A propulsive, heart-pounding courtroom procedural, "Reputation" takes its time setting the stage for the drama that ensues. Emma is a powerhouse politician, a recent divorcee, and a mom struggling to stay connected to 14 year-old Flora, whose struggles with being bullied turn her into someone Emma hardly recognizes. The first good bit of the book is the day-to-day world-building of Emma and Flora's lives, riddled with interesting peripheral characters that give them both more depth.
I found myself really intrigued by (although not always invested in?) Emma as a protagonist because of her relentless professional ambition and her borderline-obsessive preoccupation with her public perception and...you guessed it, reputation. As the plot pulses on, I found myself noticing just how much Emma reflected on her reputation and even used the word; a bit of overkill there, but the story itself remained very plausible and held me in suspense until the end.
With "Reputation," Vaughan undoubtedly delivers a solid courtroom drama and domestic suspense piece. Readers looking for a domestic thriller won't necessarily find one here, I feel that's important to emphasis. I can't compare this to "Anatomy of a Scandal" as I haven't read it yet, and so I'll say that "Reputation" was a very good (not quite great) read. At times, I felt there were so many intersecting plot points that it reads as almost overambitious on Vaughan's part; I feel the story could have developed with the same degree of suspense even with some of the background plot.
Overall fresh and original, I'd recommend this to readers looking for a strong female protagonist, a courtroom drama, or a politically-centered suspense title. Emma is a complex, powerful, deeply-human character who has to fight to keep her reputation alive in the midst of a giant scandal; after all, we're so much more than public perception...or are we?
Rating: 4 stars
Publication Details: Out Now, Atria Books
Huge thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing my review copy!
