"The plot will leave you thinking both about the ability of those with power and influence to slide out of consequence, and how easily influenced the media, and we who consume it, can be."
A morally graphite fixer working under the identity of Melvin, Herb works to make Hollywood’s rich and famous problems go away using his own blend of hacking, extortion and character assassination. In ‘Public Opinion’ by Nathan Pettijohn, we see Melvin drawn further and further into the controversies surrounding a remake of Maquis de Sade’s ‘Justine’. And there’s no scandal too big or too small for Melvin to work on, for the right price. Melvin’s character is very open throughout, about what he’s doing and how he’s doing it, it reminded me of the arrogant hedonism I recall from Jordan Belfort as portrayed in ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ - even the moments when Melvin is on the back foot are almost glossed over in arrogance, with him always looking for a spin on the situation. Despite the cast of characters being mainly unlikeable, I was still compelled to turn the page, curious to see what on earth could happen next, and whether Melvin would be able to weasel himself and others out of it. Will his work finally come back to bite him in the end? ‘Public Opinion’ is a thriller set in the darker side of LA and the film industry. Touching on plenty of topical issues, just not from the perspective that you’d expect. This book is cleverly written though I would say not for those easily morally outraged. The plot will leave you thinking both about the ability of those with power and influence to slide out of consequence, and how easily influenced the media, and we who consume it, can be.
Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading Ambassador
| Primary Genre | Thriller and Suspense |
| Recommendations: |
