Hollywood Ending

I’ll admit it: I picked up *Hollywood Ending* for the premise—a publicist murdered during awards season—but stayed for the way Kellye Garrett turns a murder investigation into a masterclass in L.A. power dynamics. The story follows Dayna Anderson, a former journalist turned true-crime podcaster, as she digs into the death of Lyla Davis, a publicist whose client list reads like a *who’s who* of Oscar hopefuls. The plot’s pacing is relentless, but what hooked me was the layering: every interview Dayna conducts peels back another layer of Hollywood’s performative grieving, where grief is just another PR strategy. Bahni Turpin’s performance is *chef’s kiss*—she doesn’t just narrate, she *embodies*. Her Dayna is wry and weary, her supporting cast a symphony of L.A. archetypes: the smarmy studio head, the over-caffeinated assistant, the actor who’s *definitely* hiding something. My only critique? The middle act sags slightly under the weight of its own cleverness—so many red herrings start to feel like padding—but the payoff is worth it. And while the ending ties up neatly (maybe *too* neatly), the journey is so deliciously cynical, you won’t care. If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at an Oscar acceptance speech or wondered what really goes on in those VIP gift lounges, this audiobook is your backstage pass—with a body in the green room.