Maestra

May 30, 2016
Hilton’s debut novel introduces femme fatale Judith Rasleigh, who seduces and slays her way up from a petty existence—as gofer at a respected London art auction house by day, while serving as a hostess in a seedy club by night—to a life of hedonist excess among billionaire yacht owners lolling on the Riviera. As written, Judith narrates her own sociopathic, narcissistic rise, complete with a few murders and sexual encounters as lavishly detailed as the book’s fashion notes, with a relentlessly sardonic tone. Reader Fox adds a snarky, ruthlessly dismissive edge, using a razor-sharp British accent. She’s excellent at pinning down Judith’s smarmy auction house boss; her fragile, silly, Cockney girlfriend; a growly nightclub patron who introduces her to Cote d’Azur high life; an affectless American gazillionaire who finances her biggest step up; and an assortment of international high rollers, mistresses, and ne’er-do-wells who keep casino wheels and novels like this (book one of an announced trilogy) rolling. A Putnam hardcover.

This is an erotic story in the style of 50 SHADES OF GREY--for mature ears only. Judith Rashleigh is a contemporary woman stuck in a dead- end job at an art auction house. As she scrambles to make ends meet, she finds a night job at a low-end pub. The contrast between her days and nights leads to her emerging alter ego as a high-priced escort. Emilia Fox narrates the detailed descriptions of the sexual liaisons scattered throughout the book in a deliberate upper-class British persona. Listeners will appreciate Fox's dexterity with British accents that reflect an array of social classes across the characters. Those looking for erotica in audio will enjoy this. M.R. � AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine