... Happy Little Bluebirds by Louise Levene.
The blurb on my proof says, "For fans of Muriel Spark, a dazzling novel about a young woman thrust into the opulent world of 1940s Hollywood, where dirty dealings, undercover agents and off-camera romances abound."
Louise Levene is always perfect when it comes to period - she has a knack for detail, for setting a scene, for idiom, and 'flavour'. My favourite of her novels is the superbly entertaining Ghastly Business (read all about it here), so I'm delighted to have her new one:
"Evelyn Murdoch, a young civil servant, is transferred to Hollywood to assist a mysterious British agent in his attempt to boost the war effort. Initially repelled by the shallow glamour of the film world, the unhappy young widow is gradually seduced by California's orange groves, sunshine and fast-talking men. But, just as she starts to blossom, her new Technicolor happy ending threatens to slip from her grasp."
Out in May.
Sounds delicious.
Must look for others by her, especially the one you mention.
Posted by: CC | 17 February 2018 at 07:43 PM
There's a lot to admire in each of the three of hers I've read, but Ghastly Business stands out.
Posted by: Cornflower | 17 February 2018 at 08:04 PM