The Book Review: Maestra by L.S. Hilton.

Hello and Happy Sunday! 

There is a lot of hype about this book. It seems everybody on this planet talks about it, read it, wants to read it and whatnot. “The most shocking thriller you will read this year“? Most inaccurate and unrealistic claim ever. I dragged myself through this book waiting for a change in the plot or something else interesting but unfortunately it did not happen. L.S. Hilton’s femme fatale Judith, who is the main character in Maestra seems like a weird psycho lady after just a couple of pages.

The initial set up of the story was good, entertaining and even grabbed my attention. The author introduced Judith as a young beautiful woman who tried to make her way in the art world. She seemed smart and works at a well-known auction house as a receptionist. All she wants is money however because of her debt and to buy great expensive clothing. Judith also wants to gain respect and entry in the real art society and world. Then she meets an old friend who told her about this amazing job as a hostess at a champagne bar. Judith works there occasionally, then every night, making a lot of money in tips, manipulates the customers to purchase the most expensive champagne which is the main purpose of the etablissement. Judith then saves all the money, starts a savings account and buys tons of expensive clothing and the labels and brands are mentioned constantly in the book. All she wants is to look hot; she also detests fat people. She is also a sex addict. The scenes described reminded me a bit of 50 Shades of Grey but more graphic, brutal and disgusting. Judith is most certainly not a virgin. 

So she works as a hostess and at the art house. At the auction house,  things start to go down. Judith finds out about a conspiracy and art fraud and ends up being fired because she wants to make it all public. At this point I waited for justice. I mean, who wouldn’t? Revenge? Nothing. All that happens from now on are brutal sex and killings. The author describes a sex party that Judith, a friend, and James, a “fat annoying customer at the hostess club” attend. Then an “accident” happened and James died. It is not even Judith’s fault but she escapes. I just wanted her to be caught at this point and the book to end. When she was with the next guy, Steve, I thought the story might get a bit better but is just downhill from there until the end. 

It seems that the author tried something here, and something different there and then combine both stories but it just does not work. Out of nowhere, Judith completely changes and is a cold-blooded killer and sort of sociopathic. The story could be okay but somehow there need to be flashbacks why she became like that, childhood troubles and whatnot for example. For me, there should be a lot more to a journey or story than just a confusing mix of weird circumstances. In an interview L.S. Hilton said that she did a lot of research before  and during writing the book. Well, I did not find any investigations, police reports or forensics. Doesn’t anybody try to catch her while she is randomly killing people, after having insane crazy sex and getting high all the time? The book just does not add up and fell apart pretty quickly. A good decent psychological crime thriller is something different. The plot hast too many holes. Trilogy? No thank you. 

Would I love to read this book? 

There is nothing mysterious about the plot. Don’t read it if you are looking for something glamorous, class, erotic, thrilling or a good plot. If you are into x-rated porn, obnoxiously expensive clothing and constant designer fashion names, expensive hotels and yachts, poor taste and slightly disgusting overall-feel, then you will enjoy this book. 



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