Brenda Hale is a star who's getting a bit worryingly old (sound familiar?). When a successful young television writer shows her a historical play he's written, she recognizes a truly great work that could also be a tremendous vehicle for her.

The book's main focus is the crossing of sexual and professional relationships, as Brenda seduces the young man in order to manipulate him into expanding her character's part at the expense of the other characters andthe play itself, while also blackmailing her rich ex-husband into financing the venture.

The writer is also seeing a young woman that he cares for but lacks the strength to be honest about what he's up to with Brenda Hale. There's also the director, happily married, who was an ex-lover of Brenda's as well as two gay men who start sleeping together so that one of them can get a plum job in the production.

The financial risks as well as the emotional ones are always present, and Orr isn't afraid to let things play out the way they very well might in real life. Just as All About Eve ended on something of a grim note, the resolution of Diamond in the Sky isn't sugar-coated.

It was a fun read and I'm going to look for "The Wisdom of Eve".

The first line is "Christ!".