Helen Monks Takhar

Fame is a deadly game…

The gripping tale of a film director with a shadowy past, her missing lead actress, and the disturbing cost of female celebrity—from “addictive” (People) suspense writer Helen Monks Takhar

April Eden is about to have the night of her life. After years struggling uphill as a female director, her debut movie The Vanished Woman is up for a major British film award, placing her firmly on Hollywood’s radar. Her leading lady, Essie Lay—a fragile but magnetic former TV presenter—is on the cusp of a stunning comeback after being canceled for a disturbing scandal. 

When Essie messages April saying she can’t face the ceremony, April heads to Essie’s London mansion, Lotus Lodge, to convince her to enjoy their big night together. But upon arriving, April is faced with tragedy: Essie’s body is floating in her swimming pool, all signs pointing to suicide. Panicked, April activates Essie’s team—her put-upon sister/manager, Janine, and wily agent, Jonathan—expecting them to do damage control while she heads to the awards ceremony devastated but determined to do what she can to protect Essie’s legacy. 

But by the time April returns to Lotus Lodge to face the fall-out, Essie’s body has vanished. Was Essie actually murdered? Is this an elaborate hoax or publicity stunt gone wrong? And why does April start receiving unsettling messages, trying to pin blame on her?  

Taut, twisty, and deliciously page-turning, Nothing Without Me examines the high price of female fame, how far some will go to climb the slippery ladders of celebrity and creative success, and the unbearable pressure of being the woman everyone wants to be.