Review of 'Secrets and ShowGirls' by Catherine McCullagh
SECRETS AND SHOWGIRLS by Catherine McCullagh
Blurb: What is the story about?
Le Prix d’Amour, a vibrant Paris cabaret, is caught in the crossfire of the occupation. Everyone is being watched, and some of Le Prix’s colourful performers are hiding dangerous secrets. Monsieur Maurice manages Le Prix d’Amour, a successful Parisian cabaret, which boasts glitzy performers and sassy showgirls. But with the German occupation in June 1940, Maurice treads a fine line between his German patrons, the French police and the Gestapo as he hides the dark secrets of his performers. Two of his lively showgirls, Lily and Poppy, soon join Maurice in the hunt for an informer who threatens to betray them. With the Allied landings, the tension builds and Maurice is pushed to his limits as his performers finally take the fight to the invader in their own flamboyant way.
Secrets and Showgirls portrays an occupied Paris in which exotic cabarets existed uneasily under the heel of the invader. It follows the antics of Maurice, Lily and a glittering array of characters, but never loses sight of the battle to survive that characterised the life of the everyday Parisian. (less)
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
MY REVIEW
This is currently a short review (for me!) but I wanted to say something now while impressions were fresh in my mind. I loved Secrets and Showgirls! It is such an amazing, intriguing story about the drive for survival and how a captive city's citizens dealt with it in creative ways. Their caged freedoms made movement challenging. When the Germans pushed their way into Paris, people were faced with difficult choices. In this case, a Showgirls business became a hot bed of activity. For although Le Prix d’Amour, a vibrant Paris cabaret, was a place to relax and let off steam, it was also a safe haven for those who needed relief and to hide.
This story brings up the reality of how difficult it must have been to entertain the enemy to keep alive. Self-preservation was fairly high on the list and rightfully so. The valleys and road blocks they faced moved my heart. I sympathised with the characters and could not stop reading and wondering what would become of each one caught in the throes of battle. This story made me think about this period of time in a new light. What it meant to be a survivor, a victor during war and what people may have had to do to rise above or even escape the death and destruction that surrounded them.
Catherine is such an expert researcher and her passages are incredibly detailed. It is obvious she does a vast amount of research that becomes so much a part of her, it blends with her imagination and then just flows effortlessly from her pen into her fiction. She puts you in these extraordinary settings and circumstances and you feel as if you are part of the scenes.
There are lot of colourful characters (I won’t list them, read the book!) that leap off the page and keep you reading and watching all the action that unfolds across this paper canvas. And you feel the suspense, for it makes your heart beat harder and faster. But do not fear, as it is punctuated with some great humour to release the tension when needed. This would be a good story on the screen: being so visual and dramatic. Catherine's descriptions are vivid and zestful and the dialogue exceptional and appropriate. I have much respect for this author and her immense talent.
This book has an apt title, as there are lots of secrets and showgirls keeping this plot going. The Resistance has its part in the story, too. Plus, there is more than one kind of enemy. Who is about to betray this family of showgirls? Everyone who enters the establishment can see their stage acts but what about the hidden activities behind closed doors? Smoke and mirrors? These showgirls and company possess a strong drive to help others in need and this puts them in some difficult spots that will keep you guessing of what comes next. You will see a varied array of motives played out and bits of truth like scattered breadcrumbs left behind. There are lots of twists that will surprise you but they will lead you to a satisfying, exciting ending. Secrets and Showgirls is a fascinating story I highly recommend. 5 High Kick Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Many thanks to the author and publisher for a copy to review.
