The Close-Up

A writer’s life takes a turn for the metafictional in this glossy neo-noir from Drysdale (The Paris Affair). Zoe Weiss moves to L.A. after the manuscript for her debut thriller, Fractured, earns her a million-dollar two-book deal. When the novel is published, however, it bombs, shattering Zoe’s self-confidence. Two years later, her advance is gone, her second book is long overdue, and she fears it’s only a matter of time until her publisher demands its money back. When her agent requests an update, Zoe panics and claims she’s writing a high-concept thriller based on a celebrity she knows. While it’s true that Zoe has recently reconnected with Zach, a former fling who’s now a movie star, his manager has made her sign a nondisclosure agreement, taking their time together off the table as literary inspiration. Then Zoe and Zach’s rekindled relationship makes the tabloids, and Zoe gets violent threats resembling the ones received by Fractured’s protagonist. It’s perfect thriller fodder—provided she can skirt the NDA and stay alive. Drysdale’s tale takes the form of an after the fact tell-all written by Zoe, characterized by clever foreshadowing and an intoxicating Hollywood buzz. This offers plenty of frothy fun. Agent: Mollie Glick, CAA. (Dec.)