Behind Her Back By Jane Lythell

[amazon_link id=”1786690764″ target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]’Behind Her Back’ is the latest book by Jane Lythell.

Liz Lyon is a television producer and busy single mum to a teenage daughter. She works at StoryWorld, the UK’s favourite morning show. As both confidante and team leader, she is the person tasked with controlling the conflicts and tantrums that flare up off-air. Having just started dating again, she’s also having to deal with a few conflicts and tantrums at home. Following a blissfully peaceful two-week holiday in Italy, Liz has returned to find a new colleague has joined the station. Lori Kerwell has been brought in to increase the show’s profitability. But Liz is not sure that’s the only thing on Lori’s agenda. As Lori builds her power base with the bosses, Liz finds herself wondering what’s really going on behind her back.

When I was initially sent a copy of ‘Behind Her Back’ I was quite excited to get stuck into the dramatic thriller set within the buzzing and frenzied location of a busy television studio. Plus, I had watched the successful BBC drama ‘The Replacement’ and thought the book would be similar, but infact they weren’t.

In this book, we meet Liz Lyon, a single mother and television producer. When she returns from her holiday, she meets a new member of staff, a quiet, determined woman called Lori who has been brought on to increase the show’s income. But it seems that the two women can’t get on, regularly at each other’s throats, Liz can’t relax when Lori is about especially when her own job is in jeopardy.

I started reading this book one day and finished it in about three sittings. The story is seen solely through Liz’s narrative, so it is quite easy reading.

Liz doesn’t have an easy life, with her daughter going through the teenage equivalent of the terrible twos and plenty of drama on the daytime sofa, her life is far from plain sailing, but when Lori starts working at the show, Liz’s life gets even complicated.

Not only, does she have to deal with the unpredictability of a new colleague, Liz has to deal with the return of a popular television presenter who is returning from maternity leave, but she is returning with demands as she wants to maintain her role as queen of the sofa.

For a quiet life, Liz tolerates these demands but for others this is seen as favouritism and causes a lot of tension within the company.

For some part of the story, I felt sympathy for Lori instead of Liz. I felt that she wasn’t properly introduced to the team and for the majority of her time in the story, she was alone. Granted, she didn’t seem to be the nicest of a person, but infact neither did Liz. I think they were both quite similar in personalities and this is how they clashed.

I enjoyed this book, there were plenty of twists and drama in Liz’s life to keep the reader engaged. The only negative that I could find in the story, is that Jane had written a previous book with Liz in it and at times, there were references to things that happened before and I didn’t feel there was a proper description to these parts.

As Jane previously worked in television, she gives a clear impression of the stress and pressure of the industry in this fast paced drama. Filled with unlikable characters and secrets, ‘Behind Her Back’ shows the dark and competitive side of daytime television.

You can buy [amazon_link id=”1786690764″ target=”_blank” ]Behind Her Back from Amazon [/amazon_link] and is available to buy from good bookshops.