THE STORY
Set in 1953, A Beautiful Way to Die is steeped in the glamourous, noir films of Hollywood and plays out against the backdrop of the casting couch – a time when powerful men could demand what they wanted from desperate women. Ginny is a young, aspiring actress on her way up. Stella is an older screen goddess whose star is fading. And one night, at an Oscars party, a crime is committed that changes their lives forever.
This novel is inspired by my love of old Hollywood movies, but also my fascination with the true crimes that were committed and hushed up. All major studios employed ‘fixers’, senior men whose job it was to look after the talent and fix any situation that might harm their actors’ careers. They swept crimes under the carpet and bribed the police to turn a blind eye. Many of the incidences depicted in A Beautiful Way to Die are inspired by real-life events.
Although fiction, several celebrity auto/biographies helped me get inside the head of a 1950s actress, including those about Bette Davis, Ava Gardner to Joan Collins. And rewatching films like Sunset Boulevard, Sweet Smell of Success and LA Confidential helped me create a toxic atmosphere brimming with glamour, desire and corruption. I really hope you enjoy reading A Beautiful Way to Die as much as I did writing it.