Naked Ambition (Robert Gott, Scribe)

Gregory Buchanan is an up-and-coming state politician with a healthy dose of self-regard. A blithe spirit, he commissions career artist Sophie White to capture his portrait. The sitting takes an unusual turn when Gregory decides to pose nude. He unveils the painting, executed in photorealist style, in his dining room. His wife, Phoebe, is gobsmacked. The painting has to go—otherwise his career will be destroyed. But Gregory has other ideas: he wants to submit it for the Archibald Prize. The plot thickens when a host of friends and colleagues turn up and inadvertently see the portrait. There is Gregory’s gin-swilling mother, his fundamentalist Christian mother-in-law, and his lycra-wearing lesbian sister. Halfway through the novel, a surprise visit is made by the state premier, Louisa Wetherly. This mix of forceful females ensures that a standoff is inevitable, but who will win? Blackmail, threats and heated arguments over Christian theology ensue. Most of Naked Ambition takes place in Gregory and Phoebe’s living room. So, when a theft occurs and only the people present are suspects, the novel reads somewhat like a closed-circle mystery. Most of the story is dialogue-driven, giving it a fun, campy, stagey feel, with characters often facing off against one another. Naked Ambition is witty and full of laughs; readers looking for offbeat entertainment will find it here.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Chris Saliba is the co-owner of North Melbourne Books Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Category: Reviews