Size Zero (Visage Book 1)
Description
<p style="margin:0px 0px 14px;padding:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;"><strong>"A somber, disturbing mystery fused with a scathing look at the fashion industry. </strong><strong>Mangin writes in a confident, razor-edged style."</strong><strong> - Kirkus Reviews</strong></p><p style="margin:-4px 0px 14px;padding:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;"><strong>Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on fashion runways.</strong></p><p style="margin:-4px 0px 14px;padding:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;">A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion's biggest stage. The body is identified as Annabelle Leigh, the teenager who famously disappeared over a decade ago from her boyfriend's New York City mansion.</p><p style="margin:-4px 0px 14px;padding:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;">This new evidence casts suspicion back on the former boyfriend, Cecil LeClaire. Now a monk, he is forced to return to his dark and absurd childhood home to clear his name. He teams up with Ava Germaine, a renegade ex-model. And together, they investigate the depraved and lawless modeling industry behind Cecil's family fortune.</p><p style="margin:-4px 0px 14px;padding:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;">They find erotic canes, pet rats living in crystal castles, and dresses made of crushed butterfly wings. But Cecil finds more truth in the luxury goods than in the people themselves. Everyone he meets seems to be wearing a person-suit. Terrified of showing their true selves, the glitterati put on flamboyant public personas to make money and friends. Can Cecil find truth in a world built on lies?</p><p style="margin:-4px 0px 0px;padding:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;"><strong>In high fashion modeling, selling bodies is organized crime.</strong></p>
Story Behind The Book
I've spent my life in medicine and public health. I've seen patients and the media duped by hype about new drugs. I've seen drug companies fined huge amounts for inappropriate marketing practices, yet they continue to make vast fortunes.
The book is a fictionalised account of the launch of a new cancer drug, complete with nasty side effects, greedy capitalists and crooked money laundering mafia.
Through all this Professor Jim Brogan, epidemiologist, stuggles to diagnose the problem and make everything safe.
Reviews
<span style="font-family:verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:normal;font-size:small;"></span><p style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;font:12px Helvetica;">From a review on Amazon.co.uk</p>This book contains every element needed to keep the reader's attention. Suspense, murder, romance and a well informed medical backdrop from author and retired doctor Rod Griffiths. The characters are finely drawn, from the charismatic and brilliant doctor Jim to the warm and caring Val who is in love with him and the glamourous ex-escort girl Fiona with a worldly exterior that hides a sad past. The story revolves round a new cancer drug which is being propelled onto the market by an unscrupulous group who are motivated solely by money but thanks to some great detective work by the leading characters, their plans come unstuck. The pathos that is generated when we meet the powerful Italian American whose own life is about to be cut short by cancer is warmed by admiration for the way he summons his last energy to sort the situation out for his family. This book shows clearly the desparation felt by those suffering from cancer alongside the greed of those hoping to profit from their fear. It is written with a true understanding of psychology and readers will relate to it - thoroughly believable and would make a great film.
