📖 Publication Day review ~ Slander by Rhiannon Barnsley

One More Chapter
8 August 2025

Thanks to the publis for the opportunity to review this book

When Hollywood actor Ethan Simmons sues his wife Tori for allegedly lying about his infidelity, the world is captivated. Once the darlings of the social scene, the case will tear apart their perfect exteriors.

For Riley Grey, a true crime influencer, the case might hold the key to the disappearance of her sister, Alice, after an anonymous source tips her off.

As the high-profile trial begins, it soon becomes clear that both parties are willing to air their dirty laundry in public. And when Tori hints at an even darker secret, Ethan’s reputation could be destroyed once and for all.

And as the media frenzy intensifies, and the courtroom holds their breath, who will win the defamation case of the century?

📖 My Review..

At the centre of the controversy are a celebrity couple who are determined to air all their grievances in a very public, and live-streamed trial, in which one is attempting to sue the other for slander. This story captures the imagination of Riley Grey who is a true crime influencer, with a growing following onTikTok and with her own agenda very much forefront she is determined to discover more about the disappearance of her twin sister, Alice. How this is blended into the plot forms the basis of this engrossing story of who did what, to whom, and why.

Cleverly blending the trial itself, which is only a small part of the overall story, with the nitty gritty of why celebrity couple Ethan Simmons and his wife Tori have so publicly fallen out of love with each other makes for interesting reading. I enjoyed the alternate chapters from Tori and Ethan’s point of view and the social media posting from Riley Grey adds an altogether different dimension to the story and makes it feel really current.

The story kept my attention, there were surprisingly clever twists which I didn’t see coming and an ending which left me with a wry smile on my face. Great escapism, and a good book to get lost in, hence my reading it over the space of a couple of rainy afternoons.

About the Author

Originally from the West Midlands, Rhiannon currently lives in London with her fiancé and her cat Salem. She's a corporate lawyer by day and writes after work and during weekends.

She is a Faber Academy Writing a Novel graduate and loves to write dark and twisty thrillers with a particular focus on women. When she's not writing, she can often be found reading or training with her cheerleading team.

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