Sidney Sheldon's Mistress of the Game

Starred review from June 29, 2009
Gossip Girl
meets Dynasty
in Bagshawe's compelling sequel to the late Sydney Sheldon's Master of the Game
(1982), which chronicled the sticky power struggles of the Maxwells, America's richest family. A new generation of Maxwells includes Eve, an evil temptress brutally scarred by her controlling cosmetic surgeon husband, and her identical twin sister, Alexandra, an angel in comparison. Alexandra dies giving birth to a daughter, Lexi, while Eve survives the birth of her son, Max. Eve plots to take back the family's business empire, rearing Max to hate and, at age 10, kill his father. Lexi's father, Peter, and her big brother, Robbie, surround Lexi with love, but she's traumatized at age eight when she's kidnapped and raped. Years pass as Lexi and Max square off, while across the ocean “the most famous barrister in London” embarks on a quest that will eventually lead him to Lexi, but not without many shocking twists. Bagshawe (Adored
) expertly channels Sheldon's lurid, feverish prose.

October 26, 2009
Bagshawe masterfully channels Sheldon in this sequel to his Master of the Game
. A generation has passed and Kate Maxwell's grandchildren are ready to take control of the family business. With such ruthless protagonists, each more conniving and underhanded than the last, Bagshawe creates a suspenseful atmosphere in which anything can happen. Such a novel is a narrator's playground, and the gifted Karen Ziemba delivers. She portrays each character in a fresh and original light, while maintaining Bagshawe's slightly soap opera feel. Upbeat and intense, Ziemba invites listeners to come and play, and it's never been more fun. A Morrow hardcover (Reviews, June 29).