The Gala
The Great Gatsby meets The Last Housewife in this dark, psychological thriller.
Are you ready to play, Cole?
Two years after the death of his fifteen-year-old daughter, investigative reporter Cole Sloane is still struggling to cope. Between the PTSD episodes, crippling depression, and a trial separation from his wife, he's flailing, especially at work. But when a mysterious blast from his past-one that connects all the pieces of his life-lands on his doorstep, everything changes.
Graham Zanella, a world-famous underground artist known for orchestrating controversial art performances, is hosting an exclusive gala, and Cole's invited. After trying and failing to track down Zanella for several years, this was the last thing Cole expected. And after what happened with his daughter, he couldn't possibly allow this man to wiggle his way back into his life-could he?
Desperate for answers, Cole caves and plays along. But after discovering an earth-shattering secret, he must decide whether pursuing the story is still worth it. How far will he go to report the truth?
An art gala like never before.
Enter...but only if you dare.
Published: October 3, 2023
Pages: 312
ISBN: 9798988658900
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Available in: Paperback
Reader Reviews
2 ratings
Matt D.
This book grabbed me from the first page and I was hooked! The characters are like old friends by the time you reach the end (my favorite was Sol). In wanted to go to the gala almost as much as Cole.
If this isn’t already in your TBR, then you need to grab a copy immediately. I’ll see you at the gala!
Read Letter D.
2 stars, maybe 2.5 if you like splatterpunk (this isn't that, but a lot of the 'dark material' here feels very much like it's there only for shock value the way things do in SP)
I had high hopes for this one, but it didn't really pan out for me. I didn't find any of the characters likable in the slightest, well besides Cole's dog Emmet. Overall they needed more depth all around.
Z could have been a really cool villain, but he was only ever played off as an eccentric street artist pushing the envelope - and his motives were never clear even in his 'lets send a message art' it kind of felt like he was always hedging—using inflammatory stunts but not being pro/against anything so he never really upset anything (until the gala, but even then, he was pretty passive about all of it) - I get an author not wanting to 'choose sides' on major issues, but since the character should have wanted to this felt really weak.
I think that was my issue with everyone, they were all so passive. hiding behind a 'we have to let it play out' line so that they could document the events, but realistically, I think everyone could have been cited as accomplices to (to avoid spoilers: the gala events) there is no way sane people would allow any of that to happen.
Then we get the 'twist' about who Z is and it's a major let down. IF he'd been played off as a sociopath throughout, this could have worked, but since we've only seen him as 'edgy artist' it feels so over the top it had me rolling my eyes.