Published 28th March 2024 by Pan Macmilan.
From the cover of the book:
Would you print a lie across a front page?For Stella, Deputy Editor of The Globe, the choice has always been clear. There is no stone she will leave unturned in her pursuit of the best story. It’s what she’s built her reputation on.
For Jess, The Globe’s rookie reporter, the story stops when the truth does. But she knows that the dirty tricks of the tabloids will be hard to overturn.
And when the subject of the story Jess is working on pays the ultimate price, she suspects that the paper may have had more to do with it than they’re letting on . . .
What price would you pay to uncover the truth if someone is prepared to kill to bury it?
The Trade Off from Sandie Jones - the author of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, The Other Woman - is an addictive, page-turning psychological thriller about how far a journalist will go to get the story. Everyone has a price. What's yours?
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The Globe prides itself on 'getting the story', and rookie journalist Jess knows she is going to have to put in hard graft when she gets a coveted job on its news team. What she is not prepared for is quite how far Stella, Deputy Editor of The Globe, is prepared to go to secure those headlines ahead of the competition.
Despite Jess' twinging moral compass, and the assurances of the Editor, Max, that he wants to clean-up The Globe's act, she soon finds herself drawn into playing Stella's games. When a famous celebrity is hounded to death as a result of the irresponsible acts of The Globe, Jess begins to realise that real harm can come from the dodgy tactics they employ to sell copies, and she is determined to put a stop to it. But as she digs into The Globe's own dirt, she uncovers the disturbing truth about just how far the paper will stray from the straight and narrow to stay on top - a truth that puts her in mortal danger...
In The Trade Off, best-selling author Sandie Jones channels her experience as a seasoned free-lance journalist into a jaw-dropping thriller that keeps you perched precariously on the edge of your seat. The story unfurls through the perspectives of Jess and Stella, one undergoing a baptism of fire as she learns first hand what the dodgy end of tabloid journalism is all about, and the other a hard-nosed newshound who is not afraid to do more than a little 'spinning' to get to the top.
Jones has a ball here with multiple threads that explore the sharp-end of the gutter press, weaving them into a tale that will have you questioning quite how much of this can be true post the 2012 Leveson Inquiry - and having listened to Jones talking about her experiences that have inspired this book, the answer is more than you would believe. As Jess and Stella's story lines play out, diverging, crossing over, and eventually colliding together in a cracking finale, Jones delves deliciously into the way truth is manipulated to 'sex-up' a story; the impact of less than accurate reporting on the subjects whose lives are suddenly under the spotlight; and unscrupulous media moguls who are only interested in playing power games and making a fast buck. It is compelling, and disturbing stuff.
But this not all swagger and no substance, because Jones also examines some really thought provoking themes amid the thrills, spills and pacy plot. There are certainly baddies that make your blood boil, sometimes not always in plain sight, and Jess is a delightful shining light amongst the muck for you to pin your colours to. But there are shades of grey as well, especially when it comes to Stella, who is definitely the most interesting character in this story. There are some lovely subtleties too around how ambition can cloud your judgement; the right to privacy; and the complex and nigh-on incestuous relationships between politicians, law enforcement, big business, the capricious world of celebrity, and the media.
The Trade Off was such fun, and it left me lots to ponder on too. I cannot wait to dive into Sandie Jones' back catalogue for more of her luscious story-telling.
The Trade Off is available to but now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
About the author:
Her debut novel, The Other Woman, is a psychological thriller about the destructive relationship between a woman and her partner's mother.
If Sandie wasn't an author she'd be an interior designer as she has an unhealthy obsession with wallpaper and cushions!
She lives in London, England, with her husband and three children.
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