, something to hold on to, an inanimate object that holds great meaning, that holds great power, that evokes memories, of a different time, of a different place, of a younger Stella and of her mother. It was the only thing that her mother left her, it is one of Stella’s prized possessions, the smell of the scent, that brings Stella comfort, that offers her succour, that can take her back.
Call me Star Girl is made up of chapters with Stella in the ‘now’ that focus on her final night at the radio station, with Stella in the ‘then’ that focus on her back when she was younger, with Stella and Tom, her boyfriend that focus on their intense relationship, Tom who has dark tastes and Stella who allows him to do things that others would shy away from and say no too at around the time that Victoria Valbon was killed and with chapters in both the ‘then’ and the ‘now’ that focus on Elizabeth. There are also a few important chapters from the perspective of a taxi driver added to the mix.
With each new chapter, you can see something new being added to the fabric of the story, of the characters, like a patchwork quilt, stitched together, woven into place and made whole.
Many of the chapters in Call Me Star Girl end with a hook, reaching out and pulling you back for that stereotypical ‘one more chapter‘ phrase but for Call Me Star Girl it isn’t just an overused phrase, it is true. Beech baits her lines with a glimmer, a glimpse, a tantalising taste of a reveal and casts them out, hooking the reader and that ‘one for chapter‘ soon turns into far more as you find yourself devouring the pages in search of answers, secrets and the truth.
The setting of the empty (apart from Stella) radio station is very intimate, giving a close feel to the surroundings and the story. In the station, Stella is isolated from the outside world, alone, just her in the room with the airwaves, the radio equipment, the songs, the phone, her listeners and her thoughts. Alone in the studio, sounds and silence are amplified, sometimes a deafening silence, sometimes a creaking floorboard, a door hinge squeaking, a footstep, a sound from an unknown source
There’s something atmospheric and haunting about the story, something that prickles at the back of your neck and particularly in the sections that take place in the radio station you will find yourself questioning the noises that you hear whilst reading.
Call Me Star Girl has a quiet intensity to it and it is a slow-burn of a book, one that takes its time, one that allows its characters and its story time to build and time to develop and it is all the better for it. The characterisation by Beech is exquisite, the tension is ramped up throughout and the story itself is deep, layered, sad, gut-wrenching and powerful.
With Call Me Star Girl Beech has created a captivating and chilling story. It is a story that will thaw the ice in the veins, that will thaw the coldest of frozen hearts, a dark story but it is a darkness that is infused with heart. There is a beauty to the way that Beech writes, a beauty that is found within the darkness and one that contains an emotional undercurrent. Her words ebb and flow, waxing and waning like a candle flame, flickering, caught in a breeze. There’s something evocative and poetic about both her writing and her way with words. Something alluring, something hypnotic, casting you under her spell, charming you, drawing you in, grabbing you and ultimately pulling you under before allowing you to resurface changed at the end of the book.
There are many layers to the story in Call Me Star Girl, many emotions too, that fall, that cascade like rain, pulling you one way and then another, twisting and turning with the story.
Call Me Star Girl isn’t just a story about secrets, neither is it just a story about uncovering a killer. It’s a story about bonds, about family, about the ties that bind, that are severed, that are reconnected. It’s a story about abandonment, about desire, about love, about loss, about those who are most important to you and it is a story about the relationship between a daughter and her mother.
With the high quality of the writing, the deep characterisation and sense of atmosphere that are on display and the dark yet moving story that lingers, that leaves an echo upon the reader Call Me Star Girl shines brightly as one of the best books you will read this year.
April 26, 2019
Stunning in every way! Beautifully written, gripping, chilling - and the ending broke my heart! Not only is it an excellent, cleverly plotted thriller, it oozes with emotion, particularly between Stella and her mother. An unforgettable novel! Louise Beech is a genius!
February 23, 2019
Call Me Star Girl.
Oh, dear Louise, I can call you anything you want!!!
Why?
Okay, enough with the fangirling… for now.
A different kind of masterpiece from her usual genre.
I was too busy getting all the feelings to truly ask myself those questions. I just wanted to shake my head in sync to Stella’s tune, which becomes darker as the number of pages grows. Louise Beech, queen of literary fiction, turned psychological thriller magician in the blink of an eye. Call Me Star Girl is the proof an author can evolve, find new voices, bring them to life while always, always, ALWAYS maintaining what makes her style so unique and addictive.
Oh, dear Louise, I can call you anything you want!!!
Why?
Because each of your novels steals a piece of my heart and makes me fall in love with your writing again and again, root for your authentic characters, and takes my mind on journeys I could only dream of.
Okay, enough with the fangirling… for now.
Stella, our main character. In my mind I can hear her talk to me. She has a warm voice, one of those voices you could listen to for hours. Good thing, as she is a radio host. Although we get plenty of details about her, her strongest feature is her voice. Even the thoughts left on the page by the author have that smoothness I feel floating between the words. Like a song, this novel put me in a trance. Adverbs, verbs, nouns, commas, Louise Beech is one of the most incredible conductors in life’s opera and this time again, she gave birth to a masterpiece.
A different kind of masterpiece from her usual genre.
Let’s go back to Stella. Stella and her final show. Because she has decided tonight is the night. A night of secrets, a night of truths, a night of songs, and a night to face the music. Stella has a mother. Like many others, their relationship is ‘complicated’ to say the least. That explains some things about Stella’s personality and the way she sees the world. Caring, brave, standing on her own two feet, and oh so vulnerable, beautifully flawed, and standing on an invisible edge created by her past, haunting her with every chapter. Why is her mother back? I loved probing into their past. I felt as though, with each chapter bringing me closer to her life and the secrets around Stella, the further I was swimming away from the woman herself. I got to know her, but she kept slipping through my fingers.
As she invites her listeners to share what only the night can allow you to share, she battles with a man who thinks he has answers, a boyfriend I couldn’t warm to, a mother that left me puzzled and sad.
You see, a murder happened near the radio studio. Stella finds herself in the midst of it by chance. No, that is not chance. By fate. Fate and a big dose of bad luck. But such horrors are bound to make you think, aren’t they? So when clues are left for her, Stella doesn’t resist. Like the blacks and whites on a music sheet, she follows her path.
The plot, thick and chilling, echoes in my head as a classic pop music, with a slow beginning – inviting, intriguing, followed by the disturbing outbreak of drums making you jump at every sound. Because who is safe in the presence of secrets? Like a heartbeat, Stella’s story is told with its ups and down, in the form of ‘then’ and ‘now’, cut by another voice making you turn the pages faster, eager to go back to the studio room, with a false sense of safety with its walls and that door cutting you off from the outside world. But the world doesn’t need a door. It has phones, it has stars, it has your brain cells… Stella thinks, Stella feels. You think with her, you feel with her. Without my noticing, I began to feel anxious. Who was that dead woman? What is the connection with Stella? Why do we only get the final show? Tension cutting like the finest corner of a blank page invaded the space and suddenly, all the lights went off, then on again. My avid reader’s brain had rarely experienced such a strong sense of dread, mixed with a million other emotions, in so little time, in such a small space.
I was too busy getting all the feelings to truly ask myself those questions. I just wanted to shake my head in sync to Stella’s tune, which becomes darker as the number of pages grows. Louise Beech, queen of literary fiction, turned psychological thriller magician in the blink of an eye. Call Me Star Girl is the proof an author can evolve, find new voices, bring them to life while always, always, ALWAYS maintaining what makes her style so unique and addictive.
If you haven't experienced Louise Beech's phenomenal storytelling, grab Call Me Star Girl. Swim in the dark oceans of secrets, relish each word, meet characters ready to shake your world. Then go back and buy all of her books!!!!
April 23, 2019
Thoughts? Ha! Bloody hell, I don’t know. I can’t even begin to think of any words. I hurt. Way deep inside, like an awful physical pain that makes me want to curl up into a tiny ball under the duvet and just weep.
Louise Beech is one of maybe two authors who always manages to make me cry in the ugliest way possible. So when I heard she had gone down the dark path and written a psychological thriller, I felt relieved and my first thought was how I wouldn’t need to stock up on tissues and explain to my other half why my eyes were so red. There’s only so many times you can use the “I was chopping onions” excuse, you know.
How wrong I was. How massively wrong to think for just one second that Louise Beech would somehow stick to the “rules” of this genre. Because we all know by now this is an author who doesn’t fit neatly into a labeled box and neither does Call Me Star Girl. I was expecting something dark and boy, did I get that! But despite all the warnings, I was not prepared for how devastating this story would turn out to be.
Such incredible characterisation, such complex and multi-layered personalities, so many secrets and throughout it all a stunning Noir vibe, feeling like I was watching an old black and white movie and then the utterly exquisite writing, which just pulls you in, sweeps you up and away, becoming so immersed you forget everything and everyone around you, all the while stirring something deep inside. Call Me Star Girl is intensely compelling, emotional, memorable and thought-provoking. What would you do for love?
This is the kind of novel that causes book hangovers. I don’t know where to go from here. My heart is broken and nobody is able to elicit those kinds of emotions from me but the amazingly talented and incomparable Louise Beech. Wherever she goes, whatever she writes, I will follow her without a moment’s hesitation.
Louise Beech is one of maybe two authors who always manages to make me cry in the ugliest way possible. So when I heard she had gone down the dark path and written a psychological thriller, I felt relieved and my first thought was how I wouldn’t need to stock up on tissues and explain to my other half why my eyes were so red. There’s only so many times you can use the “I was chopping onions” excuse, you know.
How wrong I was. How massively wrong to think for just one second that Louise Beech would somehow stick to the “rules” of this genre. Because we all know by now this is an author who doesn’t fit neatly into a labeled box and neither does Call Me Star Girl. I was expecting something dark and boy, did I get that! But despite all the warnings, I was not prepared for how devastating this story would turn out to be.
Such incredible characterisation, such complex and multi-layered personalities, so many secrets and throughout it all a stunning Noir vibe, feeling like I was watching an old black and white movie and then the utterly exquisite writing, which just pulls you in, sweeps you up and away, becoming so immersed you forget everything and everyone around you, all the while stirring something deep inside. Call Me Star Girl is intensely compelling, emotional, memorable and thought-provoking. What would you do for love?
This is the kind of novel that causes book hangovers. I don’t know where to go from here. My heart is broken and nobody is able to elicit those kinds of emotions from me but the amazingly talented and incomparable Louise Beech. Wherever she goes, whatever she writes, I will follow her without a moment’s hesitation.
February 26, 2019
Louise Beech is such a versatile author, each of her books has made for an original read, each one has been different in tone, characters and plot, which for me means the author’s books are a “MUST” read. This is the author’s first foray into the psychological genre, but never fear yet again the author has written a book that has all her trademarks, a compelling plot, steeped in emotion, beautifully written, and yet within its covers lie a dark and disquieting read. Call Me Star Girl is a book that is guaranteed to haunt you long after you reach the last page of this all-consuming dark psychological thriller.
It’s Stella McKeever’s last ever radio show, and she wants to make sure it’s her best one yet, so decides to ask her listeners to share their secrets and in return she will share hers, which immediately gave me a sense of foreboding, we all know what happens when secrets are shared, right? Emotions are stirred, long buried memories are disturbed, a baring of the soul rarely ends in a ‘happy ever after’ for anyone. Throw into the mix the fact a local girl has been found murdered in an alley, and the scene is set. Louise Beech weaves a complex tale featuring flawed characters, layered in oodles of tension that made this novel such an unsettling but fabulous read.
I must congratulate the author on creating the perfect setting for this novel, As the reader it takes little imagination to summon up the radio station at night, a place where every shadow, and every noise adds a sense of trepidation to to the read, is someone hiding in the shadows? Or is Louise Beech toying with the reader? The authors characters have the ability to consume your every waking moment, they may be flawed, they may not be likeable, they may even be untrustworthy but I can guarantee their story will enthral you, you will eagerly turn the pages, looking to find how the pieces of this finely tuned puzzle fit together.
Told from the POV of Stella and Elizabeth the mother who abandoned her, you will experience feelings and emotions you never thought possible, their stories will pull at your heartstrings when you least expect it. The author explores themes of abandonment, sacrifice and love, and in doing so has written a tense and atmospheric read. In my humble opinion this is the author’s best book yet and a must read for those who love a riveting psychological thriller that’s very much character led but with a dark heart. It’s definitely a book that will be on my top reads of 2019 at the end of the year, and that’s a fact!
All my reviews can found at http://thebookreviewcafe.com
It’s Stella McKeever’s last ever radio show, and she wants to make sure it’s her best one yet, so decides to ask her listeners to share their secrets and in return she will share hers, which immediately gave me a sense of foreboding, we all know what happens when secrets are shared, right? Emotions are stirred, long buried memories are disturbed, a baring of the soul rarely ends in a ‘happy ever after’ for anyone. Throw into the mix the fact a local girl has been found murdered in an alley, and the scene is set. Louise Beech weaves a complex tale featuring flawed characters, layered in oodles of tension that made this novel such an unsettling but fabulous read.
I must congratulate the author on creating the perfect setting for this novel, As the reader it takes little imagination to summon up the radio station at night, a place where every shadow, and every noise adds a sense of trepidation to to the read, is someone hiding in the shadows? Or is Louise Beech toying with the reader? The authors characters have the ability to consume your every waking moment, they may be flawed, they may not be likeable, they may even be untrustworthy but I can guarantee their story will enthral you, you will eagerly turn the pages, looking to find how the pieces of this finely tuned puzzle fit together.
Told from the POV of Stella and Elizabeth the mother who abandoned her, you will experience feelings and emotions you never thought possible, their stories will pull at your heartstrings when you least expect it. The author explores themes of abandonment, sacrifice and love, and in doing so has written a tense and atmospheric read. In my humble opinion this is the author’s best book yet and a must read for those who love a riveting psychological thriller that’s very much character led but with a dark heart. It’s definitely a book that will be on my top reads of 2019 at the end of the year, and that’s a fact!
All my reviews can found at http://thebookreviewcafe.com
October 24, 2019
We are all a product of our parents. But who are Stella’s parents? When she was 12 her mum left her and she’s never known who her dad is. What does that do to a girl? Especially one who’s always been told that she came out wrong, one who’s always been convinced that she was boring her mum and one day to such an extent even, that her mum just upped and left. 14 years later this star-gazing girl is desperate not to bore the love of her life, so desperate in fact that she’d do anything to keep him entertained and to keep him in her life. Does the woman ever let go of the hurt inflicted on the little girl, even if she doesn’t speak of it or even consciously think about it? And does the mother ever fully realise the harm she’s done, before it’s too late?
This novel should be on the TBR of every Louise Beech fan, of every (psychological) thriller fan, of every fan of reading, really. It is of course a thriller, but a very emotional one, and as always, Louise steers clear of the cheap sob story elements. The thing is, she makes you care about her characters, deeply so and way too much, until they stop being characters and become real people. So when they inevitably get hurt in one way or another, you’re hurting along with them. So yes, to cut a long story short, Louise made me cry again! (I will have to start invoicing Orenda Books for all the tissues!)
There are simply not enough stars in the universe to allot to this novel, let alone on Goodreads or Amazon. I’ve read it at the end of December and I’m still in awe. Fabulous, amazing, glorious Louise, you have done it again!
This novel should be on the TBR of every Louise Beech fan, of every (psychological) thriller fan, of every fan of reading, really. It is of course a thriller, but a very emotional one, and as always, Louise steers clear of the cheap sob story elements. The thing is, she makes you care about her characters, deeply so and way too much, until they stop being characters and become real people. So when they inevitably get hurt in one way or another, you’re hurting along with them. So yes, to cut a long story short, Louise made me cry again! (I will have to start invoicing Orenda Books for all the tissues!)
There are simply not enough stars in the universe to allot to this novel, let alone on Goodreads or Amazon. I’ve read it at the end of December and I’m still in awe. Fabulous, amazing, glorious Louise, you have done it again!
April 28, 2019
Having now read all five of Louise Beech’s books, I don’t think there is anything that she cannot turn her author’s hand to.
Call Me Star Girl is her first foray into the psychological thriller genre and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Dark and atmospheric it really does make your spine tingle at times.
Most of the story is set in a radio studio where Stella is doing her last ever show. Stella does the late night slot and most of the time she is in the building on her own. This alone gave me the heebie jeebies let alone the noises and disturbances she hears from the empty building, especially given that a young girl was recently found murdered in a nearby alley. Who is the caller who keeps ringing to say he saw who killed her and why does he keep ringing Stella and not the police?
With chapters told from the perspective of Stella and her mother Elizabeth, this is more of a character driven story but one with a sinister undertone. Touching on abandonment issues and obsession, we see the real Stella, and not just the persona she puts on for her listeners. Her relationship with her boyfriend Tom is complex and it sometimes it seemed to me, a bit weird but hey, each to their own.
When I first started reading I wasn’t sure if I even liked Stella but as I learnt more of the history between her and Elizabeth, I had a clearer idea of why Stella behaves as she does. There were aspects of Stella’s backstory that were heartbreaking.
With excellent characterisation and a superbly unsettling plot, every twist and turn takes you ever closer to a dramatic and emotional finale. There were some parts that truly were a hand over the mouth in shock moment.
Call Me Star Girl is another winner from this very talented author. Bravo Louise Beech, you’ve written another cracker of a book!
Call Me Star Girl is her first foray into the psychological thriller genre and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Dark and atmospheric it really does make your spine tingle at times.
Most of the story is set in a radio studio where Stella is doing her last ever show. Stella does the late night slot and most of the time she is in the building on her own. This alone gave me the heebie jeebies let alone the noises and disturbances she hears from the empty building, especially given that a young girl was recently found murdered in a nearby alley. Who is the caller who keeps ringing to say he saw who killed her and why does he keep ringing Stella and not the police?
With chapters told from the perspective of Stella and her mother Elizabeth, this is more of a character driven story but one with a sinister undertone. Touching on abandonment issues and obsession, we see the real Stella, and not just the persona she puts on for her listeners. Her relationship with her boyfriend Tom is complex and it sometimes it seemed to me, a bit weird but hey, each to their own.
When I first started reading I wasn’t sure if I even liked Stella but as I learnt more of the history between her and Elizabeth, I had a clearer idea of why Stella behaves as she does. There were aspects of Stella’s backstory that were heartbreaking.
With excellent characterisation and a superbly unsettling plot, every twist and turn takes you ever closer to a dramatic and emotional finale. There were some parts that truly were a hand over the mouth in shock moment.
Call Me Star Girl is another winner from this very talented author. Bravo Louise Beech, you’ve written another cracker of a book!
January 27, 2019
Louise Beech is one of the UK’s most versatile writers. Each of her novels is completely different, and each time I finish one, I think, 'that's her best yet.' And then she delivers another magical read - EVERY time! Call Me Star Girl is her first foray into crime writing and it certainly shouldn't be her last. It bears all the trademarks of her writing - the power to utterly immerse you in the world she creates, complex and believable characters, and much exquisite writing along the way. But this is darker than her previous novels, and full of tension, with a beautifully pared-down tautness, and a shattering climax I didn’t see coming. This is Noir fiction at its best - atmospheric and addictive. I felt totally wrung out after finishing Call Me Star Girl, but I loved every minute of the ride
May 30, 2019
Finished reading: May 23rd 2019
"I shiver, look to my left and then my right. No one there.
It's just me.
Me and all my terrible gut feelings."
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
April 11, 2019
When I first saw the cover of this book and blurb I commented on Twitter, Karen from Orenda Books replied and said that this was Louise Beech’s best book yet….and hell was Karen right!
I loved The Mountain in My Shoe, adored Maria in the Moonand cried at The Lion Tamer Who Lost so I knew I would be onto a good thing but WOW….Call Me Star Girl just blew me away! Louise’s writing is absolutely flawless and whilst I wanted to know what happened but so did not want it to end.
Call Me Star Girl‘s main character is Stella McKeever, a young woman whose mother has reappeared in her life after deserting her at the age of 12. Stella is slowly rebuilding her mother/daughter relationship with her mother, Elizabeth and embarking on an intense relationship with Tom who she absolutely adores. The ‘now’ of the book is the evening of Stella’s last radio show and she has decided on the theme of secrets to try and get her listeners to open up to her and share their deepest, darkest secrets….what she doesn’t bet on is the mystery caller professing that he knows a huge secret.
Three weeks prior to ‘now’, heavily pregnant Victoria Valbon was murdered and her killer is still on the loose. This, understandably, has people of edge and initially creates the undercurrent of tension through the book.
What astounds me with this author is how her books are so different from each in terms of the subject matter, Call Me Star Girl is Louise’s first psychological thriller and by goodness, does she do it brilliantly. Stella’s character comes alive from the pages….I could hear her voice, picture her in the studio and feel her tension and fears. The author’s writing is just beautiful, from the very first page I was drawn in – fascinated by Stella, I wanted to know more about her. I didn’t have a clue as to the journey that Louise was taking us on but I bloody enjoyed the ride! The twists and turns in this book were wonderful, so many layers that come together brilliantly. This was enhanced by the flow of the dual narrative between Stella and Elizabeth and the shifts of time to tell the overall story. I do love a good dual narrative/timeline.
This book is most definitely one of my favourite reads of 2019 – if not number one on that list. Call Me Star Girl is a tense and chilling addictive read about secrets and obsession that I just couldn’t put down!
I cannot recommend Call Me Star Girl (or author!) enough….absolutely brilliant and a book that will stay with me for a long time.
I loved The Mountain in My Shoe, adored Maria in the Moonand cried at The Lion Tamer Who Lost so I knew I would be onto a good thing but WOW….Call Me Star Girl just blew me away! Louise’s writing is absolutely flawless and whilst I wanted to know what happened but so did not want it to end.
Call Me Star Girl‘s main character is Stella McKeever, a young woman whose mother has reappeared in her life after deserting her at the age of 12. Stella is slowly rebuilding her mother/daughter relationship with her mother, Elizabeth and embarking on an intense relationship with Tom who she absolutely adores. The ‘now’ of the book is the evening of Stella’s last radio show and she has decided on the theme of secrets to try and get her listeners to open up to her and share their deepest, darkest secrets….what she doesn’t bet on is the mystery caller professing that he knows a huge secret.
Three weeks prior to ‘now’, heavily pregnant Victoria Valbon was murdered and her killer is still on the loose. This, understandably, has people of edge and initially creates the undercurrent of tension through the book.
What astounds me with this author is how her books are so different from each in terms of the subject matter, Call Me Star Girl is Louise’s first psychological thriller and by goodness, does she do it brilliantly. Stella’s character comes alive from the pages….I could hear her voice, picture her in the studio and feel her tension and fears. The author’s writing is just beautiful, from the very first page I was drawn in – fascinated by Stella, I wanted to know more about her. I didn’t have a clue as to the journey that Louise was taking us on but I bloody enjoyed the ride! The twists and turns in this book were wonderful, so many layers that come together brilliantly. This was enhanced by the flow of the dual narrative between Stella and Elizabeth and the shifts of time to tell the overall story. I do love a good dual narrative/timeline.
This book is most definitely one of my favourite reads of 2019 – if not number one on that list. Call Me Star Girl is a tense and chilling addictive read about secrets and obsession that I just couldn’t put down!
I cannot recommend Call Me Star Girl (or author!) enough….absolutely brilliant and a book that will stay with me for a long time.
April 16, 2019
It is Stella McKeever’s last night working as a radio talk show host and tonight’s theme is all about secrets. She invites her listeners to call in to the show and expose their deepest darkest secrets, ones they have never told anyone else before. But, in doing so, Stella also feels compelled to tell her own. Especially when The Man Who Knows has been calling the radio station with the biggest secret of them all.
Louise Beech has written such a simple story and yet at the same time nothing is as simple as it seems. At times atmospheric and other times quite haunting, Beech has created a beautifully telling story that has an old world charm reminiscent of the old black and white movies I watched with my grandmother as a teen. I really was not quite sure what to expect when I first starting reading Call Me Star Girl, but I can tell you that Beech has captured something that not many authors can do which is take a modern story and turn it into a classic that will resonate with readers of any age. This is THE story that will stay with you long after the last page is read.
The story is mainly told through Stella’s eyes, but we do get pieces of her mother’s story in the past and present and in doing so you can see and sense the foreshadowing and foreboding the deeper you get into their lives. While nothing seems connected at first, you can slowly see each point coming together in brilliantly written twists that will leave you gasping. I thought I had it all figured out, but how wrong I was as those twists took another turn and you are led down a different path. I never saw the ending coming.
I also want to point out that even though this is a dark and chilling story, you can see and sense what it truly means to love someone with everything in your being. Love is another major theme that is shown through the pages. Love that is raw and complicated and you can see this with Stella and her mother who has reappeared in Stella’s life after abandoning her fourteen years earlier. Even though most of her adult years Stella was apart from her mother, you can see the similarities between the two of them and what they have both done in the name of love. It is really eye opening just reading the parallels they both share and how it is incorporated into the heart of this story.
Call Me Star Girl is gripping, exhilarating, and intoxicating. It will lead you down a labyrinth of twists and turns that will have you gasping never wanting the story to end. If you are in search of a story that is fresh and different then you for sure want to pick up a copy of this book. I can now see why Louise Beech is a fan favorite. I will certainly be adding her books to my TBR especially since Call Me Star Girl is at the top of my list for favorites books of 2019.
Louise Beech has written such a simple story and yet at the same time nothing is as simple as it seems. At times atmospheric and other times quite haunting, Beech has created a beautifully telling story that has an old world charm reminiscent of the old black and white movies I watched with my grandmother as a teen. I really was not quite sure what to expect when I first starting reading Call Me Star Girl, but I can tell you that Beech has captured something that not many authors can do which is take a modern story and turn it into a classic that will resonate with readers of any age. This is THE story that will stay with you long after the last page is read.
The story is mainly told through Stella’s eyes, but we do get pieces of her mother’s story in the past and present and in doing so you can see and sense the foreshadowing and foreboding the deeper you get into their lives. While nothing seems connected at first, you can slowly see each point coming together in brilliantly written twists that will leave you gasping. I thought I had it all figured out, but how wrong I was as those twists took another turn and you are led down a different path. I never saw the ending coming.
I also want to point out that even though this is a dark and chilling story, you can see and sense what it truly means to love someone with everything in your being. Love is another major theme that is shown through the pages. Love that is raw and complicated and you can see this with Stella and her mother who has reappeared in Stella’s life after abandoning her fourteen years earlier. Even though most of her adult years Stella was apart from her mother, you can see the similarities between the two of them and what they have both done in the name of love. It is really eye opening just reading the parallels they both share and how it is incorporated into the heart of this story.
Call Me Star Girl is gripping, exhilarating, and intoxicating. It will lead you down a labyrinth of twists and turns that will have you gasping never wanting the story to end. If you are in search of a story that is fresh and different then you for sure want to pick up a copy of this book. I can now see why Louise Beech is a fan favorite. I will certainly be adding her books to my TBR especially since Call Me Star Girl is at the top of my list for favorites books of 2019.
June 12, 2020
Call Me Star Girl. An intriguing title if ever there was one. A girl comfortable in the dark. A girl that ultimately becomes a product of her upbringing. Tragedy, survival, and a precious memento that brings light into the darkest of days. No childhood is perfect and for that matter neither is any mother. Hell, I’ve made mistakes in my journey as a mother but never for one second have, I ever imagined abandoning any of my children. This narrative was enticingly chilling – imagining a young impressionable child being left alone in the world longing for that connection with a parent and instead being faced with the selfishness of a parent.
Heartbreakingly dark, Call Me Star Girl was my second outing with Louise Beech – having previously read and reviewed I am Dust. I personally didn’t feel that Call Me Star Girl was as powerful and brutal as I am Dust, but it is a highly enjoyable read all the same. I love just how clever and thought-provoking Beech’s novels are. You have an intricate plot with highly flawed characters and a disturbing atmosphere. All the perfect ingredients to grab the readers attention and keep it.
Psychological thrillers are one of my favourite genres. I have read so many of them, especially in the last year and sometimes the magic and mystery can wear off. One aspect that will have an instant winner in my view is the emotional connection I have to the main characters. I had big problem with Stella’s mother. The mother who abandoned her twelve years ago. I mean hate is quite a strong word, but I felt it was pushing it towards that for me. I know that everyone’s situation and experience of motherhood can indeed be different, but I could not abandon my own children. Too often the scenes describing Stella’s childhood had me shaking with rage. Her mother was never there physically, she always wanted to be somewhere else. It was incredibly cold and unloving.
A local girl, someone unknown but has now been put on a pedestal due to the heinous act that led to her murder. A pregnant girl, who would do such a thing? The parallels were not lost on me. The similarities between Stella and Victoria were close. Two childhoods lost. Call Me Star Girl gave us a crime that that was as twisted as the cables behind my tv. The setting of this murder, the atmosphere, and the culpability. Just who would kill a young girl and her child.
The mystery aspect of the book wasn’t a big mystery. You could get a sense of where things were leading to and at different points the plot seemed to get a little confused. The actions of Stella were embroiled in the trauma that could be causally linked to the treatment from her mother. I couldn’t understand why she wasn’t angrier at her mother just re-entering her life. The execution just wasn’t as slick as I would have liked.
Heartbreakingly dark, Call Me Star Girl was my second outing with Louise Beech – having previously read and reviewed I am Dust. I personally didn’t feel that Call Me Star Girl was as powerful and brutal as I am Dust, but it is a highly enjoyable read all the same. I love just how clever and thought-provoking Beech’s novels are. You have an intricate plot with highly flawed characters and a disturbing atmosphere. All the perfect ingredients to grab the readers attention and keep it.
Psychological thrillers are one of my favourite genres. I have read so many of them, especially in the last year and sometimes the magic and mystery can wear off. One aspect that will have an instant winner in my view is the emotional connection I have to the main characters. I had big problem with Stella’s mother. The mother who abandoned her twelve years ago. I mean hate is quite a strong word, but I felt it was pushing it towards that for me. I know that everyone’s situation and experience of motherhood can indeed be different, but I could not abandon my own children. Too often the scenes describing Stella’s childhood had me shaking with rage. Her mother was never there physically, she always wanted to be somewhere else. It was incredibly cold and unloving.
A local girl, someone unknown but has now been put on a pedestal due to the heinous act that led to her murder. A pregnant girl, who would do such a thing? The parallels were not lost on me. The similarities between Stella and Victoria were close. Two childhoods lost. Call Me Star Girl gave us a crime that that was as twisted as the cables behind my tv. The setting of this murder, the atmosphere, and the culpability. Just who would kill a young girl and her child.
The mystery aspect of the book wasn’t a big mystery. You could get a sense of where things were leading to and at different points the plot seemed to get a little confused. The actions of Stella were embroiled in the trauma that could be causally linked to the treatment from her mother. I couldn’t understand why she wasn’t angrier at her mother just re-entering her life. The execution just wasn’t as slick as I would have liked.
December 17, 2018
Stella is a DJ at a local radio station, who is in love with Tom, a hospital porter. Her mother left home when she was twelve, then reappeared fourteen years later. A local girl has been found murdered in an alley. From these basic facts, Louise Beech weaves a complex narrative of disturbed characters and mounting tension laced with unexpected dark humour.
We see events through Stella's eyes as she broadcasts her final show for the station WLCR, and also as she looks back on her life; and in other chapters we see through the eyes of Elizabeth, the flawed, selfish mother trying to make up for lost time. Piece by piece, information drips out, as we try to figure out who killed the dead girl, and why. The atmosphere grows increasingly dark and unsettling and we are forced to question who we can trust.
It's a brave, clever and completely original book, and it's unputdownable. This one is going to be a huge bestseller - mark my words!
We see events through Stella's eyes as she broadcasts her final show for the station WLCR, and also as she looks back on her life; and in other chapters we see through the eyes of Elizabeth, the flawed, selfish mother trying to make up for lost time. Piece by piece, information drips out, as we try to figure out who killed the dead girl, and why. The atmosphere grows increasingly dark and unsettling and we are forced to question who we can trust.
It's a brave, clever and completely original book, and it's unputdownable. This one is going to be a huge bestseller - mark my words!
February 10, 2019
Call Me Star Girl sees Louise Beech's writing take a darker turn with this book firmly in the psychological thriller category. Stella McKeever is a late night radio host and tonight is her last show. She invites her listeners to ring in and reveal their secrets. One of her callers says he knows all about the recent unsolved murder of a young pregnant woman. Stella thinks someone has been hanging around the radio station after her shows and worries it might be this man. Her mother has recently come back into her life after abandoning her for fourteen years and Stella's relationship with her boyfriend is rather intense. As the evening wears on, secrets are revealed by her listeners and by Stella herself.
I have to admit that I was a bit unsure about where this story was going at first but my curiosity was piqued by the author's compelling mix of chapters in the past and present, narrated by Stella and her mother. Before long, I was caught up in Stella's story, worried for her safety and wondering what secrets she was keeping.
This story is full of twists and turns which definitely took me by surprise, right up to the end. Louise Beech brilliantly ramps up the tension and maintains an unsettling atmosphere throughout the book. The three main characters, Stella, her mother Elizabeth and her boyfriend Tom are quite fascinating and the more you find out about them, the more you wonder just who you should trust. This tautly written story builds up to a shocking and completely unexpected ending. A dark story about secrets and the things people will do for love, this would make an excellent film I feel.
I have to admit that I was a bit unsure about where this story was going at first but my curiosity was piqued by the author's compelling mix of chapters in the past and present, narrated by Stella and her mother. Before long, I was caught up in Stella's story, worried for her safety and wondering what secrets she was keeping.
This story is full of twists and turns which definitely took me by surprise, right up to the end. Louise Beech brilliantly ramps up the tension and maintains an unsettling atmosphere throughout the book. The three main characters, Stella, her mother Elizabeth and her boyfriend Tom are quite fascinating and the more you find out about them, the more you wonder just who you should trust. This tautly written story builds up to a shocking and completely unexpected ending. A dark story about secrets and the things people will do for love, this would make an excellent film I feel.
May 10, 2019
A subtle but immensely powerful Psychological Thriller.
I've adored all the earlier books by this author and was intrigued and a little nervous to read her first thriller, I needn't have worried! Call Me Star Girl delivers the necessary mystery, intrigue, tension, and unease required by this genre but what takes this book to another level is the beautiful writing, characterisation and emotional depth packed within this book.
For me the pacing was perfect, the telling of the story through the voices of the key characters was skilfully delivered, I was completely caught up in Stella's story, the heartbreak and fear of abandonment, the guilt of her mother and the impact that off the cuff comments can have on a person's view and expectation of themselves. As well as being an emotional wreck, I was led down many avenues of summation about the murdered girl, none of them right and I loved the creepy, claustrophobic unease of her last night at the radio station, which had my nerves in shreds and resulted in me checking the locks over and over and unable to sleep until I reached the end.
Unreserved 5 stars
I've adored all the earlier books by this author and was intrigued and a little nervous to read her first thriller, I needn't have worried! Call Me Star Girl delivers the necessary mystery, intrigue, tension, and unease required by this genre but what takes this book to another level is the beautiful writing, characterisation and emotional depth packed within this book.
For me the pacing was perfect, the telling of the story through the voices of the key characters was skilfully delivered, I was completely caught up in Stella's story, the heartbreak and fear of abandonment, the guilt of her mother and the impact that off the cuff comments can have on a person's view and expectation of themselves. As well as being an emotional wreck, I was led down many avenues of summation about the murdered girl, none of them right and I loved the creepy, claustrophobic unease of her last night at the radio station, which had my nerves in shreds and resulted in me checking the locks over and over and unable to sleep until I reached the end.
Unreserved 5 stars
February 23, 2019
As with every LB book, they’re unique, entertaining and get you right in the gut (in a good way). Thanks to Orenda for this copy:)
March 31, 2019
How do you even comprehend in writing a review for a book like this? I know when I read The Lion Tamer Who Lost I took straight to my blog and brain dumped, it was not coherent just a huge mess of teary words. This time I have come back to my blog to find some words to write this review, I am not in a mess of tears but I got choked up in the end and I was shocked and moved by the ending because quite frankly I could not see how this was going to end and I really did not want it to end!
With this book, I listened to it and I read it, I had a day in the office to myself and started the book and practically finished it in that day. The narrator was awesome and I felt she had captured Stella and Elizabeth both so perfectly. She got them and it made the listening that much more magical and harrowing. Plus I could imagine the narrator, Katy Sobey, being on the radio, her voice is pure magic. I will definitely be listening to more books by her!
The secrets we uncovered on Stella’s last show, well some were of the normal variety and well some discoveries, especially in the Stella and Tom chapters were…spicer and at times quite dark.
Despite the darkness of this book and the secrets, the main force driving this book, for me, was love. The intense kind that could quite literally drive you to murder, the kind where you are so wrapped up in each other that it is so intense you forsake all others. Not just between two lovers but a mothers love too. You could imagine this sort of love being viewed as being quite twisted, selfish, dark and damaging to others, but when you look at it simplistically, it is just a love that is so pure. So pure, it has been stripped back to the rawest form, to it’s hungriest form where it just overpowers you and as I said quite literally makes you forsake all others. This is the type of love Stella has for Tom, and Elizabeth (Stella’s mother) has for Stella’s unknown father.
Whilst Stella is playing out her last ever show, wanting to know your secrets, it is clear there are many secrets kept from her. Her mother, Tom and ‘The man who knows’ all have their secrets but are they willing participants in this evening’s plans?
Not only are we dealing with secrets but we have a murderer on the loose, a pregnant woman has been murdered, Victoria, but what is it about her death that is affecting Stella and those around her so much?
For this being a first-time foray into the darkness of a thriller, it paid off. It felt like this was not Louise’s first rodeo into this world, the thrill was spot on, the darkness and intensity of the story all worked for me. All through the words that were not wasted. Every word, sentence, paragraph and page served a purpose, it was not wishy-washy, it was tight and precise and left you wanting more. The chapters are short and snappy and they flit between Stella and Elizabeth and then and now. I love this with books, they build the picture and boy was there a bigger picture to be built here.
I loved the darkness in this book, and I think about 60ish% through the book, there was a moment where I stopped what I was doing and quite simply said the words “F**k” I even sent a message to my friends, with no other words but ‘this book’. I was shocked, I did not see this revelation coming and it turned everything I thought I knew about this book on its head. Beyond epic is all I can say. I think Amazeballs is a word I generally band about too!
Call Me Star Girl was powerful, haunting and beautifully done, this will stay with me. And do not be surprised to see this in my Top books for 2019 that is for sure!
Last time I read a book by Louise I rushed out and brought all the books that she has written, I cannot do it this time but I know that I can safely say that if I hadn’t already learned the first time, that all her books in the future will be on pre-order. I am kicking myself that I have not read her other books yet, but they are sitting pretty on my shelf calling me…..or was that Stella??
Okay, I think this less than coherent fangirl message has made some sort of point I wanted to make!
April 26, 2019
Where to start with Louise Beech’s step into the dark world of psychological thrillers? As the story unfolded on my kindle, I could feel my chest tighten. Who had killed #poorpoorVictoria?? Who is the #babykiller?!
Having met Louise Beech, I imagined Stella’s dulcet tones to be not far off the author’s as the radio presenter clocks in for her final shift. And what a show it is she has to endure. Our Stella had planned a night of secrets, getting her late night listeners to share some of their skeletons in their cupboards. Little does she know what is in store.
Ms Beech really can write relationships in a special way and yet again she’s encompassed this theme into #StarGirl. Each of Stella’s relationships are unique. Being estranged from her mother for so long and for her to return to her life made for interesting reading. Her boyfriend Tom gave me the chills. I for one don’t like his sort of games. This instantly put me on edge with him. I couldn’t warm to him in the slightest.
As with Ms Beech’s other novels, this is a beautifully written novel but it’s all wrapped up in the darkness surrounding the mystery of who killed Victoria. What Ms Beech has written is a complex tale that kept me guessing all the way through and made me gasp several times as the truth gradually comes out of the darkness. Each time I venture into the author’s mind, I don’t know what to expect and Call Me Star Girl is no exception – I could not see the clear path of where Stella’s story was going. This is another cracking book in the library of Louise Beech’s writing.
Having met Louise Beech, I imagined Stella’s dulcet tones to be not far off the author’s as the radio presenter clocks in for her final shift. And what a show it is she has to endure. Our Stella had planned a night of secrets, getting her late night listeners to share some of their skeletons in their cupboards. Little does she know what is in store.
Ms Beech really can write relationships in a special way and yet again she’s encompassed this theme into #StarGirl. Each of Stella’s relationships are unique. Being estranged from her mother for so long and for her to return to her life made for interesting reading. Her boyfriend Tom gave me the chills. I for one don’t like his sort of games. This instantly put me on edge with him. I couldn’t warm to him in the slightest.
As with Ms Beech’s other novels, this is a beautifully written novel but it’s all wrapped up in the darkness surrounding the mystery of who killed Victoria. What Ms Beech has written is a complex tale that kept me guessing all the way through and made me gasp several times as the truth gradually comes out of the darkness. Each time I venture into the author’s mind, I don’t know what to expect and Call Me Star Girl is no exception – I could not see the clear path of where Stella’s story was going. This is another cracking book in the library of Louise Beech’s writing.
April 12, 2019
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the tour organiser
CALL ME STAR GIRL by Louise Beech is this author's first foray into the thriller genre and I can safely say that it will never be the same again (in a good way!!).
It is the final night of Stella McKeever's radio show and she is determined to go out with a bang and what better theme to get the blood thumping than secrets? Secrets have a power like no other - the power to make you smile, cry, or tremble with fear - and as a particular caller claims he knows a very dark secret, the identity of a killer no less, Stella wants to know it all. Or does she?
Louise Beech's writing has always had the power to entrance me and CALL ME STAR GIRL is no different. The pace, the use of past and present to portray the narrative, and the intense isolation of the character in the setting of the radio booth at night, all combined to make my pulse speed up and keep my eyes glued to the page. The character of Stella is superbly executed and as I learned more about her and her past, I felt what she felt and couldn't put this book down until I knew what the heck was going on and how Stella was connected.
CALL ME STAR GIRL by Louise Beech is an exceptional story written by an exceptional author, and I cannot wait for Louise's next book. No, really, when will it be?!?!
CALL ME STAR GIRL by Louise Beech is this author's first foray into the thriller genre and I can safely say that it will never be the same again (in a good way!!).
It is the final night of Stella McKeever's radio show and she is determined to go out with a bang and what better theme to get the blood thumping than secrets? Secrets have a power like no other - the power to make you smile, cry, or tremble with fear - and as a particular caller claims he knows a very dark secret, the identity of a killer no less, Stella wants to know it all. Or does she?
Louise Beech's writing has always had the power to entrance me and CALL ME STAR GIRL is no different. The pace, the use of past and present to portray the narrative, and the intense isolation of the character in the setting of the radio booth at night, all combined to make my pulse speed up and keep my eyes glued to the page. The character of Stella is superbly executed and as I learned more about her and her past, I felt what she felt and couldn't put this book down until I knew what the heck was going on and how Stella was connected.
CALL ME STAR GIRL by Louise Beech is an exceptional story written by an exceptional author, and I cannot wait for Louise's next book. No, really, when will it be?!?!
April 21, 2019
So this is actually the first novel I’ve read by Louise Beech and her first foray into psychological thrillers.
This was such a beautifully written and at times poignant story, which surprised me how emotionally invested I got with the characters.
We follow Stella for her last broadcast, going backwards and forwards in her life and how she ended up at this point. The mystery of the death of pregnant Victoria Valbon hangs over her, a man phones the station claims he knows what happened to Victoria that night. Stella wants to know what he know but what will happen when she knows everything?
Stella is a damaged individual, abandoned by her mother when she was twelve, she never knew her father. She’s determined to not bore anyone and flits from one relationship to the other not getting close, that is until Tom. Their relationship is intense, dark and even at times a little disturbing, constantly playing games with each other.
Then her mother reappears in her life. I can’t say I much liked her, hate would probably be too strong a word. As a mother I found it hard to compute abandoning your child for whatever reason, even now when son is a moody teenager 99% of the time!
My only complaint was I felt the mystery aspect was not the strongest in the overall story, in fact I found I wanted a little bit more from it, I’m greedy I know!
Call Me Star Girl is a beautiful and at times haunting story, that will chill you to your core.
This was such a beautifully written and at times poignant story, which surprised me how emotionally invested I got with the characters.
We follow Stella for her last broadcast, going backwards and forwards in her life and how she ended up at this point. The mystery of the death of pregnant Victoria Valbon hangs over her, a man phones the station claims he knows what happened to Victoria that night. Stella wants to know what he know but what will happen when she knows everything?
Stella is a damaged individual, abandoned by her mother when she was twelve, she never knew her father. She’s determined to not bore anyone and flits from one relationship to the other not getting close, that is until Tom. Their relationship is intense, dark and even at times a little disturbing, constantly playing games with each other.
Then her mother reappears in her life. I can’t say I much liked her, hate would probably be too strong a word. As a mother I found it hard to compute abandoning your child for whatever reason, even now when son is a moody teenager 99% of the time!
My only complaint was I felt the mystery aspect was not the strongest in the overall story, in fact I found I wanted a little bit more from it, I’m greedy I know!
Call Me Star Girl is a beautiful and at times haunting story, that will chill you to your core.
January 8, 2019
As psychological thrillers go this is up there with the best. I totally loved The lion tamer who lost, a brilliant love story so was curious to see Louise's first foray into crime. She does not disappoint. A shocking sometimes quite spine chilling story of a radio host who is on her last show. Stella was abandoned by her mother at 12years old and the story is told by Stella and her mother. The murder of a young pregnant woman in an alleyway has everyone wondering who did it. Stella has a caller who says he knows all and who left the book about a murderer in the foyer? A cleverly crafted story which had me wondering to the end. Well done Louise Beech. I look forward to reading more of your books.
May 8, 2020
Just brilliant
May 1, 2019
This is my first Louise Beech novel and one of the most original psychological thrillers I have ever read. It is beautifully written and has an ever twisting plot that grabs you and doesn't let go....I'm still thinking about those dark, unsettling characters. Looking forward to reading more of LB's work.
March 30, 2020
3.5 stars
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