Melanie Lange has disappeared.

Her father, Sir Peter Lange, says she is a danger to herself and has been admitted to a private mental health clinic.

Her ex-husband, Finn, and best friend, Nell, say she has been kidnapped.

The media will say whichever gets them the most views.

But whose side are you on?
#SaveMelanie
#HelpPeter

Told via interviews, transcripts and diary entries, The Ugly Truth is a shocking and addictive thriller about fame, power and the truth behind the headlines.

The Ugly Truth is like no other book I have read before. There is no page-after-page story like what we are all used to reading. This book is told entirely via interviews, social media snippets, YouTube video information, blog posts, etc. I wasn’t sure when I first started whether this would work for me, but it so did.

The book centres on the Lange family, mainly ex-model Melanie Lange and her father, wealthy business owner Peter. Melanie has gone missing. Via a series of YouTube videos, sneaked out, she announces to the world that she has been kidnapped by her father and is being held against her will in a coastal house where she has no privacy and is guarded 24/7.

Her father Peter says she is being looked after at a private medical facility where she is getting the help she needs for mental health issues. But who is telling the truth?

The Ugly Truth is so good. It is addictive and I couldn’t help rushing through it. I’d love to tell you whether I was #SaveMelanie or #HelpPeter, but the truth be told I changed my mind numerous times throughout and I did wonder whether in the end we would be left to make our own minds up, but given how the book ends I don’t think we are.

The book comes across as realistic and perfectly relevant in today’s society. I loved the inside look at social media fame and celebrities, as well as the dark side of both too. Plus, the dirty side of magazines, newspapers, and the paparazzi.

Overall, this is an amazing, edgy thriller that is so engrossing you won’t want to put it down.

L.C. North studied psychology at university before pursuing a career in Public Relations. Her first book club thriller – The Ugly Truth – combines her love of psychology and her fascination with the celebrities in the public eye.

L.C. North is currently working on her second novel, and when she’s not writing, she co-hosts the crime thriller podcast, In Suspense. L.C. North lives on the Suffolk borders with her family. L.C. North is the pen name of Lauren North.