Playing the Game: A gripping psychological thriller

by Barbara Taylor Bradford

From the bestselling author of A Woman of Substance comes an explosive novel about one woman's journey to success.Seduction, passion and international intrigue. Playing the game has never been so thrilling.

Good looking, successful Annette Remmington is a London art consultant and dealer at the top of her game. When a rare and long-lost Rembrandt finds its way into her hands, she becomes the most talked about dealer in the world as she auctions it for millions of pounds.

Married to the dashing Marius Remmington, Annette owes her life to him for it was he who rescued her from a dark and troubled past. And now he wants to hand-pick the best journalist to write a profile on his talented wife.

But Marius has unknowingly made a devastating mistake by bringing Jack Chalmers into their lives and soon Annette’s career and marriage are on the line. How could Marcus have known that Jack would uncover a secret that could destroy them all?

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Chick Lit, London, Suspense, Audiobook

399 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Barbara Taylor Bradford was a British-American best-selling novelist. Her debut novel, A Woman of Substance, was published in 1979 and sold over 30 million copies worldwide. She wrote 40 novels, all bestsellers in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Reviews

[Leah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh! The only reason I finished this book was because I found it slightly more interesting than my grocery list. There will be spoilers to follow but if you are still reading this review the odds of you reading the book are low anyway so here goes...... All of the characters are unbelievably boring except for Marius who is just an ass. The only part that was remotely interesting was about 3/4 way into the book where the BIG plot twist was discovered. REALLY!!! REALLY????? That was the best you could come up with - here is the spoiler - the only other man Annette has ever "loved" was Jack's father!!! WHAT?! Then -here's another spoiler - Marius dies before he can be told that all secrets are know. Ugh! Then they all live happily ever after!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Art dealer Annette is at the top of her game and about to be interviewed by journalist Jack, who was handpicked by her loving but controlling husband, Marius. How will they all "play the game" when sparks fly between Annette and Jack? Is everyone ready for the fallout?

This story kept my attention overall, but BTB's long-winded writing style was distracting at times. I don't recall this being an issue while reading her other books but that might also be because I loved those characters so much. Additionally, me thinks BTB should not try to write suspense haha. In the past, I've loved her books because they were some of the first I remember focusing on independent and powerful female heroines, especially the Emma Harte series. Even though Annette enjoyed a very successful career, I was disappointed that she allowed her husband to control her, and I was especially tired of hearing how manipulative and controlling he was. Obviously, he was holding something over head but it all felt over the top. And, of course, the ending was also dramatic, over the top, and contrived. I did enjoy delving into the art world, but I didn't for a second believe that Annette would have driven around with and stored priceless pieces of art in her car and home! I did like Annette, her sister Laurie, and Jack.

If you'd like to read more about forgeries, then I'd highly recommend The Art Forger (4 stars) by Barbara A. Shapiro!

Location: London, England

[Jaidis Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently won Playing the Game by Barbara Taylor Bradford in a giveaway hosted on GoodReads. This is the first book that I have read of Ms. Bradford’s and I was excited to be peeking in the world of an author that I am not familiar with. Playing the Game is centered around the life of Annette Remmington, a rising star in the art world, and her struggles to succeed in not only her art consultant business but in her personal life as well. Married to the controlling, manipulative Marius, Annette’s life is turned upside down when she starts to fall for the young journalist, Jack Chalmers, who confesses his love for her. As the story progresses, we start to learn the truths about Annette’s past and why it continues to haunt her in her present life. For me, this book was a little difficult to get into as it moved rather slowly in the beginning and seemed to drag out in places that could easily have been avoided. Once I got to the middle of the book, it started moving much more quickly and kept me intrigued for the remaining pages. There are some brief flashbacks brought to life in the book about Annette’s childhood that some may find disturbing, but other than that it would be a good read for mature audiences. Overall, I give this book 4 stars as it is a nice quick read, once you get past the beginning, and the characters are well written and can easily be related too.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can vividly remember reading Barbara Taylor Bradford's first novel, A Woman of Substance, back when I was in high school. Her heroine, Emma Harte, was a brave, strong protagonist, a woman who could overcome anything and run a huge department store, while navigating the tricky waters of romance.

I read many of Bradford's subsequent books, but I haven't read one in awhile. Bradford has been a successful author for over 30 years, mostly by sticking to her formula of strong female characters overcoming the odds through hard work and strength of character, and adding in a forbidden romance.

Her latest novel, Playing the Game, sticks to the formula. Annette Remington is a successful art dealer in London, married to a much older man. She becomes famous for selling a long-lost Rembrandt painting at auction, and soon the entire art world knows who she is.

But Annette has a secret from her past, one that her husband knows of and has used to keep control of her. Bradford weaves tidbits of Annette's disturbing past, expertly piquing the reader's curiosity about the truth. We know that Annette and her sister Laurie were the victims of violence in their childhood, and that Laurie is now in a wheelchair. Is the secret related to their childhood? And why does Annette panic when someone comes looking for a woman named Hilda Crump? All these questions keep the reader turning the page.

While I found the novel to feature typical characters in a familiar plot, with a beautiful woman keeping a secret while falling into forbidden romance, it is the setting that elevates this novel. I found the art world totally fascinating, and Bradford does a marvelous job immersing the reader into that world.

One of the most compelling reasons that I read is that I can learn about something I never knew before, and this book is filled with interesting facts about fine art, art restoration and art forgery. I learned that a priest hole is a small room in old homes where, during the Stuart period in England, aristocratic Catholic families hid their priests when the soldiers came to search the houses. I never knew that before, and now I have new cocktail party conversation.

Playing the Game comes at a good time; many people are talking about Steve Martin's novel, An Object of Beauty, and this is a good companion book for those looking to continue their immersion into the world of fine art.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally I really enjoy Bradford’s novels. The Emma Harte series was great even though it did get a little predictable towards the end. They’re a nice light read and I never expect anything in-depth, however when I learned Playing the Game was about someone involved in the art world, I had high hopes. I minored in art history in college and enjoy reading fiction books about artwork and artists. Most of the books I have read are well written and you can tell that the author took the time to research the paintings. Not so, with this book. I never really felt like I was in the world of art. Even though, Annette, the main character, was an art consultant, I felt like she turned to all her art friends for help and didn’t solve many of her problems on her own. Maybe that’s because she was used to being controlled by her husband and didn’t have a mind of her own, but I expected her to be more of an expert than she was.
I absolutely hated Annette’s husband, Marius, he was such a control freak and I just wanted to yell at her for staying with him. I didn’t see much indication that they had ever been happy together even in the early years of their marriage, which made me sympathetic towards Annette even though I found her character weak. Since she was supposed to be a successful businesswoman, I expected her to have a bit more backbone than she did.
At first I liked her secret relationship with Jack, the reporter who had been hired to interview her after she successfully auctioned off a Rembrandt, but after awhile it just started to annoy me. I was disgusted with the ending of the book. All of the major issues were wrapped up way too easily and it was almost too perfect the way all the characters were connected. It just really irked me. I’m happy that I finished the book and it probably won’t keep me from reading more of Bradford’s novels. The ones that I read in the past were good and I hope that her next book improves.

[Maureen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow....thank goodness that's over.....

It was really a true test of my patience almost DNF'ed this book so many times

[Corina Hoenshell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the story and intrigue!!! The writing and twists kept me hooked.

[Susan Sanders]

Hardback

DNF after 110 pages. I hate all these people, am not interested in art and nothing has advanced in the plot.

[Anahita]

Good holiday read!

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annette Remmington is an art consultant and an art dealer. She can tell the difference between a fake and a true piece of art. She can also help auction valuable paintings and sculptures. Annette's career is taking off, but she has a secret to hide and a domineering husband who is helping her hide it.

Marius, the husband, didn't seem as evil and manipulative as he was supposed to be until the very end. At the end, Annette becomes a detective?

I was a bit disappointed when I found out what Annette's horrible, dark secret was. It could have been much, much worse.

I wanted the romantic interest to appear earlier in the book.

The ending was just too easy. Everything just kind of resolved itself.

I don't feel a lot for this book. Neutral. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. There wasn't a lot of content and it was an easy read.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read Barbara Taylor Bradford and a friend thought I might like her books. This was an okay read. I liked the characters enough, in particular Annette and Jack. However, for most of the book the events seemed rather slow. I kept reading because I did like some of the details about artists, auctions, paintings that are wrong, and the general art background. After immersing the reader in this art world, the author rushes through her big reveal ending where we learn who the true bad guys are and how they're connected. Left me feeling funny. I knew the identity of one of the bad guys because the author points it out from the beginning, but the details surrounding him and the rush to reveal were anti-climatic for me.

[Natashya KitchenPuppies · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, this was hard to finish. I likely would have put it aside if it wasn't a review book. Too many "darlings", not enough intrigue or content to hold my interest and the end just sort of rushes out an explanation.

[Nancy Keller · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't bother. I kept expecting it to get better and it never did. In fact it got worse.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trite. Predictable. Dull. The book was lucky to get 2 stars from me. (I might be cranky.) The only interesting parts were about the art world and forgeries and that was thin gruel.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Snobbiest book ever.

[Kirstyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim as I was the leaving the library because the cover caught my attention, thus my hopes for the story were low, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Section one of the book was a slow start that almost led me to retire it back to the library, but I preserved through section two and quickly fell in love with the two main characters and the dynamic they began to develop. From section two on, I was hooked; I ended up finishing the last two hundred pages or so in two days.
The love between the two main characters--Annette and Jack--came across so real and, for once in romantic fiction, did not appear forced or over-beaten. The way in which their relationship played out was so original and unexpected, and left the reader rooting for their survival as a couple.
In addition to the romantic aspect of the plot, the mystery and uncovering of secrets put a major twist on the story, though I wish the climax of the story had appeared a tad bit earlier in the book to allow some time for that aspect of the story to further develop.
Overall, the story may have had a slow start, but once the setting and background of both characters had been established, it picked up and had many twists and turns that engrossed readers. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a romantic novel with relationship easy to support, a mystery novel that doesn't appear cliche, or a combination of both.

[Debamita Sutar · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been days since I read a book that pays attention to detail and explains everything in so much detail that you can imagine the entire storyline. Playing the Game by Barbara Taylor Bradford is one such book, she did a great job at paying attention to detail, which totally helps justify the romantic theme of the book.

The story revolves around Anette Remmington, who’s a newly established art dealer. The story starts with her auctioning of a Rembrandt at a surprisingly high amount. This sale brought fame and recognition into her life. Moreover, as the story goes forward, she unfolds dark incidents from her past. She credited her husband Marius Remmington for all the success she has ever achieved in her life. Only to her surprise, she will unfold many things related to her manipulative husband. The main character who brings a twist in the entire book is Jack, he’s the game changer, he plays a major role in unfolding the truths in Anette’s life which were eventually intertwined with his life, and solves the entire mystery.

The story is majorly related to the art world, it consists of references to the famous painters from the 17, 18, and 19th centuries. It felt monotonous for me, as I am not much of a fan of the art world, and neither do I get the references. Ms. Barabra though claims the book to be a thriller, but to my surprise the thrilling portion is overshadowed by the attention to detail. All-in-all it’s a good book for someone who’s into the art world.

[Liba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annette (39) is married for 21 years to Marius (60),no children.He is an art dealer, she runs a gallery and is an art consultant.The story takes place from March to December 2007, changing everything.
Annette's sister Laurie (36) ,an art historian, is a paraplegic,but this doesn't stop her from falling in love with Malcolm or becoming pregnant by him.
Marius asks a journalist ,Jack (29) to write about Annette's recent success- selling of a Rembrandt .
Jack was raised by stepfather and carries his name.His biological father,Nigel, died many years ago.
Jack and Annette are attracted to each other ,with Annette being afraid of such a development.She also has a dark secret, which Marius knows and can punish her if she tries to leave him.The secret is also c onnected to Nigel's death..
Jack discovers that everyone has some kind of secret, including Marius.
It's the world of art.Sotheby's and Christie's auctiion houses, fake paintings and the artists who painted them,millions of dollars/ euros/ pounds involved.
Love versus duty,hate and vengeance,choices made by all characters.
The book has a select bibliography on art, mostly Impressionism,and famous falsifiers-artists.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet book of intrigue, shady business transactions, art history, family history, affairs, and murder.

I was captivated right away by Annette, the heroine in this book. Her sordid past and protecting her sister along the way. Her mysterious older husband and what he has done to her over the years. Her strength and resilience chipping away his protective walls.

Annette, has just sold a Rembrandt painting and now has the fame to go along with the 20 million pounds price tag. Her husband, Marius, has decided a story should be written in the paper, and out of hundreds of hopefuls Jack Chalmers is the lucky man to get the bid. The ever successful journalist, Jack has written many bios and war history books. But as he heads to interview Annette, his life is changed from the moment his eyes look at hers. Will Annette follow her heart or will Marius reach the end of his jealous rope?

It was a great page turner. Hasn't been many Bradford books that have steered me wrong and this one sticks to the course.

[Dasha Hernandez · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a horribly dull and cheesy novel! I barely got through it. I don't understand the need to give most of the main male characters similar names all starting with letter "M" so the reader has to struggle to keep them all straight lol also, we did learn that Annette was in fact a blonde after the first time author described her. No need to keep emphasizing her blondness every other time she is mentioned! This book is poorly written using most of the same few adjectives over and over again. Some parts of the story and detailed explanations are plainly moronic or are meant for young children. I have not read any other novels by this author but honestly, this book does not make want to give her work another try.

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure what this book was supposed to be - romance? mystery? some combination of the two?

What I found it to be was an overly complicated, too predictable tale about an art agent who was being held hostage by her mysterious childhood through her much older, manipulative, controlling husband, another art dealer who seemed to spend far much time doing something other than selling art.

But it was the giant, unbelievable coincidences which put this over the edge from good into fair. There were simply far too many of them and they were far too improbable.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The most interesting aspect of this story was the art world.

Repetitive descriptive word usage throughout, with a predictable, though implausible ending.

Hmmm ... the protagonist's lover condemned adultery, yet was engaged in exactly the same behavior.

Found the recurrent sing-song chant of Josephine & Marie very creepy.

I found I had to replay and listen intently at times, because I couldn't tell from the narrator's voice who was speaking.

[Kathryn Levenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mostly like reading mysteries. This book revovled around art appraisals and sales, abusive relationships and hidden identities. It is interesting how an author creates the flow of a plot. Certain information given was never tied together. Did the author just forget? I coyld have taken plot elements and creayed a much more exciting climax to the book. There was potential for more discoveries, averted violence, etc. Instead it was wrapped up at the end in a rather bland little package.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a bit of a chore to finally finish this book. The only reason I did (after skimming many pages) was because the hook at the beginning hadn’t even been touched upon properly until about 100 pages from the end. I can only think BTB must have been paid by the word as it is at least 50% longer than it needed to be. Glad to be able to close the cover for the last time!

[KCSAINTS · Rating 4 out of 5]

**May contain spoilers** I have been reading Barbara Taylor Bradford books for the last couple of months and Playing The Game is one of the better ones I have read. Really good storyline, as usual passion and drama. The only thing that disappointed me was the ending. I think I would have liked to have seen Annette confront Marius about his dealings - but other than that a really good read.

[Karen Mcnicol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Barbara Taylor Bradford books, but this one just did not grab me like most of hers have. I enjoyed the story, young woman makes it big the art world that part I liked, I guess it was the love story part I had a problem with. But overall a good read.

[Kristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book due to the art references. But man, it just drones on and on. Overly descriptive and really pretty predictable. I only finished so I could make sure my guesses were right and they were. The ending was pretty anticlimactic as well.

[Diane M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievably engaging

This is a novel that has wonderful detail, and a story that unfolds in such a way, that I could not put the book down. It is written so I could imagine the settings, colors, and ambiance. It provided detail to famous artists and gave me a better understanding of the art world. Another great novel!

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this book. it had many different levels and stories going on and it was just plain entertaining and engaging. the previous reviews were not great but i tend to not agree with lots of them anyway. it was just a pleasant, interesting book that was great for a summer read.

[Bridget Miklausich · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was ridiculous, the "twists" were obvious, the characters all finding each other was not even slightly plausible and the ending was bland. I did like reading about the artists and the art though.