the heart of hollywood

Zoe Ann Weiss signed with an agent and then a publisher who were both very excited about her first novel. There was even a movie deal. But that was years ago. Her novel came out to mediocre reviews. The movie option never panned out. Now Zoe owes her publisher a second novel, but all her ideas get shot down, if not by her writer’s group or her agent, then by her own insecurity. She needs a winning idea for that second novel, or she will owe the publisher a huge amount of money, far more than she an rustle up through her day job at a florist.

Delivering some flowers for an event, Zoe bumps into her ex, Zach Hamilton. She met Zach when he was tending bar several years back and had a magical long weekend with him. And then he ghosted her. But as it turns out, it was exactly what she needed. Her editor had been wanting a rewrite on her first novel, and she couldn’t find that desperation her character had until Zach broke her heart.

Now Zach is a huge movie star, voted the sexiest man alive, and Zoe can’t believe her luck. If she can get back into his life, it would be amazing. For her career. As long as she can keep her heart separate, Zoe might be able to get enough information on the upper echelon of Hollywood to write her long-overdue novel. But it’s not a perfect idea. Writing the story would be a betrayal of Zach’s confidentiality as well as going back on the non-disclosure agreement Zach’s security guy made Zoe sign. But for the first time in a very long time, Zoe’s agent is excited about something she’s working on.

Someone else is unhappy with Zoe though. After being photographed in the media with Zach, someone leaves a gift on her van’s windshield. When Zoe takes a closer look at it, she sees that it’s a heart. An actual heart. Probably from a cow, but it’s still disturbing. Especially since in Zoe’s first novel, a stalker leaves a heart on the windshield of the protagonist’s car.

Zoe is juggling a lot. She has her day job as a florist and an agent demanding pages from her. She has a budding relationship with one of the hottest actors in Hollywood and some sort of psycho who is acting out scenes from her first novel to try to scare her. And it’s working. But when Zoe accidentally overhears a telephone conversation between Zach’s security guy and his handler, Zoe isn’t sure how safe she is with Zach. The police can’t help her unless she is actually attacked. And while she is getting more and more terrified, her book is coming together with an amazing story of stardom and stalking.

The more danger Zoe is in, the better it is for her writing. But in order to finish the book and save her writing career, Zoe has to survive the danger. Will she be able to pull it off, or will it all turn out to be too much, pushing Zoe over the edge, causing her to lose her career as a novel, or maybe even more?

The Close-Up is the latest from Pip Drysdale, and it’s electric. This thriller takes a deep dive into how difficult it is to sustain a creative career, especially in a city as competitive as Hollywood. With the added intensity of Zoe’s own words coming back to haunt her as she makes questionable choices, this thriller takes the danger up a notch. Trying to figure out exactly what is going on and who is behind it is a maze of blind turns and shocking twists right to the end.

I loved this novel. I could barely put it down. I was so absorbed in this character and her struggles, and I could not wait to see how it ended. It’s just so much fun. If you need an escape this winter, something to cuddle with under a soft blanket with a hot drink, then The Close-Up may just be the novel you’ve been waiting for.

Egalleys for The Close-Up were provided by Gallery Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.