Literary locations of Scandalous Women

Submitted: 28th August 2024

Scandalous Women – Gill Paul

Between London, Manhattan and LA, this book is set firmly in the world of publishing. Publishing of women writers writing racy books in the 1960s and how they and their titles shook things up.

Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann are the scandalous two dynamic, ground-breaking writers renowned for their scandalous and controversial novels. In this novel, Gill has reimagined their lives, the publicist who might have introduced them and loads more besides….

Locations in Scandalous Women

First, let’s meet the women themselves:

Jackie Collins

Jackie Collins c) Wikipedia

Jacqueline Jill Collins OBE moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and spent most of her career there. She wrote 32 novels, has sold more than 500 million copies which have been translated into 40 languages.

After the publication of her first novel The World Is Full of Married Men, romantic novelist Barbara Cartland called the book “nasty, filthy and disgusting”.

Locations in Scandalous Women

Jacqueline Susann 1951 (c) Wikipedia

Jacqueline Susann

Her novel Valley of the Dolls (1966) is one of the best-selling books in publishing history. With her novels The Love Machine (1969) and Once Is Not Enough (1973), she became the first author to have three novels top The New York Times Best Seller list consecutively.

There are some iconic settings and locations in this story:

Locations in Scandalous Women

This was where the iconic publisher Bernard Geis Associates was located. Imagining Nancy, Jacqueline and Jackie in here – oh if walls had ears!

Now, let’s move across town and head to the infamous Navarro hotel:

The Navarro Hotel

Built in 1928, the Navarro became the go-to stop for rock bands in residence in New York. In the 1970s, it was home base for the Grateful Dead, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Who, and many more. It was later renovated into the Ritz-Carlton and is now an apartment building. But oh can you feel the history in the air!!!

Now imagine Jacqueline and Jackie and indeed Nancy going in here?

Locations in Scandalous Women

Harper Collins offices today

Locations in Scandalous Women

Manhattan and the publishing scene

Much of the action in the book takes place in Manhattan as that’s where the publishing house is and where Nancy works. This city is the scene of many key events in the book -when the three women get together and how we discover Nancy navigating the world of publishing and the world of men in publishing in particular…..

Locations in Scandalous Women

What is really fascinating here is the way the three women – from the young intern to the experienced author had to battle and play the game to stay one step ahead. This place was ruthless! You’ll want to step into the novel and rescue each of them in turn – or rather join in as they fight back. These ladies are not to be messed with!

Oh when you wander down the corridors of power here, you will see a LOT of sexism, bullying and all kinds of abusive behaviour. It’s one big power trip and I was seething! And Nancy….no…don’t go there!!!

Locations in Scandalous Women

LA baby!

Oh to be here where there are many key meetings in the book. Oh if only walls really did have ears….

Jackie Collins once said of it:

“If you wish to be successful, there is a place you should be at a certain time. And Los Angeles in the 1980s was it.”

And not forgetting London with the early days of Jackie Collins’ fascinating life before she even started writing. This is the infamous Tramp nightclub where we get a peek into Jackie’s life with her husband: