Sarah Vaughan’s latest, Anatomy of a Scandal, explores secrets at the highest pinnacle of British government when one man’s extramarital affair becomes more sinister than mere media fodder. James Whitehouse, junior Home Office minister, had a lurid affair with his parliamentary researcher, Olivia Lytton. Sophie, James wife, and their two young children are able to weather the media frenzy over the affair until media focus changes to another explosive scandal and minimizes James’ infidelity.
But the brief respite from media scrutiny is short-lived as Sophie never expected the criminal charges that followed the revelation of the affair.
James is charged with Olivia’s rape, a charge that he vehemently denies. As Sophie has decided to support her husband at his trial, she is forced to listen to the lurid details of the affair and the sexual encounter which James asserts was not rape. Sophie desperately wants to believe James when he says that Olivia never denied him sex or asked him to stop at any point, but there is niggling doubt in the back of her mind that just won’t go away.
The prosecuting barrister is Kate Woodcroft, a woman who is ruthlessly devoted to her career and very eager to prosecute the case against James. Though she realizes that the chances of winning are slim at best since the evidence primarily amounts to the Olivia’s word against James’, Kate is determined to give this case her full effort.
Vaughan alternates her focus from the present day trial of the very charismatic James to the past when James and Sophie met at Oxford. Their past and present become inextricably entwined in a plot twist that will leave readers breathless.
Stunning, very current, and ever suspenseful, Ms Vaughan’s latest is a read that is almost impossible to put down from the very first page until its explosive conclusion.
But the brief respite from media scrutiny is short-lived as Sophie never expected the criminal charges that followed the revelation of the affair.
James is charged with Olivia’s rape, a charge that he vehemently denies. As Sophie has decided to support her husband at his trial, she is forced to listen to the lurid details of the affair and the sexual encounter which James asserts was not rape. Sophie desperately wants to believe James when he says that Olivia never denied him sex or asked him to stop at any point, but there is niggling doubt in the back of her mind that just won’t go away.
The prosecuting barrister is Kate Woodcroft, a woman who is ruthlessly devoted to her career and very eager to prosecute the case against James. Though she realizes that the chances of winning are slim at best since the evidence primarily amounts to the Olivia’s word against James’, Kate is determined to give this case her full effort.
Vaughan alternates her focus from the present day trial of the very charismatic James to the past when James and Sophie met at Oxford. Their past and present become inextricably entwined in a plot twist that will leave readers breathless.
Stunning, very current, and ever suspenseful, Ms Vaughan’s latest is a read that is almost impossible to put down from the very first page until its explosive conclusion.