"A Very English Scandal" by John Preston tells the true story of Jeremy Thorpe, a charismatic British politician whose career was threatened by his hidden homosexuality and a complex web of deceit. Thorpe, leader of the Liberal Party in the 1960s, faces exposure by his former lover, Norman Scott, leading to a conspiracy to silence Scott, including a plot to murder him. The narrative culminates in Thorpe's trial for conspiracy to murder, a landmark event that exposed the dark secrets of the British establishment and their lengths to protect their own.

The book had clearly been thoroughly researched and it was an easy read which flowed well from start to finish. The writing style was such that, although it was a complex story, it was easy to follow events as they unfolded. If we hadn’t already known a little about the story, it could easily have been read as a gripping novel of lies and deceit at the highest level of British society.