TILLY BAGSHAWE AND HER 'DO NOT DISTURB' SIGN

DO NOT DISTURB by Tilly Bagshawe starts out with a juicy family feud of who will own the family business, and does not simmer down for the next 500 plus pages. Indeed, Honor, the central character of this riveting frothy saga, wants to prove to the world, but mostly to her estranged Alzheimer-ravaged dad, that she does have what it takes to run the family hotel. Many will try blocking her way—a that includes a hot Latino entrepreneur who also yearns to become more than meets the eye—and she will suffer greatly because of it. But trust Tilly Bagshawe to shake all things up into a page-turner frenzy where all is not always what it seems.

You could say that Ms Bagshawe has been around the literary block for quite sometime now, ever since the publication of her first novel, ADORED, in 2005. Her main trait had always been the life of the rich and famous, and with good reasons: her books have been selling like hot cakes all over the globe. FAME is her latest baby, and from the looks of it, she isn’t about to veer in another direction, and I applaud her for that. Year after year, I wait eagerly for another Bagshawe book to arrive. I may not always indulge in it right away (since there are so many books to read and so little time) but when I do, like with this DO NOT DISTURB title here, I always count my blessings for having discovered her and her talent. Had it not been for Tilly Bagshawe, or for the likes of her at least, life in fiction land would sure look a little less… gleeful.

　

Yes, I’m fully aware that Tilly’s body of work does not always agree with everyone, especially with those who consider "bonkbusters" or anything that frivolous in print, a waste of time; and to them I say, you don’t know what you’re missing. Because novels like DO NOT DISTURB are indeed time-wasters with the sole purpose of focusing on the beautiful people and their wicked ways, but if one dares to dig just a little deeper, one will clearly see that this form of entertainment has some big rewarding benefits. Because getting involved with a Tilly Bagshawe book can easily take you on the same campy high level as some of the best grade-B (or grade-B-like) cult classic films out there. Yup. In fact, you could even say that Ms Bagshawe and all of her colleague authors are to print what Russ Meyer and, say, that Tarantino fellow are to cinema.

　
Of course, as in any cult movies, DO NOT DISTURB certainly has its share of weaknesses, like tending to over rely on easy-breezy plot twists and sexual situations when all could be simply avoided by a little push of the imagination. On the other hand, rare do they happen exactly as expected, so there. And as a whole DO NOT DISTURB—just like the rest of Tilly’s work—is always narratively strong and fast-paced. And to be quite honest, when one succeeds at creating such fun, lovable characters in a setting that is so glamorous and dazzling as Ms Bagshawe does with DO NOT DISTURB, the rest is nothing compared to the fun you’ll have reading this escapist, exploitative romp. So eat your heart out "bonkbuster" haters, and let’s raise our glasses (champagne, no doubt) to the latest hit girl of chic sleaze. Long lives her reign.

DO NOT DISTURB is available in print or digital wherever books are sold.

 
 

Until next post—Martin
 

　

UK mm pb edition