If Looks Could Kill

Katherine Blake

$22.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Penguin
09 September 2025

Film theory & criticism; Fiction & Literature; Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945); Crime & Mystery; Fiction: special features; Feminism & feminist theory

Martinis, Make-up . . . and Murder

Martinis, makeup .... and murder?

It's 1950 and Loretta Darling is living the California dream. She's a make-up artist to the stars, dancing till dawn at fancy parties and tanning on palm tree lined beaches.

But Tinseltown backlots are filled with monsters and Loretta finds herself up-close-and-personal with one of the worst.

Big mistake. Huge.

LA has picked on the wrong girl and they're about to discover there's much more than lipstick lurking in her beauty case.

Hollywood may be Loretta's dream, but she's straight out of their nightmares.

By: Katherine Blake
Imprint: Penguin
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 197mm, Width: 128mm, Spine: 24mm
Weight: 292g
ISBN: 9780241999332
ISBN 10: 0241999332
Pages: 416
Publication Date: 09 September 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Katherine Blake is a pseudonym for Karen Ball, an author who has written over twenty-five children's books and was a Bookseller Rising Star thanks to her publishing consultancy, Speckled Pen. She regularly appears on podcasts, including The Bestseller Experiment and SJ Bennett's PrePublished. She lives in London and runs a biweekly newsletter filled with fun news, book reviews, and regular updates about her miniature schnauzer.

Reviews for If Looks Could Kill

Sparkles with fun and wit -- Libby Page, bestselling author of The Lido A fun, gossipy glimpse into Golden Era Hollywood -- Julie Cohen, bestselling author of Together Great fun - Loretta is glorious! -- Lucy Diamond, bestselling author of Anything Could Happen