Exposure: A Novel (Hardcover)

by Alan Russell (Author) "The hit had proved to be anything but easy..." (more)
Key Phrases: corps brothers, celebrity photographer, catering truck, Lanie Byrne, Lady Godiva, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Penzler Pick, April 2002: In this latest thriller from Alan Russell, the hero, or maybe I should say the antihero, is Graham Wells, a transplanted Englishman who is a successful paparazzo. He has learned all of the dirty tricks of his trade--the stakeouts, the subterfuge, the lying--anything and everything that will get him closer to his subject as he invades privacy in order to get the pictures which he sells for thousands of dollars to the tabloids. And, as Wells points out, who among us does not like looking at those pictures?

Then, in an instant, everything goes wrong for Wells. While stalking two high-profile celebrities in Paris, he accidentally causes their deaths during a high-speed car chase. If that sounds familiar, it is probably meant to. Wells panics, drives away from the scene, destroys the car he was driving, and makes his cowardly way back to the United States. But he is not in the clear.

Wells is approached by a CIA operative who tells him that what he has done is known, but will remain a secret if Wells agrees to do some work for the CIA. That work turns out to be destroying the reputations of certain celebrities. Wells has no idea why he's asked to do this and he doesn't care as long as his shameful secret is not revealed.

Wells is contacted by an acquaintance he met at a party. She tells him that Lanie Byrne, one of Hollywood's biggest stars, is going to be alone at her house for the weekend. The acquaintance works for Lanie and this is the second weekend in a row Lanie has given her staff the weekend off. The buzz is that Lanie is entertaining a high-profile lover and Wells's acquaintance wants a cut of any fee he gets for the photographs. Wells can't resist, and what he sees when he photographs Lanie Byrne will change his life.

He sees a woman in despair, intent on committing suicide as she drinks and pops pills. Wells saves her--an act that catapults him into a nightmare where losing his reputation is nothing compared to losing his life.

Because of the work he does, Graham Wells is a hard character to like, but it is impossible not to root for him as he battles unknown forces and begins to redeem himself, at least in the eyes of the reader. --Otto Penzler

From Publishers Weekly
With this novel of intrigue reminiscent of Eric Ambler, Russell (Shame; Multiple Wounds; No Sign of Murder; etc.) shows he's one of the best writers in the mystery field today. Like Ambler, who excelled at portraying the plight of the valiant amateur pitted against a diabolic ring of spies and assassins in such classics as A Coffin for Demetrios and Journey into Fear, Russell has a gift for telling a fully fleshed-out story with very human characters while supplying puzzles and corpses galore. Looking to land a major scoop, British paparazzo Graham Wells is chasing two of Europe's biggest celebrities, philanthropist Lady Anne Godwin (aka "Lady Godiva" after she posed nude for Playboy and donated the proceeds to a soup kitchen) and her French football-star boyfriend, Georges "Le Croc" LeMoine, when their car crashes in a Paris tunnel with fatal results. Our antihero flees the scene of the accident. Unlike the case of Di and Dodi, there actually are sinister forces at work here. Soon a CIA agent named "Mr. Smith" is blackmailing Wells into bringing about the downfalls of other celebrities. When Wells deviates from the script by stopping a leading actress's suicide, he really finds himself in trouble. Needless to say, no one is who he says he is, and everyone's motives are suspect. There's a delightfully wicked conspiracy that seems plausible in today's news and a charming, if blood-curdling, villain. It would be a crime to say more. This one is good to the last drop. (May 13)awards.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur; 1st edition (May 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312289243
• ISBN-13: 978-0312289249
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,572,854 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Folks, Alan Russell is a treasure!, March 20, 2003

By	A. Maccoun "Jackson" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a story of mayhem, intrigue, sex, high-speed suspense, and plain old-fashioned fun. Alan Russell has a way with the turn of phrase and plot that keeps you amused, guessing, and waiting for the next morsel of wit or intrigue. He is a wonder and a man whose work is to be savored like a bite or French gourmet or a taste of exquisite wine. Truly a wonder and despite my own literary efforts, I remain envious.

Bravo! This is his best and they're all terrific. Buy this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exposure, November 10, 2002

By A Customer

Great read! I have never read anything by Alan Russell before.
I enjoyed it so much that I will read all his previous mysteries

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner!, June 7, 2002

By	Joseph Cheng (San Diego) - See all my reviews

It's hard to say if there is a "typical" Alan Russell novel. He's given us whodunits, funny mysteries, psychological thrillers, and now suspense.

To date, my favorite Russell novel was the hilarious Hotel Detective but this book is equally enjoyable but in a very different way. It's gripping and suspenseful and the kind of book you want to finish in one sitting.

Exposure gives us a very unusual hero, a paparazzo. It was fun learning about the tricks of the trade, and seeing the world through Graham Wells's eyes. I never thought I'd find myself sympathizing or empathizing with a character like this--but Russell fleshes out a very real human being who is both likeable not so likeable.

What I really liked was the triad of villians. Also, there was a lot of fascinating information about German dueling fraternities.

This book has snappy dialog, great action, and characters with legs and baggage. You don't want to miss this read.