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Pull Focus
A modern feminist thriller set at the glittering, cutthroat nexus of culture and commerce.
When Jane's partner goes missing, she needs to find out if he's in danger while also contending with the politics of running a large international film festival: Hollywood power brokers, Russian oil speculators, Chinese propagandists, and a board chair who seemingly has it out for her.
Jane has been appointed interim director of the Worldwide Toronto Film Festival after her boss has been removed for sexual harassment. Knives are out all around her, as factions within the community want to see her fail. At the same time, her partner, a fund manager, has disappeared, and strange women appear, uttering threats about misused funds.
Yet the festival must go on. As Jane struggles to juggle all the balls she's been handed and survive in one piece, she discovers unlikely allies and finds that she's stronger than she thinks.
"Two thumbs up for action, suspense, and lust."
– Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
"[An] accomplished thriller debut [...] Walsh’s expert knowledge of the film industry, the corporate world, and the ruthlessness of players in both adds arresting verisimilitude to this novel. Great for fans of Britt Lind’s Deception & Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising."
– Publishers Weekly Booklife
"Amazingly propulsive [...] A masterclass debut that shows Walsh as a talent to watch."
– Off The Record (UK)
“Pull Focus is a sexually driven thriller that gets steamier with every turn of the page. Walsh should get this story onto a script so more people can experience this thrill ride.”
– The Miramachi Reader
"Whether you love exploring big ideas or just want to be swept up in an exciting thriller, Pull Focus is a read you won’t want to miss."
– Film Daily
Top Fall 2021 Pick: Canadian Living, Chatelaine, 49th Shelf and more.
When Jane's partner goes missing, she needs to find out if he's in danger while also contending with the politics of running a large international film festival: Hollywood power brokers, Russian oil speculators, Chinese propagandists, and a board chair who seemingly has it out for her.
Jane has been appointed interim director of the Worldwide Toronto Film Festival after her boss has been removed for sexual harassment. Knives are out all around her, as factions within the community want to see her fail. At the same time, her partner, a fund manager, has disappeared, and strange women appear, uttering threats about misused funds.
Yet the festival must go on. As Jane struggles to juggle all the balls she's been handed and survive in one piece, she discovers unlikely allies and finds that she's stronger than she thinks.
"Two thumbs up for action, suspense, and lust."
– Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
"[An] accomplished thriller debut [...] Walsh’s expert knowledge of the film industry, the corporate world, and the ruthlessness of players in both adds arresting verisimilitude to this novel. Great for fans of Britt Lind’s Deception & Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising."
– Publishers Weekly Booklife
"Amazingly propulsive [...] A masterclass debut that shows Walsh as a talent to watch."
– Off The Record (UK)
“Pull Focus is a sexually driven thriller that gets steamier with every turn of the page. Walsh should get this story onto a script so more people can experience this thrill ride.”
– The Miramachi Reader
"Whether you love exploring big ideas or just want to be swept up in an exciting thriller, Pull Focus is a read you won’t want to miss."
– Film Daily
Top Fall 2021 Pick: Canadian Living, Chatelaine, 49th Shelf and more.
304 pages, Paperback
Published September 7, 2021
47 people are currently reading
1851 people want to read
About the author
Helen Walsh
1 book81 followersHelen Walsh is the founder/president of Diaspora Dialogues, Canada's premier literary mentoring organization. Formerly the publisher of the Literary Review of Canada and a founding director of Spur festival, Walsh previously worked as a film and digital media producer in Los Angeles and New York City. She lives in Toronto, Canada.
Walsh's first novel, PULL FOCUS, published in Fall 2021:
"Two thumbs up for action, suspense, and lust."
– Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
"[An] accomplished thriller debut [...] Walsh’s expert knowledge of the film industry, the corporate world, and the ruthlessness of players in both adds arresting verisimilitude to this novel. Great for fans of Britt Lind’s Deception & Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising."
– Publishers Weekly Booklife
"Amazingly propulsive [...] A masterclass debut that shows Walsh as a talent to watch."
– Off The Record (UK)
“Pull Focus is a sexually driven thriller that gets steamier with every turn of the page. Walsh should get this story onto a script so more people can experience this thrill ride.”
– The Miramachi Reader
"Whether you love exploring big ideas or just want to be swept up in an exciting thriller, Pull Focus is a read you won’t want to miss."
– Film Daily
Top Fall 2021 Pick: Canadian Living, Chatelaine, 49th Shelf and more.
Walsh's first novel, PULL FOCUS, published in Fall 2021:
"Two thumbs up for action, suspense, and lust."
– Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
"[An] accomplished thriller debut [...] Walsh’s expert knowledge of the film industry, the corporate world, and the ruthlessness of players in both adds arresting verisimilitude to this novel. Great for fans of Britt Lind’s Deception & Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising."
– Publishers Weekly Booklife
"Amazingly propulsive [...] A masterclass debut that shows Walsh as a talent to watch."
– Off The Record (UK)
“Pull Focus is a sexually driven thriller that gets steamier with every turn of the page. Walsh should get this story onto a script so more people can experience this thrill ride.”
– The Miramachi Reader
"Whether you love exploring big ideas or just want to be swept up in an exciting thriller, Pull Focus is a read you won’t want to miss."
– Film Daily
Top Fall 2021 Pick: Canadian Living, Chatelaine, 49th Shelf and more.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
November 2, 2021
My aunt wrote this! It is great!!
November 30, 2021
This is a smart, authentic novel that aims to be a thriller but isn't quite at that pace. The main character, Jane, is a woman who has just been named interim CEO of an arts organization that hosts a celebrated film festival. She was given the job because her former boss has been brought down for sexual harassment, and her board chair, who had protected the harasser, wants to see her fail. Just as the festival kicks off, the woman's longtime lover, a funds manager who was supposed to accompany her to the festival disappears.
The novel includes many interesting side stories, including China wanting to stop her from airing a film they feel is critical of their regime, a big donor who is creepy and handsy trying to sleep with/assault her, her ex-husband turning out to be the brother of her current lover, her bodyguard being a former member of the Assad, strange women popping up to interrogate her, and so on. While all of this does sound like it would add up to thriller-level, the story is too behind-the-scenes real to quite get there. Jane is amazing, but human. What is happening to Jane is sometimes shocking but so is much of what happens to women at every level. And there are just too many storylines being woven together, all of them dealing with complex social issues, for me to be hanging on the edge of my seat. It was a good read but it dragged a little bit in the middle.
We are given an insider's view of what it's like to have to give speeches, court donors, juggle board members, and keep an event with hundreds of moving pieces in motion. As a reader, I trusted absolutely that the author knew what she was talking about, and reading her back story afterward, I see she did formerly run a film festival, which is not a surprise. I loved Jane's gutsiness and confidence, but just as the title is a bit "inside," being a term for a screenplay direction, so is the whole book, which left me feeling a little left out.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with a free audio copy in exchange for my honest review.
The novel includes many interesting side stories, including China wanting to stop her from airing a film they feel is critical of their regime, a big donor who is creepy and handsy trying to sleep with/assault her, her ex-husband turning out to be the brother of her current lover, her bodyguard being a former member of the Assad, strange women popping up to interrogate her, and so on. While all of this does sound like it would add up to thriller-level, the story is too behind-the-scenes real to quite get there. Jane is amazing, but human. What is happening to Jane is sometimes shocking but so is much of what happens to women at every level. And there are just too many storylines being woven together, all of them dealing with complex social issues, for me to be hanging on the edge of my seat. It was a good read but it dragged a little bit in the middle.
We are given an insider's view of what it's like to have to give speeches, court donors, juggle board members, and keep an event with hundreds of moving pieces in motion. As a reader, I trusted absolutely that the author knew what she was talking about, and reading her back story afterward, I see she did formerly run a film festival, which is not a surprise. I loved Jane's gutsiness and confidence, but just as the title is a bit "inside," being a term for a screenplay direction, so is the whole book, which left me feeling a little left out.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with a free audio copy in exchange for my honest review.
April 3, 2023
There's a lot to like about this book, it's not quite a work novel and not quite a thriller but has enough elements of both to be pretty satisfying. It's well constructed, very readable, and feels different from a lot of what's out there right now.
I would have liked it to tone down just a notch, though. There are multiple major plot lines and it starts to feel like there are too many things to be believably all happening at once. And for the first half of the book it starts to feel like every single person our protagonist Jane encounters is incompetent or plotting against her or both. On the other hand it all gets a little too tidy in the wrap up. A little less mess early on and more later would have been better balanced. There's also occasional forays into Jane's childhood and early life that feel very out of place.
I listened to this on audio and can recommend that format.
I would have liked it to tone down just a notch, though. There are multiple major plot lines and it starts to feel like there are too many things to be believably all happening at once. And for the first half of the book it starts to feel like every single person our protagonist Jane encounters is incompetent or plotting against her or both. On the other hand it all gets a little too tidy in the wrap up. A little less mess early on and more later would have been better balanced. There's also occasional forays into Jane's childhood and early life that feel very out of place.
I listened to this on audio and can recommend that format.
November 21, 2021
Did not finish.
I tried, I really did. But as someone who doesn't watch films (or Netflix, or TV at all) this was out of my scope of knowledge and there was so much going on that I didn't understand.
It's very complex and is written with a lot of knowledge which I admire, but just not focused on my interests and I felt overwhelmed and confused.
I tried, I really did. But as someone who doesn't watch films (or Netflix, or TV at all) this was out of my scope of knowledge and there was so much going on that I didn't understand.
It's very complex and is written with a lot of knowledge which I admire, but just not focused on my interests and I felt overwhelmed and confused.
August 13, 2021
PULL FOCUS by Helen Walsh is a delightful story that captures the complex and often dark world of a Film Festival with the right amount of behind-the-scenes intrigue. Jane Browning becomes the interim director of the Worldwide Toronto Film Festival when her boss is removed from his position for sexual harassment. Jane inherits a killer schedule. If this isn’t enough, Jane’s partner, a fund manager, disappears, she receives threats from strangers, and the board chair is openly hostile.
With its crisp dialogue and fast pace, reading the book is like watching a film. The writing style is fresh and convincing. At first, the number of secondary characters can seem a bit overwhelming but they all add up at the end enhancing and enriching Jane’s story.
The book title, PULL FOCUS, a camera technique, in which you change focus during a shot, is in harmony with the theme. Conflicts, internal and external, serve the interest of the story with Jane being forced to make tough decisions one after another.
With its crisp dialogue and fast pace, reading the book is like watching a film. The writing style is fresh and convincing. At first, the number of secondary characters can seem a bit overwhelming but they all add up at the end enhancing and enriching Jane’s story.
The book title, PULL FOCUS, a camera technique, in which you change focus during a shot, is in harmony with the theme. Conflicts, internal and external, serve the interest of the story with Jane being forced to make tough decisions one after another.
October 29, 2021
Enjoyable, suspenseful "boardroom to "bedroom" page turner set against a backdrop of Toronto's business and cultural scene. Lots of well written and very believable political intrigue -- and the boardroom politics are all the more believable considering the current family drama unfolding at Canada's largest wireless network. (The novel seems prescient!) I absolutely loved the main character, Jane -- it's a lot of fun to follow the relentless schmoozing and intrigue through the eyes of a woman who is smart, tough, great at her job and knows a thing or two about defending herself both physically and emotionally. Jane is in many ways a victim, but she refuses to act like one. There's a bit of a "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" competence/toughness to Jane that I find very fresh and appealing in a female protagonist -- hope to see her in followup book!
May 31, 2024
Woooow it follows a lady and her drama for 10 days and I didnt care about anything. It's as if someone told you the longest work story of all time and you nicely say wow that's crazy.
October 5, 2023
If you are looking for behind the scenes paper trails of banking, this might be for you. I was expecting more action from the main character who runs a film festival, something I’m interring, but there was so much “paperwork” the pacing got bogged down.
October 10, 2023
Good luck and enjoy your time!
September 16, 2023
I listened to this book with Libby. Finally a female protagonist who is thrust into a new career position who is smart and excellent- not a “fish out of water”. On top of that she doesn’t take any crap from anyone. Very able to stick up for herself. We need more “Jane”s!!
(I think I’ve listened to a few too many books recently where the lead female character is a moron, doing things that no actual person (female or male) would do.)
(I think I’ve listened to a few too many books recently where the lead female character is a moron, doing things that no actual person (female or male) would do.)
August 9, 2021
I received an advance copy of this book from ECW. Thank you
I can't say I was wild about this book. There was a lot going on in this book. Jane has been thrust into the position of director of a huge international film festival at the last minute due to a scandal of the previous director. Everyone is jealous and seems like they are determined to deny her a moment of peace. Her boyfriend of seven years was going to accompany her on opening night and he's disappeared. Strangers come up to her, wanting to know particular information that her boy friend and his company have been involved with. She is on the board of the company, but not an active member. While she tries to call her boyfriend constantly, she really doesn't seem that upset. Throughout the whole festival she's just running from one fire to the next. As I said, a lot is going on, but you never really feel like you've got a grasp on what really is going on. Too many issue, not enough background.
I can't say I was wild about this book. There was a lot going on in this book. Jane has been thrust into the position of director of a huge international film festival at the last minute due to a scandal of the previous director. Everyone is jealous and seems like they are determined to deny her a moment of peace. Her boyfriend of seven years was going to accompany her on opening night and he's disappeared. Strangers come up to her, wanting to know particular information that her boy friend and his company have been involved with. She is on the board of the company, but not an active member. While she tries to call her boyfriend constantly, she really doesn't seem that upset. Throughout the whole festival she's just running from one fire to the next. As I said, a lot is going on, but you never really feel like you've got a grasp on what really is going on. Too many issue, not enough background.
April 23, 2023
Horrible. Last straw as after stupid epilogue , the author says she was an editor. She need to edit her own work. All I can say is - Pick a lane!! Russian money laundering, oil lease fleecing, Jeffrey Epstein movie star sex abuse, sexual harassment in the c suite, corrupt police, double agent employee, Chinese censorship, Chinese expose, biased news reporting, infidelity, religious cults…. No way to keep track of the gazillion plots and characters here amongst the rants about sexist power plays from a very dislikeable character who herself is entirely inappropriate — upon meeting her brother-in-law envisions his fingers in her, gets a sexy shock when her body guard touches her and then let’s him get in the shower naked to bathe her. Etc. Plot barely made sense. Samantha seemed the only redeeming character. Poor Toronto Film Festival should protest.
March 20, 2023
An unusual choice for me, and probably more of a 2.5…yet I finished it, which must say something. Reasonably well narrated, although a bit jerky in parts - both the storyline and narrative. I can’t say I warmed to Jane as a character and some of the more intimate dialogue between her and Bob struck me as gauche. Still, the story moves along and whilst I did get a feel for the main characters, I missed a sense of place. That may not matter so much for you, of course.
October 3, 2021
non-stop adrenaline
I’ve always been intrigued with what happens beyond the “red carpet”. Pull Focus is an exciting look, complete with all kinds of intrigue and plot twists that left me gasping at the end. Great characters, a real insiders point of view. And what fun to think of the movie references. Looking forward to the next book.
I’ve always been intrigued with what happens beyond the “red carpet”. Pull Focus is an exciting look, complete with all kinds of intrigue and plot twists that left me gasping at the end. Great characters, a real insiders point of view. And what fun to think of the movie references. Looking forward to the next book.
March 19, 2023
There is so much going on in this story. I appreciated the language, and the main character is developed enough to care about her. But as much as the author tried to link her childhood trauma to the current happenings the only thing that made sense was her self-defense classes. I was actually most interested in David. Wouldn’t recommend but wouldn’t steer anyone away.
June 1, 2023
I’m not having a spectacular reading year and that’s okay
June 27, 2023
Audiobook while I was painting my trailer. It served its purpose. As one reviewer wrote, there are too many lanes. Not sure why we we told Jane's backstory as it was not needed in the plot.
Read
October 26, 2021Jane is helming the Worldwide Toronto Film Festival after her boss is accused of sexual harassment, and as the most stressful week of her life begins, Jane's on-again-off-again boyfriend disappears and Jane gets word that he (and she) might be in big trouble. As the world and the festival swirls chaotically around her, Jane isn't sure who she can trust and how she's going to get out of this mess.
This book was a fascinating look inside the film industry and the corporate world behind it. As someone not too familiar with the inner working of the film world, I enjoyed getting a peek behind the curtain, as it were. Jane has to navigate not only all the stressful things like possible money laundering and anonymous threats, but she has to then keep her cool and schmooze with VIPs and play politics to keep sponsors happy and the film festival funded. It was really an interesting balance.
The ending was really good. I enjoyed seeing how all of the threads played out. There are a lot of layers to the story, and the author did a very good job of making them all coincide into a believable and cohesive ending.
Jane was also a great character. She was strong and very intense, the perfect powerful female to helm a mystery/thriller like this. She was also likable, not made out to be some pushy, over-the-top character like authors end up making their female leads. I really enjoyed getting to see her in action and I liked her as a character.
Overall, this book is perfect for anyone looking for an action-focused mystery/thriller with a strong female lead. It will satisfy your cravings for a feminist heroine and provide a good mystery to boot!
This book was a fascinating look inside the film industry and the corporate world behind it. As someone not too familiar with the inner working of the film world, I enjoyed getting a peek behind the curtain, as it were. Jane has to navigate not only all the stressful things like possible money laundering and anonymous threats, but she has to then keep her cool and schmooze with VIPs and play politics to keep sponsors happy and the film festival funded. It was really an interesting balance.
The ending was really good. I enjoyed seeing how all of the threads played out. There are a lot of layers to the story, and the author did a very good job of making them all coincide into a believable and cohesive ending.
Jane was also a great character. She was strong and very intense, the perfect powerful female to helm a mystery/thriller like this. She was also likable, not made out to be some pushy, over-the-top character like authors end up making their female leads. I really enjoyed getting to see her in action and I liked her as a character.
Overall, this book is perfect for anyone looking for an action-focused mystery/thriller with a strong female lead. It will satisfy your cravings for a feminist heroine and provide a good mystery to boot!
February 13, 2023
(3.5 rounded to 4.0)
Jane Browning is CEO of a company which organizes large events such as the Toronto Worldwide Film Festival. Trouble is she is CEO because the company’s previous CEO has been removed due to sexual harassment and others from the Board and administrative officers have conflicts of interest. She assumes control on the day before the Festival kicks off. Her long term partner has disappeared and is not answering his phone.The Board has denied showing to a protest film in response to China’s request. There are government securities agents showing up to audit the Company’s books. A company board member is accused by a hotel maid who is subsequently deported.
Jane is doing her best to manage the Festival but she finds that her decisions are being reversed. She is attacked by a Board member and her estranged husband (brother of her current boyfriend). Some of the characters were likable and improve throughout the duration of the novel while some of are just mean. There are also a lot of characters and several subplots that don’t get as much attention. This book is described as a “modern feminist thriller.” This is the debut novel of this author published in Fall 2021. The novel was selected as a Top Pick of Canadian Living. Recommend to readers who enjoy thrillers, Canada, feminism, sexual harassment and violence.
Jane Browning is CEO of a company which organizes large events such as the Toronto Worldwide Film Festival. Trouble is she is CEO because the company’s previous CEO has been removed due to sexual harassment and others from the Board and administrative officers have conflicts of interest. She assumes control on the day before the Festival kicks off. Her long term partner has disappeared and is not answering his phone.The Board has denied showing to a protest film in response to China’s request. There are government securities agents showing up to audit the Company’s books. A company board member is accused by a hotel maid who is subsequently deported.
Jane is doing her best to manage the Festival but she finds that her decisions are being reversed. She is attacked by a Board member and her estranged husband (brother of her current boyfriend). Some of the characters were likable and improve throughout the duration of the novel while some of are just mean. There are also a lot of characters and several subplots that don’t get as much attention. This book is described as a “modern feminist thriller.” This is the debut novel of this author published in Fall 2021. The novel was selected as a Top Pick of Canadian Living. Recommend to readers who enjoy thrillers, Canada, feminism, sexual harassment and violence.
December 30, 2023
The author writes very well and clearly knows the intricacies of running a film festival.
Good themes brought up about the love/hate relationships between women and men.
How men in power, whether it be in the workplace or in the marriage…take advantage and subjugate women, all in pursuit of their own egos.
Our protagonist, Jane, was appointed interim director of the festival when the man in charge, Paul, fell into disgrace for texting his penis pictures to the internet.
A powerful enemy, Jacob, did his best to bring her down..trying to get her to answer to him in violation of what her employment contract stipulated.
This story lost a star for too many convoluted plotlines, especially when it came to Bob, her violent husband’s brother. Bob suddenly ghosted her after a 7 year close relationship. It didn’t ring true despite his feeble explanations at the end.
I had thought he had been killed because that’s all that made sense.
Loved David, Jane’s investigator and bodyguard, and her lawyer, Harrison.
Typical of the slime that is Jacob he still threatened her after she brought him down with truth.
Good themes brought up about the love/hate relationships between women and men.
How men in power, whether it be in the workplace or in the marriage…take advantage and subjugate women, all in pursuit of their own egos.
Our protagonist, Jane, was appointed interim director of the festival when the man in charge, Paul, fell into disgrace for texting his penis pictures to the internet.
A powerful enemy, Jacob, did his best to bring her down..trying to get her to answer to him in violation of what her employment contract stipulated.
This story lost a star for too many convoluted plotlines, especially when it came to Bob, her violent husband’s brother. Bob suddenly ghosted her after a 7 year close relationship. It didn’t ring true despite his feeble explanations at the end.
I had thought he had been killed because that’s all that made sense.
Loved David, Jane’s investigator and bodyguard, and her lawyer, Harrison.
Typical of the slime that is Jacob he still threatened her after she brought him down with truth.
November 5, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book, and I was keen to see how it all ended. The main character, Jane Browning, is the acting CEO of the Worldwide Toronto Film Festival. (Every year I attend the Toronto International Film Festival.) The book is nicely organized into 10 days (the usual length of TIFF, each day/chapter named after a movie title). Jane is a strong, capable woman, and I was impressed at her various speeches, which were timely and very articulate. But there was too much going on! Almost every social issue is a major factor in the novel: sexual assault, censorship, corporate malfeasance, male privilege, sponsor and donor control, missing persons, scams, abuse, employee-employer relations...At one point, Jane describes her experience as "sturm and drang" - and it was!
October 19, 2021
This was a lot of fun to read. Helen Walsh clearly writes from experience. The book is full of gossipy roman a clef-ish tidbits. I feel that if I were a little more dialed in to the local arts culture that I would be recognizing a lot of key figures here. The heroine is flawed but likeable, with an intriguing back story. If this turns out to be the beginning of a series, I'm up for a sequel, just to find out more about that. The plot is exciting; however, it doesn't always hang together, and there are some copy editing errors that were hard to get past (discrete/ discreet).
February 12, 2022
Jane has just been appointed temporary CEO of an Arts Org that is involved with Toronto film festival. Her boss, previous CEO has been accused of sexual harassment. This is a ultra competitive world where people not only stab you in the back they’ll whack you on the head at the same time. In the midst of this her partner disappears.
Am a big fan of movies but this world shows how ruthless it is and the author Helen Walsh includes a lot of knowledge about the business which adds depth to the book.
Enjoyable, fast paced and gritty thriller.
4 Stars ⭐️
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.
Am a big fan of movies but this world shows how ruthless it is and the author Helen Walsh includes a lot of knowledge about the business which adds depth to the book.
Enjoyable, fast paced and gritty thriller.
4 Stars ⭐️
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.
August 28, 2021
I received this book for free from ECW Press .
I finished it!
It took a while. It wasn't exactly a gripping page turner for me
This isn't my usual type of book to read - i enjoyed the Canadian content, however, i didn't really understand a lot of what was going on - i found it a bit choppy between chapters and it didn't flow really well.
However, if you enjoy political intrigue, and the goings - on behind the scene of a international film festival, perhaps you will enjoy it!
I am going to pass this one on to a local Little Free Library for others to read!
I finished it!
It took a while. It wasn't exactly a gripping page turner for me
This isn't my usual type of book to read - i enjoyed the Canadian content, however, i didn't really understand a lot of what was going on - i found it a bit choppy between chapters and it didn't flow really well.
However, if you enjoy political intrigue, and the goings - on behind the scene of a international film festival, perhaps you will enjoy it!
I am going to pass this one on to a local Little Free Library for others to read!
November 6, 2022
This book was about the high-stakes game a woman in power must play to stay alive. Women, in particular, will appreciate the power struggle that takes place in an organization dominated by men. There is a bit of jargon that can be difficult to follow for those of us who aren't familiar with the inner workings of the Toronto Film Festival where the action takes place. Other than that, the fast-paced thriller keeps us guessing right up till the end!
June 7, 2023
Not the book's fault that I could only find one star for it. Mostly, I couldn't give it the attention it needed to follow the complexities of the plot and keep track of all the characters. It is from the point of view of a busy executive woman handily disposing of international issues arising in connection with film production, an area I'm ignorant of and uninterested in. Listening on audio, it became background noise and I got lost and lost interest in finding my way back.
August 29, 2023
Canadian Film Festival organizer has to show a Chinese Film.
When Jane’s partner goes missing she needs to find out if he’s in danger while also contending with the politics of a large international film festival: Hollywood power brokers, Russian oil speculators, Chinese propagandists, and a board chair who seemingly has it out for her.
Jane has been appointed interim director of the Worldwide Toronto Film Festival after her boss has been removed for sexual harassment.
When Jane’s partner goes missing she needs to find out if he’s in danger while also contending with the politics of a large international film festival: Hollywood power brokers, Russian oil speculators, Chinese propagandists, and a board chair who seemingly has it out for her.
Jane has been appointed interim director of the Worldwide Toronto Film Festival after her boss has been removed for sexual harassment.
July 5, 2025
I spent half my time reading this book wondering who was who. The other half was spent wading through committee meetings and legal strategy discussions. Not exactly riveting reading. On top of that, the typos grew in number the closer we got to the end. The inner circle of characters are all uniquely charming, thus the two stars, but it overall tells a story that would be a better news article than a novel.
June 19, 2021
Quite good. This is an interesting story. I enjoyed the tension and suspense created by the author throughout much of the book. Many reader will probably like the MC. I enjoyed watching her do her thing and problem solve. I think a lot of thriller fans will like this.
Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!
Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!
December 23, 2021
"Give a foolish, weak man with a Mussolini self-image enough rope and he’ll hang himself, or so my hope in retributive justice went."
"Like Alice, I kept sliding further down the rabbit hole, but life had proven to be one rabbit hole after another, so ordinary was a difficult concept to judge."
"Like Alice, I kept sliding further down the rabbit hole, but life had proven to be one rabbit hole after another, so ordinary was a difficult concept to judge."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews