Maestra

Judith Rashleigh works as an assistant in a prestigious London auction house, but her dreams of breaking into the art world have been gradually dulled by the blunt forces of snobbery and corruption. To make ends meet she moonlights as a hostess in one of the West End's less salubrious bars - although her work there pales against her activities on nights off.

When Judith stumbles across a conspiracy at her auction house, she is fired before she can expose the fraud. In desperation, she accepts an offer from one of the bar's clients to accompany him to the French Riviera. But when an ill-advised attempt to slip him sedatives has momentous consequences, Judith finds herself fleeing for her life. Now alone and in danger, all Judith has to rely on is her consummate ability to fake it amongst the rich and famous - and the inside track on the hugely lucrative art fraud that triggered her dismissal.

Set in the exotic palaces and yachts of Europe's seriously wealthy, Maestra is a shockingly original thriller. With a heroine as wickedly perceptive as Amy Dunne and as dangerous as Lisbeth Salander, this marks the beginning of a razor-sharp and meteoric sequence of novels that will have readers around the world on the edge of their seats and holding their breath.

Brimming with scandal, intrigue and mystery, this is a book that everyone is talking about Heat
[U]tterly un-put-down-able, a shocking and sexy psychological thriller PopSugar
Set in a world of oligarchs, Mafiosi and dodgy art dealers, it also has in Judith Rashleigh a heroine you'll either love or loathe, at least two jaw-on-the-floor moments and sex scenes that would make Christian Grey blush Red magazine
The next Gone Girl thriller everyone will be talking about GoodReads Review
Smart, pacy and very rude Glamour
Riveting... one of the most memorable females in recent fiction Amy Pascal, Columbia Pictures Producer
Maestra features a feisty, morally complex and sharp heroine who may appeal to fans of Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl New York Times
A psychological thriller set on the French Riviera, rather like Patricia Highsmith crossed with Gone Girl, unsurprisingly, there's a film deal in the works Harpers Bazaar, '10 Best Books for 2016'
This is already being compared to The Girl On The Train and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo in terms of addictability Glamour, ‘11 Female Authored Reads for 2016’
One for fans of Fifty Shades of Grey Grazia, 'Best of New Books'
This new thriller features a sexually voracious heroine eager to make her mark on the world Irish Daily Mail
Fantastically good fun... LS Hilton can write. She can even make you think that popping along to a sex party..is quite a good idea. She writes convincingly about female desire. This book will make money and give pleasure -- Christina Patterson The Sunday Times
A gloriously dark thriller... Grazia Magazine
A maest (sic) read Grazia Magazine
We'll be talking about the protagonist of this steamy thriller for years to come... Grazia Magazine
Fifty Shades it is not- it's much better...There's a real plot. And real sexy talk....it's the very definition of a page turner. Heat Magazine
The sexiest book of the year Nottingham Post
It's a hot read! Strathallen Times, Stirling News
In this marvellous debut, Hilton shows us how deadly such work can sometimes be. Max Dunbar Blog
Well written and fast paced, and with a scandalous peep into the world of art dealing and a liberal amount of sex, MAESTRA is a fun and enjoyable read. crimethrillergirl.com
This years must read Huddersfield Daily Examiner, Evening Chronicle (Newcastle), South Wales Echo, Liverpool Echo, Daily Post (Wales)
She (Hilton) is smart and scathing on the art world; she clearly knows her stuff, and the novel is most interesting when she digresses into art history. -- Stephanie Merritt The Observer, The New Review
You'll have to move to a wi-fi free island in the middle of the Pacific for Maestra to pass you by this summer....Set to be the 'it' book of 2016...A murderous heroine you'll love to hate. -- Hannah Britt Daily Express, Scottish Daily Express
This years The Girl on the Train Sheer Luxe
· I went from not thinking I'd enjoy it to not wanting to put it down. Gripped from the very first 'c' bomb dropped on page two. Judith is a sassy, smart and very dangerous heroine and I couldn't help but really like her. So read it before everyone else does because I do think it will be the most talked abut book this year - and with reason. -- Amy Space Bella Magazine's Editor
'This is the must-read raunchy book of the year' Xpose Magazine
A bonkbuster with brains... LS Hilton sets pulses racing with her novel Maestra, about orgies, escorts and the art world -- Fiona Wilson The Times Ireland
This year's Fifty Shades brings sexual intrigue to the world of art fraud. At last someone has. Cosmopolitan Magazine
Darkly compelling...a female reincarnation of Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley... Winq
Judith Rashleigh, also known as Lauren, is a woman on a mission, fuelled by a simmering hatred that drives her calculating behaviour ... tripfiction.com
Completely Unputdownable -- Sue Turnbull The Age, Australia
A spectacular act of revenge- on the English middle class- and men...aloof and independent minded... Standpoint Magazine
A glamorous, witty and adrenaline fuelled romp- if you like your heroines sexy, vengeful, amoral and lethal thenMaestra delivers in spades. Irish Times, Weekend Review
Maestra has an incredibly gorgeous vibe in both character study and scene setting, the writing is visceral, beautiful and indelible. This one will stay with you... Highly HIGHLY Recommended. lizlovesbooks.com
It's a hot read! Hillfoot Advertiser
The Talented Mr Ripley meets Gone Girl in this darkly decadent and compelling new thriller mojomums.co.uk
Deliciously decadent...a glamorous and racy adventure Sunday Mirror
Maestra is a fun, sexy novel...more self-determined than the ones her recent predecessors have offered -- Fiona Wilson The Times
A psychological thriller set on the French Riviera, rather like Patricia Highsmith crossed with Gone Girl, unsurprisingly, there's a film deal in the works Harpers Bazaar Magazine
Maestra features a feisty, morally complex and sharp heroine who may appeal to fans of Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl New York Times
An excellent novel ... I loved the plot and the fact that at last, we have a heroine who is brave and highly intelligent. This novel is well written and very cleverly plotted...cracker of a book The Mature Times
I found the descriptions of Judith when she was working within the Art world to be the most detailed and interesting as the author obviously knows her stuff and brings it to life with passion and intelligence. Judith is a rather unique and challenging creation and I think she has quite a bit of mileage left to explore! I would definitely be interested in reading more about her adventures especially if she can surprise me again with the choices she makes! A recommended read from me-just read with an open mind! My Chestnut Reading Tree
Shades of Grey is so last year! (...) This was an easy read - A page tuner in fact with a trail of intrigue spreading thorugh the flesh pots of Europe Blue Wolf Reviews
Maestra is like Fifty Shades but with a murder! Woman Magazine
A whirlwind thriller Cosmopolitan Magazine
It's safe to say Lisa Hilton is revolutionising the sexy novel and we're backing her all the way. In the first of her trilogy of novels featuring chic anti-heroine Judith Rashleigh, the academic writer presents us with a protagonist who doesn't take anything lying down (cheeky). We're sick of drippy & naive female leads who are just there in their sole purpose to facilitate male pleasure, so it's refreshing to come across a strong role model who is fully in charge of her sexuality Heart Radio Online
A very well written book, and it is easy to see why it would work so well on screen with its beautiful locations and decadence Chris High Blog
All in all, Maestra is a thriller that will keep you hooked. And is it says on the cover, it is like The Talented Mr. Ripley meets Gone Girl to form this compelling thriller. Something that you can definitely devour into Shabd Studio
Maestra is a fun, sexy novel -- Fiona Wilson The Times Ireland
The writer is a terrific storyteller (...) I was whizzing through at speed. There's a gripping story about a painting. It gets darker. Rather good -- William Leith The Metro
"Titillating" and cinematic. A voyeuristic read jezebel.com
Think Talented Mr Ripley meets Gone Girl for this compelling thriller I-on Magazine
A decadent thriller...Maestra is rich in every sense of the word. Encompassing a vibrant narrative with elaborate characters, meticulous and exuberant detail, and witty insider knowledge references to everything from 18th century art to 21st century habits..Hilton's novel strikes like a whirlwind Live Ribble Valley
well written Breakaway Reviewers
The most talked about crime novel of 2016...in which mousy art historian Judith Rashleigh becomes a sex-party enthusiast and serial murderer of sleazy men The Daily Telegraph (Review)
It is a darkly twisting and entertaining read that will have you cheering on its protagonist, Judith, despite the trail of bodies' -- Rebecca Armstrong Independent i
Although it has a red cover, it's distinctly blue in content, but in the smartest, most gripping and page turning way possible: expertly woven within a psychological thriller set in the dangerous world of fine art Elle Magazine

L.S. Hilton is a writer and journalist who presently lives in London.

Sex. Murder. Shoes. A shockingly original and darkly decadent thriller, Maestra is the launch title of Zaffre, the new fiction imprint of Bonnier Publishing Fiction. Judith Rashleigh works as an assistant in a prestigious London auction house, but her dreams of breaking into the art world have been gradually dulled by the blunt forces of snobbery and corruption. To make ends meet she moonlights as a hostess in one of the West End's less salubrious bars - although her work there pales against her activities on nights off. When Judith stumbles across a conspiracy at her auction house, she is fired before she can expose the fraud. In desperation, she accepts an offer from one of the bar's clients to accompany him to the French Riviera. But when an ill-advised attempt to slip him sedatives has momentous consequences, Judith finds herself fleeing for her life. Now alone and in danger, all Judith has to rely on is her consummate ability to fake it amongst the rich and famous - and the inside track on the hugely lucrative art fraud that triggered her dismissal. Set in the exotic palaces and yachts of Europe's seriously wealthy, Maestra is a shockingly original thriller. With a heroine as wickedly perceptive as Amy Dunne and as dangerous as Lisbeth Salander, this marks the beginning of a razor-sharp and meteoric sequence of novels that will have readers around the world on the edge of their seats and holding their breath.

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