Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

Do Tell

A Novel

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
A scintillating debut novel that brings the golden age of Hollywood to glittering life, from star-studded opening nights to backlot brawls, on-location Westerns to the Hollywood Canteen. Through character actress turned gossip columnist Edie O'Dare's eyes, Lindsay Lynch draws back the curtain on classic Hollywood’s secrets.
"Glamorous, tawdry, and human. A rich portrait of the lives of early Hollywood's beautiful puppets and those holding their strings.” –Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow • “Do Tell illuminates issues of fame and notoriety as relevant now as they were almost a century ago.” –Geraldine Brooks, New York Times bestselling author of Horse

As character actress Edie O'Dare finishes the final year of her contract with FWM Studios, the clock is ticking for her to find a new gig after an undistinguished stint in the pictures. She's long supplemented her income moonlighting for Hollywood's reigning gossip columnist, providing her with the salacious details of every party and premiere. When an up-and-coming starlet hands her a letter alleging an assault from an A-list actor at a party with Edie and the rest of the industry’s biggest names in attendance, Edie helps get the story into print and sets off a chain of events that will alter the trajectories of everyone involved. 
Now on a new side of the entertainment business, Edie’s second act career grants her more control on the page than she ever commanded in front of the camera. But Edie quickly learns that publishing the secrets of those former colleagues she considers friends has repercussions. And when she finds herself in the middle of the trial of the decade, Edie is forced to make an impossible choice with the potential to ruin more than one life. Full of sharp observation and crackling wit, debut novelist Lindsay Lynch maps the intricate networks of power that manufacture the magic of the movies and interrogates who actually gets to tell women's stories.
  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 29, 2023
      Lynch debuts with an intelligent story of Hollywood’s Golden Age involving domineering studios, powerful stars, and a second-tier actor turned gossip columnist. With Edie O’Dare’s contract at FWM Studios about to expire, she determines to make the most of her bit-part roles and invitations to lavish parties. At one such gathering, she meets 16-year-old rising starlet Sophie Melrose, who tells Edie she was raped by top-billed actor Freddy Clarke. After Edie helps Sophie publish her account in a tabloid newspaper in exchange for a fee, Freddy faces criminal charges, resulting in a highly publicized trial. Edie then starts writing a column for the Los Angeles Times, where she exploits her old friendships with stars like Charles Landrieu by spilling about their love lives. As tensions flare in Tinseltown, fueled in part by Edie’s columns, her relationships with Charles and others grow strained, and she begins to realize the price she paid for her success. Though the pacing tends to drag, the dialogue and Edie’s narration are steeped in the rapid-fire rhythm of the era’s films, making for a convincing portrayal of the world they emerged from. Lovers of the silver screen will be drawn to this. Agent: Andrianna deLone, CAA.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Lisa Flanagan's pacing and range are perfect for this story set in 1940s Hollywood. Actress Edie O'Dare is used to playing the sidekick; then she makes a name for herself in a different way. Using her connections, she becomes a gossip news contributor and later a full-fledged columnist. Flanagan ensures that listeners feel the burden of the dark Hollywood secrets Edie is privy to. When Edie gets a starlet's allegations against an A-list actor published, it impacts many people in unforeseen ways. Eventually, Edie becomes the most feared woman in Hollywood for her ability to make or break an actor's career. Flanagan's accent for a pair of siblings from Boston is great, as is her practiced, calm voice as a young woman asserts that she's fine. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Lynch's glittering debut, written from the perspective of its protagonist looking back on the past, examines 1930s Hollywood's seductive but sordid underbelly. Edie O'Dare tries her hand at being a film star, but she only manages to land bit parts. Edie has long supplemented her income by selling juicy tidbits to the gossip columns, so when her contract with FWM Studio ends, she decides to start a column of her own. While at a party, she befriends 16-year-old up-and-coming actress Sophie Melrose; upon learning that Sophie was assaulted by an A-list actor, Edie prints the story in her column. The piece sets off a chain of events, resulting in a highly publicized rape trial. Meanwhile, Edie follows the antics of a high-profile FWM threesome, getting the details of their scandalous relationship all wrong, but the truth is only revealed long after the damage to their careers has been done. From producers and directors to costume designers and extras, Lynch paints a picture of human foibles and frailty. Narrator Lisa Flanagan provides an engaging reading of Edie's fictional retrospective, employing excellent pacing and evocative character voices and accents. VERDICT Give to fans of Jerome Charyn's Big Red and those interested in stories set in the Golden Age of Hollywood.--Joanna M. Burkhardt

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Loading