Sometimes it only takes one night to change everything… Elizabeth Place might have been jilted on her wedding day one year ago, but at least she’s still got her brilliant job producing one of the biggest shows on TV!
But when larger-than-life TV host, Ricky Clough, dies live on air, her life is sent spinning out of control. And with foul play suspected, the spotlight is turned firmly on his colleagues – especially Hutch, the man desperate for Ricky’s job and whom Elizabeth is secretly dating.
As her world comes crashing down around her, Elizabeth realises that perhaps the only person she can really trust, is herself…
Author Elaine Bedell is the Chief Executive of the Southbank Centre. She has previously worked at the BBC as a controller of Entertainment, and Director of Entertainment & Comedy at ITV. She has commissioned and produced a long list of shows, that we all love to watch, that includes X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing and Saturday Night Take plus many more.
About Last Night is Elaine's first novel that seems to me that it based loosely on what she knows best. Like many writers do base their stories on what they know best, and they go on to make the best fiction reading, just like Elaine Bedell has done here. And No definitely not are any characters are based on real people.
For me personally About Last Night had me glued, what happened, full marks here , it all took me by surprise to the extent that I didn't expect.
Elizabeth has worked together with Lola for seven years and for Elizabeth she never feels more alive than when she's in the gallery producing a show, sitting next to Lola.
The Ricky Clough Show begins. It's Elizabeth job to give Ricky Clough instructions through her microphone, that only Ricky can hear. Elizabeth and Lola with all other crew members become stunned when Ricky Clough falls, with then mumbling his words .
Paramedics were unable to save him. The police make their own investigation into how Ricky Clough died in the TV studio.
Don't miss this! As it takes one night to change everything.
okay this took me ages to read (literally almost 5 months) but i did actually kind of live laugh love it??? but then again that could be because claudia winkleman said it was “brilliant” and, well, everyone loves claudia winkleman. the whole producer vibe was actually really cool and it has kind of made me want to be a producer, and i couldn’t have been happier when she broke it off with hutch because he was SO ANNOYING and SUCH A RED FLAG. same with ricky. and deniz. the flashbacks were cool, especially the party one. anyway i did actually like this and i liked the mystery vibe without being a proper mystery? slay.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
Fun, fast-paced - a convincing mystery set in TV-land!
There's something ultimately very compelling about the world of television. I think a lot of us are fascinated by what goes on behind the camera, and how the cult of celebrity really functions.
This book goes some way to detail what it's like, and also provides us with a light-hearted mystery, with some interesting themes to boot.
The plot
Elizabeth works on a chat show programme that's presented by fun-filled, unpredictable Ricky Clough. When Clough drops dead, it's clear that foul play is at hand... but who exactly did the deed? While the police attempt to crack the puzzle, Elizabeth's wrestling a complicated relationship with a married man, not to mention address her feelings after being jilted at the altar. Will Ricky's murderer be caught? And will Elizabeth get her man? I'm not saying a word... you'll have to find out for yourself!
My review
There was lots to enjoy with this book. I loved the author's inner knowledge of the world of television - it gives it a real sense of authenticity. There's not only the glitz and the glamour though; there's also the pain, labour and sheer effort that goes into making programmes - and that was all really interesting.
I also liked the protagonist, Elizabeth. She's calm, cool-headed and rational, even when everything's falling apart around her. In fact, of all the characters, she really stood out, and I found myself eagerly turning the pages, wanting to find out what happened to her next.
What pushed this book to a 5-star rating for me was the exploration of men in power, particularly in the media. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, this feels timely - but I found the way that the author didn't just label Ricky Clough as a monster very interesting, even though his behaviour was entirely inappropriate. There was a recognition there that sometimes, these unpredictable, unpleasant characters can have moments of creative genius - and then of course, there's the problem of drawing a line between those two aspects.
Overall, a great read - perfect for those summer holidays, folks!
I absolutely love books set in the behind the scenes world of television and I think what happens to Ricky Clough while filming a new episode of his latest show would be every producer's worst nightmare, and probably studio audience members nightmare too. After all its not everyday you see someone die in front of you.
But the question is did someone murder Ricky, or was it a heart attack, or just why did he die.
As the book progresses and we see flashback to key incidents leading up to his death you learn what a larger than life character Ricky is, and how his lifestyle is spiralling out of control at the rate of knots. It is also very clear that he has mixed relationships with most people he meets and that there could be any number of people who would be pleased to hasten is demise.
We see the story with the focus on Elizabeth, Ricky's produce of many years, and she is trying her hardest along with the police to make sense of it all. It is from Elizabeth talking to people that we get a real feel for who Ricky is. And I absolutely loved all the bonkers bits of the book too.
There was a particular recap of an episode of the show where Ricky went completely off script and it was completely compelling reading, I could see it all so clearly and I suspect it would have made wonderful TV, even if it was unrehearsed and completely winging it!
So many of the characters involved have secrets, and it becomes apparent that Elizabeth really doesn't know as much about people as she thought.
What amazed me half way through the book was how much we knew but yet seemed almost no further in time than when we started. I was definitely enjoying it, just struck me that this clearly this was a book with a very short present day timeline, and was really well put together with all the different strands.
Elaine Bedell's love of TV is quite clear, and I loved every aspect of this book. Such a fabulous debut that I'm delighted I had the opportunity to read.
Thank you to Joe Thomas and the team at HQ for the Showcase invite where, I received this copy, which I have reviewed this book honestly and voluntarily.
Elizabeth Place is a TV producer on a hit Saturday night TV show called Bonkers featuring a former mega-star, whose star is now failing rapidly, Ricky Clough. Elizabeth knows that the head of programming, Matthew is going to cancel Ricky's show and intends to create a pilot with football pundit, and Elizabeth's married lover, Harry Hutchinson, with a view to giving Hutch the prime time slot.
When Ricky dies on camera during his Saturday night slot everyone thinks he's just overdone it on booze and drugs but soon it seems as though there may be a more sinister reason.
I was lured into this by Claudia Winkelman's rave review because she is my girl crush but frankly I didn't find this even remotely funny. It may be true to life (the author was formerly a TV producer in the UK) but it didn't make it engaging or any of the characters any more likeable. frankly by the end of the book Elizabeth came across as borderline pathetic and oblivious to all the undercurrents despite being in the centre of the vortex, even the ending seemed trite and contrived.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a well-written insight into the back-stabbing, incestuous world of prime time TV with its excesses and absurdities then this is a good place to start.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Fabulous, wickedly funny and for me a perfect read. It’s really hard to believe this is a debut novel as it written so brilliantly it captured me from the the few pages and I just couldn’t put it down. Elizabeth Place is a tv producer who is thrown into the middle of a shocking situation when one of her eccentric tv show hosts collapses and dies at the start of a show, but when it appears that this is not a natural death things take on a sinister turn and people are not quite being honest to say more would spoil this wonderful book so i would just say give it a go you won't be disappointed. The behind the scenes descriptions of what goes on in the world of prime time tv made this book so compulsive and I really do hope we will have more from very talented Elaine Bedell in the future and I think the book will a big hit because is different from the many domestic thrillers that we have around at the moment. It’s clever, stylish and highly recommended from me and certainly not one to be missed ...I just loved it and I loved the “I didn’t get where I got to” Reggie Perrin moments !!! My thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
DNF. Extremely frustrating book, Elizabeth, the heroine, extremely wet and irritating, surprising that a woman of so little backbone is doing a job that requires lots of it.
At 28% of the way through I decided it wasn’t getting any better and gave up.
Thank you HQ Digital and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.
This book took a looooong time but that's because of midterms and I was super super stressed out so I wasn't in the mood to pick up a book. But then that's my dumb ass every semester so I'll just get into this review. This book was really good! It had me guessing and suspecting everyone. I really enjoyed the plot and the mystery. The main character, Elizabeth, was a pretty darn good character. She's like a career women (I can't remember the name, power-house women?) with ambition and bad test in men, LOL. She was a really good character because I find her to be relatable. She likes her job and she likes Ricky but in the end, she still has to look our for herself. I think her producing a new show behind Ricky's back wasn't betrayal because Ricky was unstable. Now, let's talk about Ricky. I can't believe that he would kill himself and blame Hutch, but I liked it because it was believable. Ricky is smart but he is underestimated because he lost himself. He was on the top for so long that he doesn't want to get off the pedestal. the whole thing where he and Hutch share a dealer so that's why he knew that Hutch will be there was really good of the author. It wasn't to coincidental and it fit in well with the book. Now, Hutch. what is there to say? He a coke addict and a jerk so I don't think I was ever suppose to like him. Elizabeth and him ain't even cute and honestly Elizabeth just needed someone like him to get over her breakup at the alter, so I don't blame her for choosing him. He's a try-hard and fake as hell but then you gotta do what you gotta do if you want to be popular on television. Now, Lola. She was a okay character. She just wants to have fun so she was a nice minor character. I like the ending where she and Elizabeth will still be working together. Matthew was okay. I like him. He's like the big boss but he's like chill. Like if Ricky ruined my office, I would be mad as hell but then I'm not a big shot TV producer so... I'm happy that in the end he wished Elizabeth well. I suspected that Ricky or his henchmen, Deniz ordered the attack right from the beginning. Ricky was quite a character. I like the ending where he mails his wife the letter explaining why he did what he did. I think his wife knows that she lost him a long time ago even though they still care for each other. Ricky was lost, just like how Elizabeth described it. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The mystery was nice and the book was to the point. I think that it's quite a nice light read because it wasn't too intense or anything. I like the mix of Hollywood and mystery. The detective was cool and this was a bit different because usually I read from the detective point of view, or I read about a detective that's slacking. All in all, I recommend, really good! I'll see you guys soon. BYEEEE!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
When I first read the blurb of ABOUT THAT NIGHT, I found it intriguing. A television show, a suspicious death live on air, and some complicated love affairs. I thought I was going to enjoy it and I wasn’t wrong because I was completely glued to the pages. Thanks to the detailed descriptions of the author, we are taken right behind the scenes of a live TV show, exactly like the American ones I use to watch on YouTube. And I found it all very fascinating because, on TV, we don’t see all the preparation, the schedule, and the drama that goes behind the camera. The author portrays all of it on the page and her descriptions are so accurate and informative that I could almost imagine the protagonist, Elizabeth Place, talking into the microphone trying to direct the TV host and convince him to not go too off script.
In addition, there is a mystery. Ricky Clough is the star of Bonker, the TV show of which Elizabeth is a producer. However, his star is in decline and rumours of a new show with a new presenter spread. When Ricky suddenly dies on air and the police treats it as suspicious, things get even more complicated, especially for Elizabeth who doesn’t know who she can trust.
If this is not enough to convince you to read ABOUT THAT NIGHT, there are love affairs and secret rendezvous that will keep you engrossed (no one seemed to be faithful to their other half in this book).
I liked the author’s writing style, clear and precise. The characters are multi-layered and well-drawn, especially the protagonist. Elizabeth Place is a woman in her thirties, successful in her job (even if she has to deal with a crazy star), not so much on her personal life. Her revelation about her non-wedding, her father’s death, and her relationship with a married man make her more realistic and likable and I loved the ending she got.
ABOUT THAT NIGHT is a brilliant debut that will keep you entertained for hours!!!
I really liked this one! I rarely read anything from 2010 onwards let alone this freshly printed last month. It caught my eye in the new in section of my library and I’m glad I picked it up. It is gripping throughout and the insight into how television is produced is insightful.
There is an argument to be made Elizabeth is not the most relatable character about; certainly there isn’t much character development for us to understand why she is so hung up on Jamie or even what makes Hutch so irresistible to her and I found the scenes towards the end of the book in the police station verging on farcical.
Saying this, there is so much to love in this book and I was very satisfied by the ending and the use of flash forwards / backwards to enrich the plot. I hope this author writes more!
My review will be live on donnasbookblog on 11th July 2019 - publication day!
I loved this story!!
I thought that this was a very well written book, the story had everything and I found it to be thoroughly enjoyable from cover to cover, there was something happening on every page and it kept me fully engaged throughout.
I thought that the characters were well developed and their interaction was excellent. It was a book that had me hooked and I raced through the pages as I wanted to see how the story would end and I wasn't disappointed.
It is five stars from me for this one, a thoroughly enjoyable story - very highly recommended!!
The author is actually an ex-ITV employee which, for me, totally explained the detail and the way that she describes the scenes and the feelings of the protagonist. It all seems so real and that's probably because it is, to a degree!!
The plot itself is exciting, I had a long train journey so I polished off most of the book in one go. The plot is different to anything I've read before and the thriller aspect was great. I didn't guess the killer and the pace of the entire thing feels spot on. It's perhaps not a book I'll remember for the rest of my life but I've had a fantastic few hours reading it. 4/5.
I didn't find the main character very interesting at all, and I never really knew what she was doing or why she was doing it. She also didn't change at all from the start to the end of the book.
overall it was fine for a work read, but I won't be seeking out the author anytime soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Cons: None of the characters had redeemable qualities to me. As for the mystery part, there were comments made insinuating different plot lines, that I was all excited for. But the wrap up didn't "wow" me. With the characters being as distasteful as they were, I was expecting something a little bit more nefarious and entertaining than what happened. Pros: A very easy read and fairly fast paced. Would be a good airplane book where you don't have to overly invest yourself into a piece of literature before you land.
You know when the star of the top rating tv program you produce dies suddenly and violently during a live show...? This is the predicament Elizabeth finds herself in, and while the police are trying to investigate, everyone else is trying to hide secret lovers and dodgy deals. Really enjoyed this book, from the forgotten wife, to the up and coming star and the dodgy childhood friend. I’ll definitely look out for more from this author.
A very well written story and an even better story that we rarely read. Yes, there are many celebrities dramas behind the scenes and stories that we get to read but the real ones are so few that sometimes you even wander if it’s true and real anymore. Loved the characters and I found it interesting that the author is a former member staff of a tv show it’s always a great thing to have everything from first hand storytelling. Looking forward to more from this author.
Well. I don't know what to think. I don't know what to say. Writing was okay, plot a bit predictable and at the same time strangely uneventful. Errr... I could relate to Elizabeth because of her shitty love-life. I've had my fair share of that. But that's really all I can muster...
It wasn't bad for a debut novel, and it's a fast paced easy read. I just have no feelings about it. It was a book. I read it. And that's, kind of, it.
I did not enjoy this, but I don’t think it’s a fault of the author. Everything about the world she described was distasteful and it seemed like a caricature of a subsection of society. But what’s worse was the writer would have us believe this was a realistic depiction. I had to skim read as I simply could not care. Not for me I am afraid.
I like the self-deprecating main character producer Elizabeth, who is the producer of a high maintenance, dwindling in fame,narcissist tv host who causes all kinds of issues and drama; especially when he winds up dead. This forces Elizabeth to uncover some secrets of a few people she is close too.
I don't have too much to write-a light, fun beach read. Mystery is good enough, and some fun drama, just not an amazing book; earning 3 stars.
This was so great to be thrown into the crazy, eccentric, fast paced and unexpected world of television- where much to Elizabeth’s horror, presenter Ricky dies live on air. It’s funny and mad and every character in here has secrets and drama of their own. Entirely contemporary and throughly enjoyable!
An entertaining murder mystery. When unstable and beloved TV host Ricky Clough dies on air, a murder investigation ensues and secrets start coming out. Intrepid producer Elizabeth is mourning the loss of Ricky, figuring out the rest of her life, and trying to keep her affair with Hutch -- the man poised to replace Ricky -- a secret. It's a fun story to untangle and a quick read.
A bit disappointing. I’d worked out that Elizabeth was pregnant and it just felt a little too obvious having Pegasus and Hutch (who had no redeeming features at all, why was she even remotely interested in him even if she did want to feel loved?) as the ‘bad guys’. Also on a minor more petty note the car Pegasus was in changed from a Bentley to a Mercedes and then back again which annoyed me!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was horrible. Every single character in this book was a horrible person, i’ve never seen so many characters that have normalised cheating. The main character was insufferable. She seemed like a shallow, two faced, selfish person the whole way through. The only reason this book gets two stars is because the actual plot line was good, just the amount of bad characters was horrendous.
BRILLANT I loved this book, the characters and the plot. A real page turner with unexpected twists and turns in every chapter. Great stuff! Perfect for book clubs and people who enjoy reading books that are fun to talk about. Highly recommend.