Killing Fame

If you’re looking for fame, celebrity, romance and of course, murder, Fiona Cane’s solid and enjoyable debut ‘Killing Fame’ is just the book for you.

‘Killing Fame’ begins with a murder and grips you from then in. It is set in the competitive and shallow world of movie making and charts the life of renowned film director Alfie Macbeth. At the height of his fame he is mauled by the British media and retreats to Australia. But instead of licking his wounds, he proves to be the come-back-kid and fifteen years on, he is once again at the top of his game. But, as you would suspect with someone with the name Macbeth, he runs into a huge bit of bad luck - his past comes back to haunt him when a journalist accuses him of murder. While Alfie lies in hospital it is left to his great friend, the PR mogul Larry Woods, to prove his innocence.

Being a lover of tales of celebs gone wrong, I just knew I was going to enjoy this read. What really lifts this novel is Cane’s confident characterisation, her knowledge of the film industry and knowing use of humour.

Cane understands all of her characters and paints a lasting portrait of each on the page. The brief glimpse we get of the relationship between Katherine and Stella reminded me of that classic 1950s multiple Oscar winner,  ‘All About Eve.’ I would liked to have seen more of the interactions between these two women, but Cane, quite rightly, keeps the story focused on the main protagonists.

As the story gathers momentum, the glitter and stardust of the movie-making machine are peeled back, revealing a world of insecurity, bitter rivalry and adultery. In other words, the perfect backdrop for murder and a subtle lampoon of ‘celebrity’ in all its vivid horror.

The humour in this book made me both chuckle and laugh out loud.

Cane is an exciting new voice in crime fiction. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long before we hear from her again.

Dreda Say Mitchell Author of Running Hot, winner of the John Creasey Memorial Dagger, 2005

Cane is able, 16 Jun 2006
Graham Morris (Monaco)
After two or three chapters you will find it difficult to put this book down. A very cleverly written and engrossing story that exposes the human frailties bound up in the outwardly confident world of PR and film.

Fantastic, a hit!, 14 Aug 2006
Condor
The story opens with a murder, but there is plenty of drama interspersed with comedy, romance and tragedy. I was gripped from the start and laughed and cried my way through the book. A great read.