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Exposé
Superstar actor Adam Jaymes launches a mischievous plot to destroy the world’s biggest selling tabloid newspaper – one reporter at a time.
"One of the best books I've read this year. If you've ever wanted to see one of the tabloid papers brought down, then this is the novel for you. Just brilliant." ☆☆☆☆☆ Sarah Woodall, Goodreads
Take a deep dive into the scandalous world of celebrities and the tabloid press with Paul Ilett’s darkly comical thriller Exposé. Actor Adam Jaymes has a lifetime of grudges against the world’s biggest selling tabloid, the Daily Ear, and its notorious team of ruthless journalists. This includes sharp-tongued columnist Valerie Pierce, ‘kiss and tell’ king Colin Merroney, and photographer Jason Spade, who will do anything to get the picture he wants
But Adam is now married to one of the world's wealthiest men, and finally has the resources to take his revenge. He launches a deliciously mischievous plot to turn the tables on Valerie and her tabloid colleagues, by investigating their private lives - and exposing their secrets for all to see.
Exposé is a sensational thriller dripping with black humour. If you like characters you love to hate, sizzling satire, and hilarious surprises, then you’ll adore Paul Ilett’s addictive, page-turning satirical thriller.
“Brilliantly observed and devilishly demanding. Exposé is a can’t-put-it-down riot. A triumph." ☆☆☆☆☆ Jake Hook, TheGayUK
“Great writing. A fantastic debut novel from a former journalist” ☆☆☆☆☆ Jenny Green, The Sun
"One of the best books I've read this year. If you've ever wanted to see one of the tabloid papers brought down, then this is the novel for you. Just brilliant." ☆☆☆☆☆ Sarah Woodall, Goodreads
Take a deep dive into the scandalous world of celebrities and the tabloid press with Paul Ilett’s darkly comical thriller Exposé. Actor Adam Jaymes has a lifetime of grudges against the world’s biggest selling tabloid, the Daily Ear, and its notorious team of ruthless journalists. This includes sharp-tongued columnist Valerie Pierce, ‘kiss and tell’ king Colin Merroney, and photographer Jason Spade, who will do anything to get the picture he wants
But Adam is now married to one of the world's wealthiest men, and finally has the resources to take his revenge. He launches a deliciously mischievous plot to turn the tables on Valerie and her tabloid colleagues, by investigating their private lives - and exposing their secrets for all to see.
Exposé is a sensational thriller dripping with black humour. If you like characters you love to hate, sizzling satire, and hilarious surprises, then you’ll adore Paul Ilett’s addictive, page-turning satirical thriller.
“Brilliantly observed and devilishly demanding. Exposé is a can’t-put-it-down riot. A triumph." ☆☆☆☆☆ Jake Hook, TheGayUK
“Great writing. A fantastic debut novel from a former journalist” ☆☆☆☆☆ Jenny Green, The Sun
Paperback
First published October 1, 2014
About the author
Paul Ilett
5 books38 followersHi, I'm Paul and I've been writing my whole life. I spent more than a decade working as a journalist, which gave me plenty of material for my first two novels (Exposé and Exposed), but it's my experience of growing up in a large, multi-generational family that gave me the inspiration for my new novel, Five Siblings at 23. It's the story of a family with many, many secrets!
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 49 reviews
March 13, 2020
Exposé by Paul Ilett is the story of The Daily Ear tabloid newspaper in London and a celebrity that decides he has had enough of their stories and decides to turn the tables on them. Reporters must have secrets, too. Right? The journalists and the public were kept on pins and needles as every three days there is a new revelation.
Most of the characters in this book are unsympathetic. However, they did have distinct voices with their own flaws and virtues. The internal and external conflicts for each main character were well defined and arose out of characterization and circumstance rather than feeling contrived or forced. There were a couple of plot twists and turns that were not expected.
Despite this being well-written, I felt it was just an okay read for me. I am obviously in the minority of reviewers and feel that I am not the intended audience for this book. It was interesting, but not for me.
I won a digital copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Thanks go to Goodreads, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Most of the characters in this book are unsympathetic. However, they did have distinct voices with their own flaws and virtues. The internal and external conflicts for each main character were well defined and arose out of characterization and circumstance rather than feeling contrived or forced. There were a couple of plot twists and turns that were not expected.
Despite this being well-written, I felt it was just an okay read for me. I am obviously in the minority of reviewers and feel that I am not the intended audience for this book. It was interesting, but not for me.
I won a digital copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Thanks go to Goodreads, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
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June 25, 2019Unpleasant and boring. Skim-read looking for dialogue, characterisation or a moral centre. 0/3.
August 12, 2017
This book skewers Britain's celeb obsessed Tabloids and their employees. Very few American newspapers would put a celebrity above the fold but in the UK it is an industry and the Daily Ear has spent the past 20 years going from boring to must read with the assistance of a dedicated staff of celeb muckrakers. Using the philosophy that if one is a celeb one is therefore opening all aspects of their life to examination; they have ruined lives, marriages and more. One celebrity is mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore. Adam Jaymes, a child star, turned Doctor Who companion turned musical theater star has the whole world in his hand. He is just about universally beloved and when he turns the tables on the staff of the Daily Ear the people are cheering.
First Colin the 'King of Kiss and Tell' who has uncovered celebrity and non celebrity scandals for years is unmasked as being a cheating husband, then Valerie the vitriolic columnist who rails against gay marriage and other 'crimes against society' is show to be a bitter resentful hypocrite. The entire world is watching as Adam's website releases the truth behind the people who hide behind their Press passes to wreck lives. The author adds fun bits of fictional twitter excerpts and articles and story comments following each unmasking so you get a feel for the public's feelings.
It is easy to sit back and be gleeful as the nasty people seem to get their comeuppance but in reality this book asks the same question many people grappled with 20 years ago following the death of Princess Diana. Do you blame the Press for writing these stories and hunting the people who they put in the publication? Do you blame the people who read these stories; if no one bought a magazine or paper that splashed a celebrity scandal across the front page then the papers would stop reporting on them. And what about the celebrities themselves? In a culture where one can be famous for being famous; Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, cast of the shows like the Bachelor and Big Brother, is there a trade off of privacy for fame? And lastly what gives the Press the right to pass judgment upon people and what constitutes news? And what percentage of a story needs to be truthful?
The final chapter unmasks the person who truly wanted revenge and why, but I actually felt this detracted from the book.
First Colin the 'King of Kiss and Tell' who has uncovered celebrity and non celebrity scandals for years is unmasked as being a cheating husband, then Valerie the vitriolic columnist who rails against gay marriage and other 'crimes against society' is show to be a bitter resentful hypocrite. The entire world is watching as Adam's website releases the truth behind the people who hide behind their Press passes to wreck lives. The author adds fun bits of fictional twitter excerpts and articles and story comments following each unmasking so you get a feel for the public's feelings.
It is easy to sit back and be gleeful as the nasty people seem to get their comeuppance but in reality this book asks the same question many people grappled with 20 years ago following the death of Princess Diana. Do you blame the Press for writing these stories and hunting the people who they put in the publication? Do you blame the people who read these stories; if no one bought a magazine or paper that splashed a celebrity scandal across the front page then the papers would stop reporting on them. And what about the celebrities themselves? In a culture where one can be famous for being famous; Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, cast of the shows like the Bachelor and Big Brother, is there a trade off of privacy for fame? And lastly what gives the Press the right to pass judgment upon people and what constitutes news? And what percentage of a story needs to be truthful?
The final chapter unmasks the person who truly wanted revenge and why, but I actually felt this detracted from the book.
March 17, 2020
I'm not sure how this could have been awarded #1 Amazon best seller in gay fiction. What I mean is that there are gay characters but they are not of the MC category ... and the only prominent gay sometimes came across as an avenging antagonist. By midway through the book, I had come to accept that there would be no M-M action, no gay romance. I wouldn't call this a comedy even though there are some absurd/ironic moments. Some reviewers have called it a satire and I agree the author shines a harsh and unflattering light on people who staff a popular trashy tabloid rag in the UK (the fate of the News of the World gets some mention in fact).
For me, this read more like the Agatha Christie title And Then There Were None, whereby a cast of generally unlikable characters are trapped awaiting their 'doom' ... in this case, having the tables turned on them by a powerful and popular media star - exposing their humiliating secrets online one by one. No-one dies ... but reputations are destroyed, careers & egos killed, the powerful are brought low. One can almost call it redemptive insofar that some characters get a chance to take stock of their lives, re-evaluate their raison d'etre, take a cold hard look at their life choices and actions and the impact they have had on loved ones and colleagues.
Nearing the end, there is an unexpected plot twist regarding a fairly innocuous character in a confrontational showdown ... but the Agatha Christie-like surprises kept coming with the epilogue giving readers a reveal on the hidden machinations of a minor character, throwing the events of the book into a whole new light! A 3.5 stars read.
For me, this read more like the Agatha Christie title And Then There Were None, whereby a cast of generally unlikable characters are trapped awaiting their 'doom' ... in this case, having the tables turned on them by a powerful and popular media star - exposing their humiliating secrets online one by one. No-one dies ... but reputations are destroyed, careers & egos killed, the powerful are brought low. One can almost call it redemptive insofar that some characters get a chance to take stock of their lives, re-evaluate their raison d'etre, take a cold hard look at their life choices and actions and the impact they have had on loved ones and colleagues.
Nearing the end, there is an unexpected plot twist regarding a fairly innocuous character in a confrontational showdown ... but the Agatha Christie-like surprises kept coming with the epilogue giving readers a reveal on the hidden machinations of a minor character, throwing the events of the book into a whole new light! A 3.5 stars read.
May 24, 2017
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
And I can honestly say that I really enjoyed this book! In a nutshell, a celebrity turns the tables on a tabloid newspaper by digging the dirt on its employees, exposing their secrets in a public way, complete with sensationalist headlines. However, these employees are not cardboard cutout stereotype sleazebags. In fact the story mostly comes from their perspectives as flawed human beings, who have their owns problems and issues which the reader can (sometimes) sympathise with. Also, the book weighs in with vox pops in some chapters comprised of tweets, posts and interview snippets to gauge public opinion of the events as they unfold, which I thought was a nice touch. The only criticism I have is that there were a few too many characters and I found myself backtracking now and again to remember who was who. Otherwise, great story which I could see being effortlessly adapted into a TV miniseries without losing any impact of the original.
And I can honestly say that I really enjoyed this book! In a nutshell, a celebrity turns the tables on a tabloid newspaper by digging the dirt on its employees, exposing their secrets in a public way, complete with sensationalist headlines. However, these employees are not cardboard cutout stereotype sleazebags. In fact the story mostly comes from their perspectives as flawed human beings, who have their owns problems and issues which the reader can (sometimes) sympathise with. Also, the book weighs in with vox pops in some chapters comprised of tweets, posts and interview snippets to gauge public opinion of the events as they unfold, which I thought was a nice touch. The only criticism I have is that there were a few too many characters and I found myself backtracking now and again to remember who was who. Otherwise, great story which I could see being effortlessly adapted into a TV miniseries without losing any impact of the original.
June 19, 2016
I give this book 3.5 stars. It wasn't a bad book at all.
This book came up on Twitter, and the cover intrigued me immediately. Reading into it, I knew this was a book that I would probably enjoy - I love celebrities, love journalism, and I love exposés. It had a really great premise, so I bought a copy as soon as possible.
Let's start with, not the bad - as this was not a bad book at all - but the 'let downs'. I sometimes felt like the exposés were a bit boring. I wanted scandal, I wanted shock, I wanted disbelief, but for most of them I was just a bit bored of them. I suppose they were quite personal to the characters, but to me I felt like if that came out about someone in the public eye it would be news for less than an hour.
There were quite a few characters, and I lost track of a few of them. Some of them didn't really have much depth, either. I was hoping to see more of Adam Jaymes, follow more of his life, but unfortunately despite him delivering the exposés, he wasn't in it that much. I thought Adam Jaymes was quite a dynamic character, and one that had some interest and backstory to him.
Now to the good - Paul's writing is very good, and whilst it does miss punctuation at times, he did manage to keep me gripped. I know I said the exposés were a little boring, but they weren't boring enough to lose my interest. I also really liked how Paul grasped the media industry and journalism. The Daily Ear reminded me greatly of News of the World, and some of the journalists reminded me of the likes of Katie Hopkins and Dan Wootton. The sad tale of Pearl was a reoccurring theme, and it made me feel like what happened to her - a life humiliated by The Daily Ear - could really happen in real life. Sadly, people will do anything to get their 'exclusives' and that's exactly what these journalists did in this.
Another good thing is the premise. Can you imagine one day waking up to find that celebrities were hunting down journalists and exposing their secrets?! Is it bad I kind of hope that does happen?! I'd love Dan Wootton to get a taste of his own medicine one day.
The final thing I really liked, which nudged this story to a close 4 star rating, was the final exposé and the big twist at the end. If this had gone on a little longer it would have really got me interested! It was so cleverly written. The character in question was always around, but they never raised my suspicion and that's perfect. I was genuinely shocked but it all started to fall in to place. I really enjoyed the end.
I hope that maybe soon, Paul will write a story solely on Adam Jaymes - his rise to fame and meeting his husband perhaps? I liked the LGBT themes. I would love to read more books by Paul in the future.
This book came up on Twitter, and the cover intrigued me immediately. Reading into it, I knew this was a book that I would probably enjoy - I love celebrities, love journalism, and I love exposés. It had a really great premise, so I bought a copy as soon as possible.
Let's start with, not the bad - as this was not a bad book at all - but the 'let downs'. I sometimes felt like the exposés were a bit boring. I wanted scandal, I wanted shock, I wanted disbelief, but for most of them I was just a bit bored of them. I suppose they were quite personal to the characters, but to me I felt like if that came out about someone in the public eye it would be news for less than an hour.
There were quite a few characters, and I lost track of a few of them. Some of them didn't really have much depth, either. I was hoping to see more of Adam Jaymes, follow more of his life, but unfortunately despite him delivering the exposés, he wasn't in it that much. I thought Adam Jaymes was quite a dynamic character, and one that had some interest and backstory to him.
Now to the good - Paul's writing is very good, and whilst it does miss punctuation at times, he did manage to keep me gripped. I know I said the exposés were a little boring, but they weren't boring enough to lose my interest. I also really liked how Paul grasped the media industry and journalism. The Daily Ear reminded me greatly of News of the World, and some of the journalists reminded me of the likes of Katie Hopkins and Dan Wootton. The sad tale of Pearl was a reoccurring theme, and it made me feel like what happened to her - a life humiliated by The Daily Ear - could really happen in real life. Sadly, people will do anything to get their 'exclusives' and that's exactly what these journalists did in this.
Another good thing is the premise. Can you imagine one day waking up to find that celebrities were hunting down journalists and exposing their secrets?! Is it bad I kind of hope that does happen?! I'd love Dan Wootton to get a taste of his own medicine one day.
The final thing I really liked, which nudged this story to a close 4 star rating, was the final exposé and the big twist at the end. If this had gone on a little longer it would have really got me interested! It was so cleverly written. The character in question was always around, but they never raised my suspicion and that's perfect. I was genuinely shocked but it all started to fall in to place. I really enjoyed the end.
I hope that maybe soon, Paul will write a story solely on Adam Jaymes - his rise to fame and meeting his husband perhaps? I liked the LGBT themes. I would love to read more books by Paul in the future.
March 16, 2020
British sheet takedown
Principal characters from the newspaper's masthead become target/victim of a hidden investigation. An inside view of a British scandal sheet as one of the tabloid's targets uses celebrity and wealth to apply the reveals in reverse. An excellent read with surprise twists.
As I am a gatherer of books, I collect books and ebooks from a variety of sources: Goodreads wins, Bookhub, BookFunnel, emails from authors and publishers, and others. I do lose track of their sources. But, as a reader, I feel I should give an honest, unencumbered review for all I read. This was a recent result of a Goodreads' drawing.
Principal characters from the newspaper's masthead become target/victim of a hidden investigation. An inside view of a British scandal sheet as one of the tabloid's targets uses celebrity and wealth to apply the reveals in reverse. An excellent read with surprise twists.
As I am a gatherer of books, I collect books and ebooks from a variety of sources: Goodreads wins, Bookhub, BookFunnel, emails from authors and publishers, and others. I do lose track of their sources. But, as a reader, I feel I should give an honest, unencumbered review for all I read. This was a recent result of a Goodreads' drawing.
May 9, 2019
I received this book as part of a Goodreads give away.
I enjoyed the premise of this book - What happens when roles are reversed and celebrities expose the private lives of the reporters who are constantly invading their privacy? Do two wrongs make a right? Ultimately, this is a story about horrible people doing horrible things. None of the characters are likeable, and I both felt sorry for them but also liked seeing their downfall. If anything the book is witty and entertaining, and made me think about the value of privacy.
I enjoyed the premise of this book - What happens when roles are reversed and celebrities expose the private lives of the reporters who are constantly invading their privacy? Do two wrongs make a right? Ultimately, this is a story about horrible people doing horrible things. None of the characters are likeable, and I both felt sorry for them but also liked seeing their downfall. If anything the book is witty and entertaining, and made me think about the value of privacy.
September 7, 2024
This was the very first book recommended by our new book club - a club I was interested in for intelligent discussion and to to broaden my reading, exposing me to genres I wouldn't normally dip into.
I didn't dip into this book - I took a deep dive. It is compelling reading. The narrative backbone of exposing the double-standards of a tabloid newspaper is clever, but the way it allows multiple stories to hang from that structure is brilliant. It reminded me of how clever Rad Bradbury's, "The Illustrated Man," was as a way to bring continuity to a set of different stories.
I didn't dip into this book - I took a deep dive. It is compelling reading. The narrative backbone of exposing the double-standards of a tabloid newspaper is clever, but the way it allows multiple stories to hang from that structure is brilliant. It reminded me of how clever Rad Bradbury's, "The Illustrated Man," was as a way to bring continuity to a set of different stories.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 49 reviews