The Prada Paradox

Codebreaker Trilogy #3

by Julie Kenner

USA Today bestselling author Julie Kenner follows up her acclaimed thrillers The Givenchy Code and The Manolo Matrix with a whip-smart new adventure in code-breaking -- Hollywood-style!

Devi Taylor was one of Hollywood's fastest-rising starlets -- until a crazed fan held her at knifepoint and she retreated to a life of privacy and Valium. Now recovered and ready for a comeback, Devi dreams of endorsing all things Prada, whose Rodeo Drive store she can't resist. Instead, she lands the starring role in The Givenchy Code, a high-budget action-adventure flick. But with the tabloids all over Givenchy and her recent split with her drop-dead handsome costar, Blake, Devi can't shake the feeling that another crazed fan is going to strike.

Then a frightening message -- "Play or Die" -- is delivered to Devi's house, and she finds herself sucked into a deadly and cryptic game not unlike the one in the movie she's starring in. Hollywood has always been her life, but does Devi know its secrets well enough to follow the cinematic clues that might save her and her favorite Prada bag?

Julie Kenner is the author of two previous novels in this series,The Givenchy Code and The Manolo Matrix, both available from Downtown Press. Her novel Aphrodite's Kiss was a USA Today bestseller, and Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom was a Book Sense Summer Paperback Pick. Her other acclaimed novels include Nobody But You and The Spy Who Loves Me. She lives in Georgetown, Texas, with her husband and daughter.

Genres: Mystery, Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, Fiction, Thriller

334 pages, Paperback

First published April 3, 2007

About the author

J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, Victorian-era thrillers (coming soon), and paranormal mommy lit.

Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner, has been consistently in development in Hollywood since prior to publication. Most recently, it has been optioned by Warner Brothers Television for development as series on the CW Network with Alloy Entertainment producing.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swopn for him.” A three time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy).

Her books have sold well over a million copies and are published in over over twenty countries.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.

Reviews

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final book in the series and it finally brings you face to face with the brainchild behind the Manhatten chase and danger. Another fun book with the fashionista and the Secret Service Agent trying to outwit this mastermind.

A fun series, I loved reading it. A great way to bring good fashion sense into a thriller.

[Michelle H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t love this as much as the first two. The haunt through LA was fun, but it felt like it relied too much on the previous two books, and at the same time, that reliance made some plot points far too obvious. The two main characters were a little too clueless (based how much they were supposed to know), but the chemistry was still great and they were both engaging.

[LilBib’Phile · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad - definitely action packed, but I knew it was Andy from the get-go!

[Daneen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of this series, and couldn't wait until the final installment was released. All in all, it was a okay read, but it leaves much to be desired. First of all, too much time is spent on Devi's backstory; you're a third of the way through the book before the game even gets underway. What I enjoyed so much about The Givenchy Code is that the action started almost immediately - with Mel, a girl we didn't know, caught up in this deadly game of cat and mouse...but as the story unfolded, we learned more about her and started to care about her welfare. In The Prada Paradox, we are introduced to Devi and beat over the head with her history - and the end result is that she ends up coming off as a whiny, self-absorbed, and spoiled Hollywood "it" girl. And because so much time is spent telling her story, not so much time is spent on the actual game - which is why we read the book, right? Secondly, don't get me started about how easy it was to guess the PSW mastermind...even if you're not looking to solve the mystery before the end of the book, the answer will slap you in the face (several times) before it is at last revealed - so expect some disappointment.

In a nutshell, it was a fun and fast read...but was a disappointing end to the trilogy. The story wasn't all that creative, and the plot was somewhat predictable. I think The Prada Paradox stands much better on it's own than as a "final chapter" to the series. If after reading this review, you still want to read this book – borrow it from the library or from me; don’t waste any money on this one.

[eRin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars, rounded up to 4. Good story, suspense, kept me riveted and interested throughout. I didn't realize that this is the final book in a trilogy until after I started it, but it stands alone just fine. I want to read the other two, it's just a little unfortunate that I already know the ending. The only thing that I didn't like was that the person behind the game was obvious from the start and not a surprise at all. At least to me (and a couple of other reviewers as well). Other than that, I really enjoyed it.

[Mandy Beyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thoroughly pleased with the finish to this trilogy of books. I enjoyed the way the three books were linked without being trite repeats of each other, and there were just enough misdirections in the plot to leave me pleasantly surprised when the answers were finally revealed. (I did suspect one character of being a villain, but did not guess how he was involved exactly, so I appreciated the mystery aspect.) Great trilogy!

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd and final book in a series. I didn't realize it until the end. As someone who likes to read books from a series in order, I wish I knew about the other 2 before reading this one. That being said all 3 books are separate stories with separate characters and you don't need to read the other 2 in order to enjoy the third.

[Ashleigh Cartmill · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great end to the series. I love how making a movie of the first book was the framework of this book. It was great to see the echos from the first book in this one. Also, I totally did not see that end coming. I mean I got a small inkling right before it happened, but I didn't believe it. Great series and one I totally have to buy.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The conclusion to the Kenner trilogy, this was a fantastic end to the story, I thought. We finally discover who is behind the madness, and of course get another installment of the game. Again, a favorite guilty pleasure read, one I'll revisit in the future, I'm sure.

[Kim]

An excellent conclusion to this series!

[colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wraps up the trilogy. Spends a lot of pages rehashing previous events. The interview the author does of herself in the back of the book is cute.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Third book in the series with The Givenchy Code and The Manolo Matrix. So dumb and derivative of the previous two, yet an entertaining quick read.

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, chic-lit, easy read.

[Pam]

08/04/08 rec via pbs

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was an intriguing story, but this book, along with her Manolo and Givenchy books are all the exact same plot, with different characters, and I thought that was pretty lame.

[Khanson919 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew who the bad guy was from the start of the book, but there was still a twist at the end that I didn't see.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

yawn

[Sherri Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first two books more but this was a decent ending to an excellent trilogy. The concept of the story was very interesting and intriguing and kept me guessing all the way to the end.

[Maria (Ri) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This held my interest and kept my mind off my ever growing baby belly (my son was born 3 weeks later!).

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This games-playing scavenger hunt involves an actress and her ex-lover in a romp through the movies. Kenner introduces another twist in this particular game.

[Shannon Bingley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book at all. It was a chick lit thriller that didn't keep me interested.

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this a lot better than Manolo..fun to read

[Timothy]

A quick close to the trilogy. Perhaps not as exciting as the 1st book.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was part 3 of a trilogy when I read it. Too bad...it was pretty good, but there's no sense in reading the first two now, since I know how they end.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't as good as the 1st two in the series. I had figured out the mastermind before the book even started. That said, I still had fun with it.

[Kris Leeworthy]

I'm surprised that I liked this series so much! It would make a great movie (in theory... the movie is never "great")

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Ronnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different spin than the previous two stories but provides an incredible wrap up of the series.

[Melanie is on Storygraph · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Prada Paradox by Julie Kenner (2007)

[Beth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mind candy. Beach read.