Liz Lyon is a television producer and busy single mum to a teenage daughter. She works at StoryWorld, the UK's favourite morning show. As both confidante and team leader, she is the person tasked with controlling the conflicts and tantrums that flare up off-air. Having just started dating again, she's also having to deal with a few conflicts and tantrums at home...
Following a blissfully peaceful two-week holiday in Italy, Liz has returned to find a new colleague has joined the station. Lori Kerwell has been brought in to increase the show's profitability. But Liz is not sure that's the only thing on Lori's agenda.
As Lori builds her power base with the bosses, Liz finds herself wondering what's really going on behind her back...
My Thoughts:
I am delighted to have been invited on the blog tour for Behind Her Back, which is the second in the StoryWorld series. I read the first Woman of the Hour last year, and you can see what I thought of that here. If you haven't read Woman of the Hour then I would suggest that you should, although Behind Her Back reads well as a standalone novel.
I thoroughly enjoyed returning to StoryWorld and its many egos and characters. Once again the character of Liz Lyon jumps off of the page, a strong, independent woman who manages to hold down a highly pressured job whilst being a single mum. I like her a lot. Her work and home life are definitely split and I really enjoyed the scenes when she is at home with her daughter Flo in Chalk Farm. Home is where Liz can relax and feel at peace from the frenetic pace of her work life.
Liz has just returned from holiday and changes are afoot at StoryWorld. There is a new member of staff Lori Kerwell and it is a sure thing that things aren't going to be plain sailing. Fizzy, who we met in Woman of the Hour has had her baby. Liz knows a secret about that and as such is in a tricky position. Fizzy has such a big ego and I still didn't find her particularly likeable, although certainly relevant and adds much weight to the story.
Drama and tension ensue as the pace of the work environment is relentless and everyone seems to be looking out for and after themselves. I loved escaping back into StoryWorld, a place that is unfamiliar to me and yet the traits and dynamics of the characters are certainly ones I have come across in my working life.
Once again Jane Lythell has written an absorbing, current and engaging story that just hooked me in with enough drama and tension of another day at the office. There is great insight in this book about issues many face, particularly work-life balance, single parenthood and the pressures on people to succeed in a competitive and highly lucrative workplace.
Highly recommended.
About the Author:
Jane Lythell worked as a TV Producer for fifteen years. This has provided much of the inspiration for Woman of the Hour. She lives in Brighton. She has also written two other novels, After the Storm and The Lie of You. She has also worked at the British Film Institute, BAFTA and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. She now writes full time.
You can find Jane here:
Twitter: @janelythell
Facebook: Jane Lythell Author
Instagram: jane_lythell_writer
Blog: http://chroniclesofchloegreene.blogspot.co.uk/
Please do have a look at some of the other stops on the blog tour.
Thank you so much Leah for this terrific review.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you like Liz Lyon. I'm quite fond of her myself!
And also that you enjoyed being reacquainted with the crowd at StoryWorld TV, troublesome bunch that they are.
I appreciate you taking part in the blog tour very much.