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    Maestra
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    Maestra
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    Maestra
    Audiobook10 hours

    Maestra

    Written by L.S. Hilton

    Narrated by Emilia Fox

    3/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A put-upon assistant at a prestigious London art house, Judith Rashleigh is well-educated, well-groomed, and impeccably behaved-keeping the darker desires she indulges on nights off as her own little secret. But when Judith uncovers a dangerous heist, her life is shattered and she's forced to run. Armed with just her wits and a talent for self-invention, she makes her way from the French Riviera to Geneva, Rome, and the nightclubs of Paris, determined to take back what is rightfully hers.

    The beginning of a darkly irresistible trilogy, Maestra follows the rise of Judith, a woman whose vulnerability and ruthlessness have left readers worldwide begging to know: where do you go when you've gone too far?

    Editor's Note

    Summer thriller…

    Fans of “Gone Girl” will love this dark and sexy psychological thriller, set amidst the glamour of London’s art world elite. A perfect guilty pleasure for summer listening.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 19, 2016
    ISBN9780451483096
    Unavailable
    Maestra
    Author

    L.S. Hilton

    L. S. Hilton creció en Inglaterra y ha vivido en Key West, Nueva York, París y Milán. Tras licenciarse en Oxford, estudió Historia del Arte en París y Florencia. Ha trabajado como periodista, crítica de arte y locutora, y vive en Londres. Última es el título que cierra la trilogía que se inició con Maestra y a la que siguió Dómina y que se ha convertido en todo un fenómeno editorial, publicado en más de treinta países. Actualmente, L.vS. Hilton está colaborando con Erin Cressida Wilson en el guion de la película de Maestra.

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    Reviews for Maestra

    3/5

    137 ratings20 reviews

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    • 1/5
      very badly written, awful.
    • 5/5
      Traditionally, a main character’s role tends to be one of hero/heroine with a good heart and a noble agenda. Hilton has thrown the instruction manual out on this and created Judith Rashleigh, female protagonist in her first of a trilogy, Maestra.Being a ruthless killer and lover of the kinkier side of town, didn’t stop Judith being liked by our group. We found a variety of excuses for her behaviour … sexism in the work place, product of her upbringing, self-preservation … all good reasons to behave has she did? Well, maybe not, but her dangerous world of art forgery and powerful men certainly made for a great story!We had a good discussion on the make-up of a powerful character and whether we would have felt the same if Judith was a man. It was thought the drawing of her character was clever, in that we never really got a good description of Judith. That was mostly left to our imagination. Cleverly, Hilton painted Judith’s picture more with her wardrobe than her personal looks. The connection between the art world and the underworld intrigued some of us, to the point of researching some of the art works mentioned in the story. Always a good sign when a novel takes you further on a subject. Will we read the remaining books in Judith’s story? Some of us are onto it already! She has been dubbed our ‘likable psycho’.
    • 3/5
      Feeling used in an art auction house, Judith constructs her own art sting. Billionaire yachts, designer clothing and a lot of eeugh swinging and rough sex ensue, oh and quite a few emotionless murders. A modern female but charmless Talented Mr Ripley. Won’t be rushing to read more in this series.
    • 3/5
      If you can stick with it, this book eventually gets around to some interesting art heist, Bond-girl villain stuff that's pretty fun.

      But to get there, you have to read some fairly gratuitous, extremely graphic sex scenes that just seem like they're trying awfully hard to be shocking.

      It's like 2 parts Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 1 part Very Bad Things for awhile, and then later 2 parts Thomas Crown Affair and 1 part Octopussy. The latter is obviously better, but it's still tainted by the former. And the fact that I compared it to TV shows & movies probably betrays the fact that it's very visual; I could see it being optioned as a Showtime series.

      Didn't realize til the end that this was the first installment of a planned trilogy; I'm not certain I'll be picking up part 2 unless I hear that it's an improvement on the first.
    • 3/5
      I'm conflicted about this one. Maybe more correctly, I'm ambivalent. I read this quickly enough but I can't say I liked or disliked it. I enjoyed the art angle and found it very interesting. I usually enjoy reading about morally questionable, hot mess characters who pile on indefensible acts, but I found something lacking in Judith/Lauren. I didn't root for or against her and worse than anything, I reached the end with its promise to continue and knew that I didn't care. I dislike that more than anything, the not caring about her fate. I didn't care about her penchant for designer couture and may have cared more about her if less time had been spent outlining and underscoring that aspect of her.

      I don't know what it says about me that I kept waiting for her to shock me. I wish she had. I wish I'd been scandalized and had once reached for some pearls to clutch but I just didn't. The sex here is purely transactionary so while Judith/Lauren feels no connection, neither does this reader. To any of it.

      It may be a big summer/beach read and will probably have a great marketing campaign to accompany it. I saw it compared to a splice between Highsmith's Talented Mr. Ripley and 50 Shades. Between the two, I've only read TMR and have to tell you reader, I think your time is better spent reading that. Three stars because the bit about art will stay with me.

      I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
    • 5/5
      Loved it. Reminded me of Patricia Highsmith's Ripley series.
    • 3/5
      I couldn't quite tell if this was supposed to be a satire or not. "The Talented Mr. Ripley", with an over-dressed, over-sexed female protagonist. Good fun in an "airplane book" sort of way. Even if you had to hide the pages from the person in the next seat.
    • 2/5
      I received this book from a Reading with Robin giveaway.

      Judith is beautiful and intelligent. But she's also poor with an alcoholic mother and a missing father. She has a job with a famous art house but only doing the most menial of tasks with pay to match. When she meets an old high school friend she finds herself working as a high-priced "hostess" or "drinking buddies". But when a piece of art comes up for sale that Judith believes to not be an original she's fired so she asks one of the men for help. And so begins Judith's path from an abused employee to a psychopathic killer.

      When I had read the description of this book I thought it would be a thriller with surprising characters. It sounded interesting and I really wanted to read the book. However, I really struggled with this book. The premise is great but we don't get enough of Judith's background to gives us an idea of why she turns from a hardworking employee to killer. It's almost with the one accidental killing something clicks in her and changes her. Later we hear of a little more of her background but not nearly enough. I think more time could have been spent developing Judith's character and background and less time on the gratuitous "shock-driven", sex scene.

      If you are not a big fan of graphic sex this book isn't for you. Nor is it for anyone who wants a character that has some redeeming qualities.
    • 5/5
      I found this to be a fun, fast read with an interesting female antihero. Although she doesn't have the penetrating insight of Amy Dunne in Gone Girl, much more of Judith's formative experiences are shown, making her choices more understandable.
    • 4/5
      Very interesting plot. Fast paced. Goes behind the scenes of private art sales as well as international swinger's clubs. A fun read. It's supposed to be the first of a trilogy which is my own complaint. Now I have to wait for the other two.
    • 2/5
      An interesting distribution of ratings for this book - Given that it's a "3" I'd expect to see a preponderance of 3's, a fair number of 2's and 4's, and a few 1's and 5's. But this book has about an equal number for each score. So what's that mean? Mostly, that there is no uniform opinion on this book and its ratings are all over the place. And the total number of reviews indicates it's not exactly flying off the shelves - which means a lot of people are smarter than I in selecting their reading material. It starts with a lot of art world/gallery stuff, then turns to wealthy lifestyles - glamour, labels, boring graphic sex. Then an accidental death and labels. Then a murder. Then more murder, a lot more boring graphic sex, labels, labels, labels, and some art. Then advantages of eating red fruit, and bg sex, and labels. Then murder, murder, bg sex, murder, and labels. Then "to be continued".In your dreams.
    • 5/5
      Great "guilty pleasure" reading. The plot is not particularly realistic, but it's much better written than some of the padded, mediocre mysteries I've tried that didn't hold my attention. This one definitely did. I found myself rooting for the deadly anti-heroine, who leaves behind a trail of bodies and plot twists. A good read for the beach.
    • 4/5
      Maestra by L.S. Hilton is the 'it' book at the moment - with film rights already sold - and let me tell you, it's hot!Take a crime novel set in the art industry, spice it up 100 degrees and add a dash of the filthy rich and you have Maestra.Judith Rashleigh is our femme fatale and is working for one of the top auction houses in London while harbouring a secret ambition to rise well above her station. She studies the rich and successful and those who know their fashion brands will enjoy her desire for beautiful things. I'm not much of a fashion aficionado, but I loved the references to paintings and artists, so there's something here for everyone.Having said that, if you don't enjoy reading hot sex scenes, then look away now. The cover design of Maestra (showing a canvas slashed open) is intentionally provocative for good reason, there are plenty of hot sex scenes in this thriller. Judith is a confidently sexy woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to seek it out. She also uses her sexuality to further her own agenda in a serious and often risky way.Judith has been compared by some readers to Lisbeth Salander but I can't really agree with the comparison. There are clear reasons Lisbeth does the things she does, but Judith's desire and ambition don't come with a detailed backstory; they just 'are'.Maestra is an entertaining and sexy read, and the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because I wanted to know more of Judith's back story and motivations.This book is hot hot hot! In fact, I don't think I've read a book this hot since reading Six Degrees by Honey Brown. Maestra is the first in a trilogy, so I look forward to finding out what Judith Rashleigh does next.* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *
    • 2/5
      It was okay. Very detailed and long. Great book for long trips.
    • 1/5
      This book was a full blown porn embellished by a flimsy story about a young unscrupulous art dealer. The word c*nt was used way too often.
    • 5/5
      feels like 'the talented mr. ripley' meets '50 shades of grey'. fast paced, intelligent, delicious!
    • 5/5
      Fun sexy book. Would make a great movie. Looking forward to the follow up books.
    • 1/5
      Auction house assistant Judith Rashleigh, underpaid and underappreciated but quite knowledgeable about the art being offered for sale, takes on a second job at a champagne bar where she spends her evenings encouraging the customers to purchase overpriced bottles of bubbly. Soon after losing her job at the auction house, she morphs into a Bad Girl . . . .Early on, Judith, who changes her name at the drop of a Louboutin, explains that she has no girl friends because they would be too jealous of her beauty; instead she flits here and there, a detached, emotionally deficient femme fatale with no moral compass. Judith may think fast, land on her feet, and always have a plan, but she is unpleasant, manipulative, and offensive. The graphic sex sprinkled throughout the narrative serves no purpose except, perhaps, as a futile attempt to be titillating; unfortunately, it comes across as both contrived and tawdry. The lack of character development keeps Judith from becoming a truly strong, purposeful character and hinders the reader’s ability to understand the woman’s choices. In addition, the far-too-frequent, gratuitous sex scenes are likely to be off-putting for many readers. Some of the best writing in the book occurs in the auction house scenes where Judith is involved in analyzing the art; readers who have been deluded into thinking they’re going to find a suspenseful tale of an art forgery conspiracy spun out in these pages are certain to be sorely disappointed with this book.
    • 4/5
      I suspect that the publishers might be hoping that this novel picks up where the Fifty Shades series left off, though I think it is rather better than that. It is certainly the most sexually graphic novel I have read for a long time, but it also stands as a well plotted thriller in its own right, with enticing settings ranging from the higher end of the London art world to jet set locations throughout Europe.Judith Rashleigh, the narrator, is resourceful and flexible, and not scared to live dangerously, and after a chance encounter with an old school friend she takes on a temporary role as high class club hostess to help eke out the meagre salary she earns as a researcher in one of London’s prominent auction houses. Perhaps not surprisingly, this brings her into contact with wealthy men who operate in the shadows, but whose largesse enables Judith to start to enjoy a greater quality of life than she had previously dreamed was possible. In the meantime, she suspects that things might not be quite as they seem in the auction house. It is, of course, only a matter of time before things go disastrously awry, and Judith finds herself facing calamitous consequences, and has to draw deeply upon her resourcefulness. The book works very well – I was hooked almost immediately, and the various crenulations of the plot kept me guessing (generally wrongly) which way the story would turn next. There were some negative aspects, however. Try as ai might, I just couldn’t warm to Judith Rashleigh as a character, and I did struggle with the relentless litany of fashion brand names (though that might well simply be a reflection of my untrammelled ignorance of that world). Overall, though, I think it was worthy of the considerable hype that has attended its publication.
    • 2/5
      A special thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. L. S. Hilton's MAESTRA --What is not to love about art theft, a female fatale, a psychological mystery crime thriller? Right? Unfortunately, not what I received. Had higher expectations. Many of you may not agree with my review. To each their own opinion; however, rather than glossing over, my honest thoughts. The set up was great. The first part of the book, was entertaining and grabbed my attention. You see Judith as a young woman, trying hard to excel and make her way in the art world. She wants to do the right thing. She is a lowly receptionist at a well-known art house. She wants respect, and has debt. She lacks money. She is poor. She is vulnerable. She desires to gain entry into the upper echelon of the art world and society.Through an old acquaintance, she persuades Judith to take on a second job, working as a hostess at a champagne bar. Here she learns how to manipulate. No salary, only tips. So the goal is to get the guys to buy expensive champagne. However, James, old pasty, overweight gross man does not drink, but buys the champagne and has money. She collects money and builds her savings account. No sex at first. All is good. She is able to buy some nice clothes. (give me hot, good looks, not pasty, and fat)At the art house, things go south. She stumbles upon a conspiracy-- art fraud with misdeeds of her boss, Rupert – she is fired along with her accomplice. OK, now at this point, you can see the need for female vigilante – Justice. Was really excited to see how this would unfold. However, not in the way I had envisioned. A let down. No real plotting to seek revenge. Just a lot of killing and sex. When she goes on the trip with her friend and James, an accident-- not really her fault. She runs to escape. Even the next guy Steve .. I am still hooked. However, thereafter when getting to the next guy, and brutal murders – it is downhill from here until the end. Judith does a complete 180. Out of nowhere. She is now a cold-blooded killer. If you are going to create a sociopath, lead up to it. Create flash backs of her childhood, what made her turn into a killer. Thoughts, processes. Nothing here. It is supposed to be the journey which carries the reader. Also what makes a good thriller, is the chase. No real investigation. No forensics. No imagination. No one really much on her trail. Just a trashy girl who has crazy sex, gets high, and goes on to kill more people for no real reason. Where is the hook? You keep reading hoping you will get to the good part, which never comes.Judith/Judy (is a 50-60s name); not a name for a 30 something. Does not fit the character. When I think of a femme fatale ---I think of a good classic noir film. A femme fatale, a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art. Her ability to entrance and hypnotize her victim with a spell was in the earliest stories seen as being literally supernatural; hence, the femme fatale today is still often described as having a power akin to an enchantress, seductress, vampire, witch, or demon, having power over men. A woman with both intelligence, glamour, sophisticated, and sex appeal that uses these skills to manipulate poor helpless men into doing what she wants. May cause death. Not trashy. Per Urban Dictionary: Trashy (women) are characterized by a hollow arrogance born out of insecurity and stupidity. Because deep down they know they are trashy they overcompensate in numerous of ways, and #1, to satisfy their own needs. They are insecure and tend to follow the latest trends, no matter how stupid, for a need to be accepted.When I think of the Greatest Femme Fatales in Classic Film Noir, women were either of two types (or archetypes) - dutiful, reliable, trustworthy and loving women; or femme fatales - mysterious, duplicitous, subversive, double-crossing, gorgeous, unloving, predatory, tough-sweet, unreliable, irresponsible, manipulative and desperate women. Usually, the male protagonist in film noir wished to elude his mysterious past, and had to choose what path to take (or have the fateful choice made for him).Invariably, the choice would be an overly ambitious one, to follow the dangerous but desirable wishes of these dames. The goadings of the traitorous, self-destructive femme fatale would lead the struggling, disillusioned, and doomed hero into committing murder or some other crime of passion coupled with twisted love. Instead of: Sexy, seductive, glamorous, provocative, erotic, passion, alluring, tasteful, enticing . . You get: Trailer trash, x-rated porn, gross, disgusting, revolting, distasteful, obnoxious, poor taste With this being said, when I think of art, culture, wealth, European travel—I think “Class”. With the heavy usage in the book, of designer fashion names, ritzy hotels, yachts, and name dropping---it wipes out all the glamour and class---when replaced with bad trashy porn sex scenes. Does not add up. Falls apart midway. Even though I am not an erotic fan, I do enjoy good psychological thrillers and have no issues with graphic sex scenes if done in taste. (otherwise, why bother). For example: A. R. Torre (Deanna Madden Series). She can get down and dirty with her sex scenes, but they are tastefully done, and her protagonist is someone you sympathize with, due to her horrific abusive past. So when she is evil, you still root for her. By 50% into the book, I wanted Judith to be caught--put me out of my misery. I was not even rooting for her. Disliked her, in fact. Poor character development. As far as the next two installments – no desire to read further. However, maybe I should skip to the final installment to see if we learn of Judith’s past, and she gets away with her murders. By the end at 3 am, was glad it was over. I had pre-ordered the audiobook; however, cancelled. Not up for a repeat performance. In my opinion, does not compare to The Talented Mr. Ripley nor Gone Girl, nor contains ingredients I look for in a a good psychological crime thriller.