Review: Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan

Anatomy of a Scandal is a well written legal drama with a he said-she said premise. Kate is a hard working lawyer for the crown who has tackled many high profile cases. When James, a spoiled and charismatic politician with an Oxford background, is accused of rape, Kate is keen to see justice served. Meanwhile, James' wife Sophie wholeheartedly believes that her husband is telling the truth. Anatomy of a Scandal is sure to keep readers wondering, while the truth is fed bit by bit to the reader. 

I have no doubt that there is going to be a lot of talk about this novel in weeks to come. This novel is an intelligently written story of wealth, bad behaviour and an unhealthy fixation. None of the characters are perfect--Kate, James and Sophie all have multiple failings. James is as sexist as Sophie is spoiled and weak, and Kate is obsessed with ensuring that James is convicted--and something seems horribly personal about her fixation. There are also some deeper secrets at play regarding James' time at Oxford that weave perfectly into the story and make the drama all the more intense. 

It is difficult to say that I enjoyed this one--the subject matter is quite dark, and is perhaps more topical than enjoyable, given that it examines in detail just how much men in positions of power can get away with. What I did appreciate was the opportunity to think about the subject matter and relate it to a number of real life cases.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Ausrtalia for my ARC


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