What a great read this is. Personally I don’t watch a lot of reality television but this book was certainly very compelling. Bradley Wilcox is a teenager who went to a party at the wealthy Lancaster’s house in London in 2003 and was never seen again. In 2023 the hugely successful reality show Living with the Lancasters has been running since 2007. It features Mum Lynn, daughter Taylor (36), son Locke (33) and youngest daughter India (29). The family were used to being in the limelight as Dad Ed was a premiership footballer but the show only started after his unexpected death. Briefly, in February 2023 Locke releases a home video from the party in 2003 which immediately raises questions about witness statements at the time of Bradley’s disappearance. Enter Cassie Wilcox, Bradley’s sister, who has never given up on finding her brother. She contacts Tom Isaac who is an investigator with his own You Tube channel and asks for his help in finding out the truth of what happened to her brother. The story is told from multiple POV’s in dual timeline alongside the You Tube podcast channel, incident reports of the police investigation (which has been reopened) and diary entries. A twisted tale of narcissism, greed and fame brilliantly laid out for us the reader as the truth slowly emerges with the most startling conclusion. This is a absorbing read with great twists and turns, a big bunch of untrustworthy characters and lots of secrets. Gripping stuff.

Clickbait steps into the world of true crime, exploring our fascination with celebrity culture in a twisty narrative that left me speechless. Thrillers are always more interesting to me when told in unexpected ways. So far, I’ve enjoyed North’s work and Clickbait continues this winning streak with me. I adore a multi-media narrative and this was used to excellent effect here, focusing on how narratives can be twisted and manipulated. We see YouTube videos, episode excerpts and social media comments in a hybrid narrative that feels like you’re getting sucked into a true crime show. It has this incredibly meta sense to it – adding yet another layer of narrative manipulation. Everything in this story hinges on that narrative that the public decides to follow – from aesthetics to personalities and much more. North has crafted such a devious tale of deception and lies, spun in this gossamer thread of fame and glamour. It is particularly prevalent in the age of child social media stars, providing a timely look at fame and its ramifications. This was a truly brilliant thriller. It is addictive reading, keeping you glued to its pages. North has sprinkled in twists that just create such an impact and totally redirect the story from where you may have thought it was going. No spoilers will be shared here, but the ending is a complete jaw-dropper too. At the same time, this has a lot of meaningful things to say. In particular, there is a parallel that can be drawn here for the dehumanisation of people caught up in the public eye and how they are reduced to entertainment for the masses. We see this in the caricaturish celebrity figures, but it also applies to the true crime case involved. It is reduced to snappy headlines and expected plot beats in a structure we are familiar with – removing the emotion, the heart and the humanity of it all. North contradictingly explores this and its reversal – how these images can be distorted to hide the truth beneath a false image. Clickbait is a book that takes hold of you and won’t let you escape its nefarious clutches until you finally arrive at the bitter truth. TW: death, murder, sexism, sexual harassment, abuse, death of a parent, grief, suicide, body shaming, emotional abuse, gaslighting, manipulation, stalking, threats, eating disorders

I have to admit that I am no fan of Reality TV. But I do admit that on the occasion this topic has popped up in a book, I have been completely riveted. Does that make me a fan by proxy ? Anyway... the Reality TV in this book refers to "Living with the Lancasters" a show that ran for over a decade, thrusting the family, parents and three children, into the spotlight. Well, I say that, the father being a well known footballer, they were pretty much already there... but this took it all up a notch. As well as the TV show, they were all a bit wee known for their parties... Anyway... there was this party, and after the party, one of the guests, teenager Bradley Wilcox, disappeared. The other guests and the family all swore blind that he left with a bunch of others in a taxi before midnight. The case was never closed, Bradley was never seen again. But... and here's the catalyst, footage has recently been unearthed. Of that same party. Showing Bradley. Still at the party after midnight. It also appears that he is having an argument with someone... Enter Tom Isaac, true crime investigator, and podcaster, to re-open the case with a vengeance. Determined to find out what happened to Bradley... This was a cracking book. Like the author's previous book - The Ugly Truth - the story is delivered in many formats, podcast transcripts, social media, emails, all methods of successfully imparting information to the reader in a succinct manner. I especially liked the overbearing mother who nudged (pushed) her children into what she wanted them to do rather than what they wanted. Of course that wouldn't damage a child at all! It was a cracking eye-opener to what I assume is the norm for some families in the spotlight and shows all the perils and pitfalls of being famous for just being famous! But all that glamour and glitz was just gilding for what was also a cracking mystery to be solved. One which was tightly plotted and which held my attention well all the way through as I tried, and gave up , second guessing. It really took me places that I never saw coming but what were perfectly reasonable places to go to. And the ending... well... apart from being perfect... was also quite profound... With two absolute screaming winners under her belt, I am really now hanging to see what she serves up for next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

After really enjoying The Ugly Truth, LC North’s debut novel, I knew I had to check out her second and this was not a disappointment. Told through transcripts and social media posts, this novel had me gripped as Tom Isaac tries to work out what has happened to Bradley Wilcox. There were so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and the ending was a surprise. The way that the novel is written is so refreshing and pushes you right into the action straight away. This novel follows the dark side of the celebrity world and how certain celebrities will stop at nothing to improve their careers. LC North is the pen name for author Lauren North who has written many pyschological thrillers under her real name. I will definitely have to check out those novels in the future. Thanks to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow what can I say this was a near perfect book! It’s written as multi media text and it is done well. It’s the text of YouTube videos, news pieces and podcasts. I have been unable to put this down, I definitely couldn’t have waited each week for a new episode had this been a true crime docu-series! We follow Tom Isaac, a YouTube detective who sets out to find out what happened to Cassie’s brother Bradley, after attending a birthday party thrown by her super rich best friend 20 years ago after he never returns home. Tom is determined to find out what happened now the family in question are the UK’s version of the Kardashian’s. As each episode unfolds more deaths occur and questions are raised , especially when people end up in prison thanks to Tom’s investigation. Who is lying and who is telling the truth, if they even know what the truth is anymore! This is an absolute must read and is out 11th April 2024! Thank you to NetGalley, Lauren North and Randomhouse for this advance digital copy!