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Scandal
Not yet published
Expected 18 Jun 26They had the perfect marriage.
Until she was found alive...
2020. During a friend's birthday trip, Kaleigh Creedy's life was torn apart when she and her two friends, Emma and Leila, were violently attacked at their cottage in the middle of the night. Only Kaleigh managed to escape.
2025. Married to a famous footballer and a rising star in her own right, Kaleigh has tried to put the terror of that night behind her. But just when she thinks she's safe, the unthinkable happens…
Emma is found alive, and her version of events don't quite match up to Kaleigh's.
Her perfect life is unravelling, the tabloids are circling - but who will you believe?
From the authors of Rumoured comes another twisted thriller featuring a celebrity couple at the centre of a horrifying cold case - perfect for fans of A Flicker in the Dark, The Perfect Marriage and Luckiest Girl Alive.
Praise for RUMOURED
'Packed with unpredictable twists...deliciously fun.' MEGAN COLLINS
'Your next obsession.' SIAN GILBERT
'As bingeable as the juiciest celebrity gossip.' ASHLEY WINSTEAD
Until she was found alive...
2020. During a friend's birthday trip, Kaleigh Creedy's life was torn apart when she and her two friends, Emma and Leila, were violently attacked at their cottage in the middle of the night. Only Kaleigh managed to escape.
2025. Married to a famous footballer and a rising star in her own right, Kaleigh has tried to put the terror of that night behind her. But just when she thinks she's safe, the unthinkable happens…
Emma is found alive, and her version of events don't quite match up to Kaleigh's.
Her perfect life is unravelling, the tabloids are circling - but who will you believe?
From the authors of Rumoured comes another twisted thriller featuring a celebrity couple at the centre of a horrifying cold case - perfect for fans of A Flicker in the Dark, The Perfect Marriage and Luckiest Girl Alive.
Praise for RUMOURED
'Packed with unpredictable twists...deliciously fun.' MEGAN COLLINS
'Your next obsession.' SIAN GILBERT
'As bingeable as the juiciest celebrity gossip.' ASHLEY WINSTEAD
Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 18, 2026
2 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Kaleigh is married to Harry Turner, a famous footballer when her friend Emma, who everyone assumed had died, suddenly is back on the scene. Will the events of the past and the present become a scandal for the eager public to speculate over?
Scandal is a psychological thriller based around Nottingham, here in the UK. The authors are sisters who were born in America but Kelly now lives in Nottingham. Like their debut novel Rumoured, they make fun of the differences between spoken and written English in Britain and the US. Scandal is their second novel and the themes of being in the public eye, having a brand, celebrity culture and social media content and comments are once again fully explored. Scandal is told from multiple points of view: Kaliegh, her husband Harry, Emma an old friend and Charlie a psychologist.
I did not like the format of Scandal which is told in 2 time frames, the present day and 5 years ago when the “Nightmare in Notts” attack happened at a forest retreat. This going backwards and forwards was a right pain for me and I would have preferred the story to be told in real time with a gap of 5 years marked by a simple “Later…”. I found the plot to be good but not as good as in Rumoured. I developed doubts about all the characters, each one being economical with the truth. I was disappointed with the ending and felt a little short changed. I think Scandal is a GOOD 4 star read and am sure the sisters will continue to write many thrillers together in the future.
I love it when novels include local culture and real locations. I will leave you with a quote from Scandal that is typical of British attitudes to car parking, myself included!...
We’re meeting at Sherwood Pines in Mansfield, near Kate’s home. Not far from where the Nightmare in Notts attack happened. I carefully nestle my vehicle into one of the makeshift off-road spaces carved out by others who, like me, refuse to pay a six-quid car park fee.
…However, a quick glance on the internet shows that since Kelly visited, Sherwood Pines has now increased their car parking charges to £4 for 1 hour, £7.50 for 2 hours, £11.00 for 3 hours and a staggering £12.50 for all day! I love a forest walk with my dog but at those prices, unless I can find free parking near-by will simply go elsewhere.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Head of Zeus/Bloomsbury for passing me an ARC on the understanding that I post a review.
Scandal is a psychological thriller based around Nottingham, here in the UK. The authors are sisters who were born in America but Kelly now lives in Nottingham. Like their debut novel Rumoured, they make fun of the differences between spoken and written English in Britain and the US. Scandal is their second novel and the themes of being in the public eye, having a brand, celebrity culture and social media content and comments are once again fully explored. Scandal is told from multiple points of view: Kaliegh, her husband Harry, Emma an old friend and Charlie a psychologist.
I did not like the format of Scandal which is told in 2 time frames, the present day and 5 years ago when the “Nightmare in Notts” attack happened at a forest retreat. This going backwards and forwards was a right pain for me and I would have preferred the story to be told in real time with a gap of 5 years marked by a simple “Later…”. I found the plot to be good but not as good as in Rumoured. I developed doubts about all the characters, each one being economical with the truth. I was disappointed with the ending and felt a little short changed. I think Scandal is a GOOD 4 star read and am sure the sisters will continue to write many thrillers together in the future.
I love it when novels include local culture and real locations. I will leave you with a quote from Scandal that is typical of British attitudes to car parking, myself included!...
We’re meeting at Sherwood Pines in Mansfield, near Kate’s home. Not far from where the Nightmare in Notts attack happened. I carefully nestle my vehicle into one of the makeshift off-road spaces carved out by others who, like me, refuse to pay a six-quid car park fee.
…However, a quick glance on the internet shows that since Kelly visited, Sherwood Pines has now increased their car parking charges to £4 for 1 hour, £7.50 for 2 hours, £11.00 for 3 hours and a staggering £12.50 for all day! I love a forest walk with my dog but at those prices, unless I can find free parking near-by will simply go elsewhere.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Head of Zeus/Bloomsbury for passing me an ARC on the understanding that I post a review.
March 3, 2026
Scandal is a sleek, addictive thriller that pulls you straight into the glare of celebrity life, where every secret is amplified and every truth is up for debate. Kaleigh Creedy has spent five years rebuilding herself after the night that shattered everything — the attack that left her two friends presumed dead, the trauma she’s tried to bury, the fame that arrived whether she wanted it or not. Now married to a football star and carefully curating her public image, she finally feels steady again… until the past walks back into the room.
Emma’s reappearance is the kind of twist that knocks the breath out of both Kaleigh and the reader. Her version of events doesn’t just differ — it threatens to rewrite the entire narrative. Suddenly Kaleigh’s perfect life begins to crack under the pressure of suspicion, tabloid frenzy, and the uncomfortable truth that memory is rarely as reliable as we want it to be. The authors capture that spiralling tension beautifully, letting the story slip between glamour and dread with a sharp, cinematic edge.
What makes the novel so compelling is the emotional complexity beneath the scandal. Kaleigh isn’t just fighting for her reputation; she’s fighting for the version of herself she’s spent years trying to believe in. The dynamic between the three women — the survivor, the returned, the missing — adds a layered, unsettling depth, and the question of who to trust becomes more tangled with every chapter. The celebrity backdrop only heightens the stakes, turning private trauma into public spectacle.
The pacing is tight, the twists land with precision, and the final reveals feel both shocking and inevitable — the kind of truth that was hiding in plain sight all along. It’s a story about survival, perception, and the dangerous gap between what really happened and what the world chooses to believe.
A gripping, compulsive thriller perfect for fans of A Flicker in the Dark, The Perfect Marriage, and Luckiest Girl Alive, and one that lingers long after the last page.
With thanks to Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Emma’s reappearance is the kind of twist that knocks the breath out of both Kaleigh and the reader. Her version of events doesn’t just differ — it threatens to rewrite the entire narrative. Suddenly Kaleigh’s perfect life begins to crack under the pressure of suspicion, tabloid frenzy, and the uncomfortable truth that memory is rarely as reliable as we want it to be. The authors capture that spiralling tension beautifully, letting the story slip between glamour and dread with a sharp, cinematic edge.
What makes the novel so compelling is the emotional complexity beneath the scandal. Kaleigh isn’t just fighting for her reputation; she’s fighting for the version of herself she’s spent years trying to believe in. The dynamic between the three women — the survivor, the returned, the missing — adds a layered, unsettling depth, and the question of who to trust becomes more tangled with every chapter. The celebrity backdrop only heightens the stakes, turning private trauma into public spectacle.
The pacing is tight, the twists land with precision, and the final reveals feel both shocking and inevitable — the kind of truth that was hiding in plain sight all along. It’s a story about survival, perception, and the dangerous gap between what really happened and what the world chooses to believe.
A gripping, compulsive thriller perfect for fans of A Flicker in the Dark, The Perfect Marriage, and Luckiest Girl Alive, and one that lingers long after the last page.
With thanks to Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*4.5 stars*
It’s the year 2020, and Kaleigh Creedy and her best friends, Emma and Leila, are spending a birthday weekend in a cottage at the Sherwood Forest retreat, in Nottingham UK. Idyllic certainly comes to mind, but the girls are viciously attacked in the middle of the night and only Kaleigh survives- well that’s what we’re given to think. Leila’s body is discovered in nearby water, but despite extensive searches, Emma’s body couldn’t be found.
However, 5 years later, Emma turns up completely out of the blue, but she’s not in a good way, and appears to have been held in captivity. In the meantime, former beauty queen, Kaleigh, has married Emma‘s boyfriend, famous footballer Harry Turner, and as much as Kaleigh’s happy that Emma is alive, she does wonder how all this will affect their relationships.
However, Kaleigh will have more to worry about, as Emma’s account of what happened that night is the complete opposite of hers!
Welcome to the world of top league footballers, WAGS, and their celebrity lives, and watch in horror as Kaleigh and Harry’s perfect lives begin to unravel in spectacular fashion!
The storyline shifts between 2020 and the present, and as the twists began, I found I whizzed through this book at a rate of knots. I found it hard to put down at times, and it had some terrific twists, though I would have preferred a different ending. Very enjoyable though!
*My thanks to Netgalley and Aria and Aries for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
It’s the year 2020, and Kaleigh Creedy and her best friends, Emma and Leila, are spending a birthday weekend in a cottage at the Sherwood Forest retreat, in Nottingham UK. Idyllic certainly comes to mind, but the girls are viciously attacked in the middle of the night and only Kaleigh survives- well that’s what we’re given to think. Leila’s body is discovered in nearby water, but despite extensive searches, Emma’s body couldn’t be found.
However, 5 years later, Emma turns up completely out of the blue, but she’s not in a good way, and appears to have been held in captivity. In the meantime, former beauty queen, Kaleigh, has married Emma‘s boyfriend, famous footballer Harry Turner, and as much as Kaleigh’s happy that Emma is alive, she does wonder how all this will affect their relationships.
However, Kaleigh will have more to worry about, as Emma’s account of what happened that night is the complete opposite of hers!
Welcome to the world of top league footballers, WAGS, and their celebrity lives, and watch in horror as Kaleigh and Harry’s perfect lives begin to unravel in spectacular fashion!
The storyline shifts between 2020 and the present, and as the twists began, I found I whizzed through this book at a rate of knots. I found it hard to put down at times, and it had some terrific twists, though I would have preferred a different ending. Very enjoyable though!
*My thanks to Netgalley and Aria and Aries for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
March 4, 2026
Scandal reads exactly like its title: messy, addictive, and impossible to look away from. I was hooked from page one all the way to the final reveal. I went in thinking it would be a light, dramatic ride, but it turned out to be a full-on roller coaster with wild twists, sharp turns, and characters who keep you on guessing. The story leans heavily into Kaleigh’s glamorous-but-fragile world as a former beauty queen married to a famous footballer, all while carrying the weight of surviving the brutal attack that killed her two best friends. Every chapter pulled me in deeper and I found myself guessing (and second-guessing) right until the end. It’s fun, fast, and absolutely delivers all the right amount of drama.
What I Enjoyed
* Survivor trope
* First-person narrative
* Fast-paced
What Felt Off
* Brutal attack scenes
* Trashy, toxic female friendships
* Kaleigh’s naivety
Breakdown
* Setting: 4⭐️
* Characters: 4⭐️
* Writing: 5⭐️
* Message: 4⭐️
* Overall: 5⭐️
Final Verdict
A highly entertaining thriller with a juicy twist I genuinely did not see coming. I’m still a bit stunned but in the best way. Perfect for readers who love messy secrets, high-gloss drama, and a survivor at the center of it all. Huge thanks to NetGalley, Aria & Aries, and authors Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso for my advance copy.
~ JaNnA ~
What I Enjoyed
* Survivor trope
* First-person narrative
* Fast-paced
What Felt Off
* Brutal attack scenes
* Trashy, toxic female friendships
* Kaleigh’s naivety
Breakdown
* Setting: 4⭐️
* Characters: 4⭐️
* Writing: 5⭐️
* Message: 4⭐️
* Overall: 5⭐️
Final Verdict
A highly entertaining thriller with a juicy twist I genuinely did not see coming. I’m still a bit stunned but in the best way. Perfect for readers who love messy secrets, high-gloss drama, and a survivor at the center of it all. Huge thanks to NetGalley, Aria & Aries, and authors Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso for my advance copy.
~ JaNnA ~
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Scandal is an addictive, high-drama, multi-POV thriller that throws a lot at you right from the start. Between Charlie, Kaleigh, Harry, Emma, and the mixed media elements, there’s a whole network of characters and perspectives to keep up with, and the opening can feel a little overwhelming with the amount of names and details introduced early on. However, once things settle, it becomes much easier to follow the bigger picture.
Kaleigh and Harry give strong Posh and Becks energy, glamorous, public-facing, and carefully curated, until everything starts to unravel. With the case dubbed “The Nightmare in Notts,” the past comes back to bite them hard, and the fallout plays out in a very messy, very public way.
I really enjoyed the true crime feel, especially the mixed media and comment sections. Those added a layer of realism, and more than once I found myself agreeing with what was being said.
Watching everything crack once Emma is revealed to be alive added a solid level of tension, especially seeing those “perfect” lives start to fall apart.
Overall, this is scandal-ridden, engaging, and great for fans of true crime, celebrity culture, and layered storytelling. A bit chaotic at first, but there’s a lot here to sink into. I’d like to go back and read their debut, Rumoured, and I’m keen to see what these authors do next.
Thank you to Aria & Aries and NetGalley for this ARC.
Kaleigh and Harry give strong Posh and Becks energy, glamorous, public-facing, and carefully curated, until everything starts to unravel. With the case dubbed “The Nightmare in Notts,” the past comes back to bite them hard, and the fallout plays out in a very messy, very public way.
I really enjoyed the true crime feel, especially the mixed media and comment sections. Those added a layer of realism, and more than once I found myself agreeing with what was being said.
Watching everything crack once Emma is revealed to be alive added a solid level of tension, especially seeing those “perfect” lives start to fall apart.
Overall, this is scandal-ridden, engaging, and great for fans of true crime, celebrity culture, and layered storytelling. A bit chaotic at first, but there’s a lot here to sink into. I’d like to go back and read their debut, Rumoured, and I’m keen to see what these authors do next.
Thank you to Aria & Aries and NetGalley for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
There were so many questions throughout the book, and the twists and turns were well developed and thought out. For fans of "Rumoured" there were a few mentions to Harlow Hayes which brought a smile. There were so many times where I thought I knew where the book was headed but I didn't see the end coming.
As someone who lives very close to where the book was set, it was great to see a well written book set in the UK. Special mention for the accuracy of the football (or soccer) matches and players.
Great use of mixed media with internet forums, and articles well used throughout. I had so many what the hell moments throughout and the last 40% of the book was genuinely unputdownable. Even the cliffhanger at the end had a huge sense of foreboding.
I adored "Rumoured" and "Scandal" is an amazing sophomore novel from these talented sisters,
If you are a fan of Ted Lasso, or Footballers Wives then this is the perfect book for you.
There were so many questions throughout the book, and the twists and turns were well developed and thought out. For fans of "Rumoured" there were a few mentions to Harlow Hayes which brought a smile. There were so many times where I thought I knew where the book was headed but I didn't see the end coming.
As someone who lives very close to where the book was set, it was great to see a well written book set in the UK. Special mention for the accuracy of the football (or soccer) matches and players.
Great use of mixed media with internet forums, and articles well used throughout. I had so many what the hell moments throughout and the last 40% of the book was genuinely unputdownable. Even the cliffhanger at the end had a huge sense of foreboding.
I adored "Rumoured" and "Scandal" is an amazing sophomore novel from these talented sisters,
If you are a fan of Ted Lasso, or Footballers Wives then this is the perfect book for you.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was such an addictive, easy read - the kind you fly through in a weekend. It perfectly blends psychological suspense with glossy tabloid drama, and I was hooked on the celebrity scandal element from the start.
The shifting loyalties and conflicting accounts kept me constantly second-guessing everyone. You’re never quite sure who’s innocent, who’s lying, and who’s hiding something much darker. The public scrutiny angle adds another layer of tension - reputation, perception, and truth all colliding in very messy ways.
Oh my goodness, that ending. The twists don’t just arrive, they unravel. Just when you think you’ve pieced it together, more information spills out and reframes everything. It’s layered, dramatic, and deliciously tense.
If you love fast-paced thrillers with secrets, scandal, media pressure and morally grey characters, this one will absolutely keep you turning the pages.
The shifting loyalties and conflicting accounts kept me constantly second-guessing everyone. You’re never quite sure who’s innocent, who’s lying, and who’s hiding something much darker. The public scrutiny angle adds another layer of tension - reputation, perception, and truth all colliding in very messy ways.
Oh my goodness, that ending. The twists don’t just arrive, they unravel. Just when you think you’ve pieced it together, more information spills out and reframes everything. It’s layered, dramatic, and deliciously tense.
If you love fast-paced thrillers with secrets, scandal, media pressure and morally grey characters, this one will absolutely keep you turning the pages.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Happy to report that if it’s binge-worthy celeb-fueled murder you’re after, the Mancaruso sisters have done it again.
Scandal centres on the Turner family - owners of a luxury car dealership catapulted into the headlines when Harry Turner becomes an England striker, and, less happily, when his girlfriend Emma and her friends Leila and Kayleigh are viciously attacked on Emma’s 24th birthday.
5 years later, Harry is happily married to the one who got away, Kayleigh, with a little boy, Alfie, and a little girl on the way. Life feels perfect until an emaciated and injured Emma staggers out of a pub cellar having killed the landlord.
The Turners are in the headlines for all the wrong reasons again. Can Kayleigh and clinical psychiatrist Charlie get to the bottom of what’s happening before someone else is killed?
Un-put-downable, so only pick it up when you have the whole day to spare …
AD-PR 🙏 Head of Zeus
Scandal centres on the Turner family - owners of a luxury car dealership catapulted into the headlines when Harry Turner becomes an England striker, and, less happily, when his girlfriend Emma and her friends Leila and Kayleigh are viciously attacked on Emma’s 24th birthday.
5 years later, Harry is happily married to the one who got away, Kayleigh, with a little boy, Alfie, and a little girl on the way. Life feels perfect until an emaciated and injured Emma staggers out of a pub cellar having killed the landlord.
The Turners are in the headlines for all the wrong reasons again. Can Kayleigh and clinical psychiatrist Charlie get to the bottom of what’s happening before someone else is killed?
Un-put-downable, so only pick it up when you have the whole day to spare …
AD-PR 🙏 Head of Zeus
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In 2020, during a friend's birthday trip, Kaleigh's life changed forever. She and two friends, Emma and Leila, were violently attacked and Kaleigh was the only one that escaped.
Now, in 2025, she is married to a famous footballer and has a family. Those days are far behind her. That is, until Emma is found alive. And her version of events does not match Kaleigh's.
Another fabulous novel by the authors! The duo really know how to keep you in suspense and this certainly did that. As I went along, there were so many twists and secrets uncovered that I could never have anticipated. There were hints of deceit from all different characters which made me question everyone. We get a glimpse of the way the three girls friendships were back then and as the truth unfolded, I still could not guess who was to blame for chaos that changed their lives. Such an enjoyable one. 4.5*
Thank you to NetGalley and Aria Fiction for this gifted review copy.
Now, in 2025, she is married to a famous footballer and has a family. Those days are far behind her. That is, until Emma is found alive. And her version of events does not match Kaleigh's.
Another fabulous novel by the authors! The duo really know how to keep you in suspense and this certainly did that. As I went along, there were so many twists and secrets uncovered that I could never have anticipated. There were hints of deceit from all different characters which made me question everyone. We get a glimpse of the way the three girls friendships were back then and as the truth unfolded, I still could not guess who was to blame for chaos that changed their lives. Such an enjoyable one. 4.5*
Thank you to NetGalley and Aria Fiction for this gifted review copy.
February 24, 2026
I really enjoyed their debut book Rumoured and the layout and was super appreciative to be sent an arc of their next book Scandal.
I actually feel like this book tops their debut! I found it a lot more twisty, I was suspicious of everyone and it had an ending that I did not guess at all!
I will say I would have liked a little more info on the years that Emma had been missing and what she sadly had to endure just so we could have more of an idea of how she was coming out of that.
I love a book that is laid out in mixed media so was glad to see the return of this in their second book of news articles, websites and Reddit posts.
I would definitely recommend this book for the people who love a TM Logan or John Marrs book.
Thank you to Head of Zeus for the copy.
I actually feel like this book tops their debut! I found it a lot more twisty, I was suspicious of everyone and it had an ending that I did not guess at all!
I will say I would have liked a little more info on the years that Emma had been missing and what she sadly had to endure just so we could have more of an idea of how she was coming out of that.
I love a book that is laid out in mixed media so was glad to see the return of this in their second book of news articles, websites and Reddit posts.
I would definitely recommend this book for the people who love a TM Logan or John Marrs book.
Thank you to Head of Zeus for the copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Was okay, but the language and terminology around the football aspects of the book were really poor. How difficult would it be to have someone who is familiar with football in the UK look over the book to get some of the terms right.
Read
October 1, 2025My jaw was basically unhinged for the last 120 pages of this book. This is iconically WAGs x The Missing x Harlan Coben #5oclocksomewhere
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
As a big fan of Rumoured, I was very excited to read Scandal and it did not disappoint.
A must read for thriller fans who enjoy the WAGs tabloid gossip with some surprising twists.
A must read for thriller fans who enjoy the WAGs tabloid gossip with some surprising twists.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
oh how i love the mancaruso sisters
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews