Het is 1986 en in New York City is de jacht naar geld, succes en geluk geopend. Maar dat kan de jonge secretaresse Barbra Roberts gestolen worden. Barbra droomt van een prins, net zoals in haar geliefde soapopera's. Ze valt als een blok voor de rijke Kenneth Castelson, en als Kenneth haar ten huwelijk vraagt lijken al haar dromen uit te komen.

Maar wat is er gebeurd met de ex van Kenneth? De ravissante Rachella Kabuki verdween tien jaar geleden en haar lichaam werd nooit gevonden. Is Kenneth ooit over Rachella heen geraakt? Waarom spreekt Kenneth nooit over haar? Werd Rachella misschien vermoord? Dagelijks voelt Barbra de schim van het verleden in hun relatie rondwaren ...

It is 1986 and in New York City the pursuit of money, success and happiness is in full swing. But young secretary Barbra Roberts couldn’t care less. Barbra is dreaming of a prince, like those in her beloved soap operas. She falls head over heels for wealthy Kenneth Castelson, a manufacturer of… soap. When Kenneth proposes to her, all her dreams are about to come true. Or so it seems.

But what happened to Kenneth’s ex? The ravishing Rachella Kabuki disappeared ten years ago and her body was never found. Did Kenneth ever get over Rachella? Why does he never mention her? Was Rachella perhaps murdered?

Glitter, glamour, love, jealousy, intrigue, tears and above all lots of pink: this is Maarten Vande Wiele at his best. His elegant, black brush strokes give playful expression to a world he clearly adores: that of Dynasty and other vintage soap series. With lots of humour, wordplay and plenty of absurd situations, Vande Wiele depicts a series of deliciously superficial characters, the kind you only find in soaps. We’re already looking forward to the denouement in the second part of the series.

‘There are aspects of chicklit in his books, but of the rather evil kind. Barbie meets the Dynasty-vixens.’

De Morgen

Vande Wiele brings total dedication and control to his distinctive drawings. We tend to avoid all soaps, but we love Barbra and Ken.

Cutting Edge

‘No other comic book author is more at home in the soap genre.’

NRC Handelsblad

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