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Irresistibly funny and utterly addictive, this is a delicious tale of money, power, sex and having it all.
No one forgets Miss Cathy Fox in a hurry. From her scorpion tattoo to her other more worldly charms she’s a woman on a mission to get what she wants.
Leaving behind her humble beginnings folding knickers as a matron’s assistant, Cathy embarks on a journey that will take her from a Portsmouth backstreet to the boardrooms of the global empires. With a cast of footballers, media moguls, lords and dukes, Coleridge charts the rise of a woman who will not be denied, right to the very pinnacle of society – a Royal Wedding.
No one forgets Miss Cathy Fox in a hurry. From her scorpion tattoo to her other more worldly charms she’s a woman on a mission to get what she wants.
Leaving behind her humble beginnings folding knickers as a matron’s assistant, Cathy embarks on a journey that will take her from a Portsmouth backstreet to the boardrooms of the global empires. With a cast of footballers, media moguls, lords and dukes, Coleridge charts the rise of a woman who will not be denied, right to the very pinnacle of society – a Royal Wedding.
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Reviews
Coleridge is at the peak of his powers...and here's another juicily glamorous read
Coleridge's latest novel is a satirical take on our obsession with status and celebrity. Cathy Fox is a woman who will not be denied ... you'll love her brazen nerve and chutzpah.
You cannot fail to be entertained by Nicholas Coleridge's latest novel ... This clever retelling of Vanity Fair is not only hugely enjoyable but also has some spot-on social observations and splendid comic set pieces.
fast-paced and elegantly plotted
Saucy
a sharply written yet lighthearted satire of the British elite that works by undermining expectations
Here is a ruthless social climber in the tradition of Becky Sharp in Vanity Fair. Her success exposes the deficiencies in of the society around her and although Fox lacks any vestiges of morality, you can't help but admire her increasingly vertiginous career. Coleridge has an admirably pared-down style and an eye for the telling brand and place name, in a manner reminiscent of Tom Wolfe: few who pick up The Adventuress will be able to put it aside before they finish it. There's also much fun to be had in guessing the real figures behind its characters.
The three plotlines are drawn exquisitely tightly until the satisfying resolution at the end of this indescribably pleasurable and entertaining novel, which even name checks The Lady in the final furlong. As I say, if any man were ever to steal the crown from our Jilly, in the sense that he delivers hugely readable, witty, sharp and sexy fiction, it would have to be Condé's clever Nicholas Coleridge.
Coleridge gives [the novel] an edge of sardonic wit and understanding of the fragility of fame - 8*
A fast-paced, enthralling depiction of an instinctive social climber who is forced to learn the hard way that the past always catches up with you.