‘Sexier than Fifty Shades of Grey and bitchier than The Devil Wears Prada, Ruthless Women is this year’s must-read.’
—OK! Magazine

Ambition can be deadly…

Broadcast to millions from its picturesque location off the coast of Jersey, Falcon Bay was once the world’s most popular soap opera. But with ratings at an all-time low, a new network owner, the malevolent Madeline Kane, arrives on the private island determined to do whatever it takes to get the show back to the number 1 slot.

Director Farrah, leading lady Catherine and producer Amanda are the driven, ambitious women who’ve been trying to hold the production together. But thanks to their sexy but corrupt boss, Jake Monroe, Farrah is losing episodes to male colleagues, seventy-year-old Catherine is terrified of losing the public’s adoration, and Amanda is battling her desire for a forbidden affair with a handsome new employee.

As Madeline’s pressure to revive the show intensifies, she unleashes a true battle of the sexes where the women will do anything to stay in the jobs they love and on the island they call home. Can they team up to bring down their rivals? Or will jealousy, betrayal and revenge rip their friendships apart? As the story reaches its shocking climax, one thing is for certain: only the most ruthless woman will survive.

Perfect for readers of Jackie Collins, Kathy Lette, Penny Vincenzi and Chandler Baker’s The Whisper Network, Ruthless Women a must read for those who like their fiction hot.

Read a sample chapter here.

Melanie Blake started her career at the BBC and quickly climbed the ranks to become one of the UK’s leading music and entertainment managers. She created her own agency and has a roster of award-winning artists who have sold more than 100 million records. Concurrently she built up an acting agency that became the UK’s most successful independent boutique agency, where she managed clients from some of the biggest internationally syndicated shows and the world’s longest-running soap opera, Coronation Street.

In 2018, Melanie decided to manage a smaller client list so she could focus on her writing. She first became a columnist for a nationally distributed newspaper, and then a playwright, and now a best-selling novelist. Her previous publication The Thunder Girls, has been made into a live production, set to start in early 2021. For more information visit Melanie’s website at www.melanieblakeonline.com.

‘An erotic thriller with a twist so shocking, you’ll be talking about it for years… This is the book of 2021.’
—The Daily Mirror

‘A glamorous, revenge-filled thriller that will have you hooked.’
—The Sunday Mirror

‘Shocking, sexy and utterly unputdownable.’
—The Daily Express

‘Ruthless Women does for TV what The Devil Wears Prada did for fashion; shows the rotten truth hidden behind the golden facade. Unmissable.’
—Bella Magazine   

‘Ruthless Women is this year’s must-read.’
—Notebook Magazine

‘Explosive and action packed till the very last page — a riot of ruthless women drive this adrenalin-fuelled thriller within a story to its jaw-dropping ending! Packs as much punch as the best soaps!’
—Tara Arkle, daughter of Joan Collins

‘Ruthless Women has it all. Filled with bitches and brutes you’ll love to hate, only a true insider would be able to write a story like this. I’m still recovering from the ending!’
—Stephanie Beacham, star of Dynasty

‘People think that TV drama is only for the screen. When you read this book, you’ll realise the truth. Blake’s novel is insightful, vicious and so much fun.’
—Emma Samms, star of Dynasty

‘Until now, no one has written about what it’s like to be a woman on a show that gets syndicated all over the world. Ruthless Women will have you gripped late into the night turning its pages, desperate to know what happens next. You won’t want it to end.’
—Beverley Callard, star of Coronation Street

‘An extraordinary look behind the scenes of the world of show business. Ruthless Women tells it as it is; sleazy, heartbreaking and hysterical. This book is unforgettable.’
—Sherrie Hewson star of Coronation Street

‘She knows where all the bodies are buried, and this book is like a map to find them.’
—Gillian Taylforth, star of Eastenders

‘You’ll be shocked by what goes on in Ruthless Women, I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish, I didn’t want it to end!’
—Laila Morse, star of Eastenders

We have 30 reading copies of Ruthless Women to giveaway!
Please email your request to HarperCollins.