13 Workhorse Caroline Palmer
I loved this book, a bit The Devil Wears Prada/The Goldfinch hybrid. The setting is New York in the aftermath of the Twin Towers atrocity. The main character, "Clo" short for Clodagh, is a newbie on a glossy Vogue type magazine, desperate to climb the greasy pole and ascend to the higher echelons of editorial staff. The only thing holding her back, she doesn't have the right pedigree, the pedigree of coming from old money where doors are opened and an ascent in the cut throat world of fashion magazines is pretty much guaranteed. Surrounded by a glossy, glamorous peer group who have such advantages, known as the well connected "show horses" as opposed to her demographic, of the more basic "work horses" It is to one of the former she is drawn, Davis Lawrence, the daughter of a beloved actress whose star has faded somewhat. Nevertheless, Davis, mother has more money than she knows what to do with and when Davis who is supplied with a wallet full of her mother's credit cards to buy fripperies, offers Clo an American Express card whilst they're out shopping to buy a coveted coat beyond her means egged on by Davis with a "she never bothers to check purchases under $10,000". After paying, turning around to hand the card back, she sees her companion is distracted talking to another, so she pockets the card which is never missed and uses it regularly to supplement her meagre salary. The burgeoning friendship with her moneyed friend, Clo also manages to ingratiate herself to Davis mother Barbara and continues to coast along on their coattails whilst attending parties and receptions of the moneyed elite where she finds not only in her career but in her new found social life opportunities the ability to cross social boundaries whilst taking dangerous risks. Into her orbit also comes Harry Wood, Davis boarding school scholarship classmate, lacking Davis credentials nevertheless they have a deeply intertwined symbiotic relationship. Harry's outlook, is somewhat amoral, willing to game the system to achieve his ambition of his own media empire and drawn to Clo as a kindred spirit in that they share a similar grifter mentality.
A definite page turner, a tale of envy, betrayal, ambition and privilege.
